The Vietnamese government has recently released preliminary results of the 2026 Economic Census, showing significant developments in the scale and structure of the national economy. This comprehensive survey provides an in-depth picture of business dynamics, technology adoption levels, and shifts in employment patterns nationwide.
A key breakthrough in this year's census implementation was the massive use of digital technology. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) for economic sector classification and real-time digital mapping successfully accelerated data processing up to seven months ahead of schedule. Data synchronization with tax and business registration systems also ensured higher accuracy in economic statistical reporting.
The survey results recorded nearly 6.3 million active economic units supported by more than 30.37 million workers. The enterprise sector showed an impressive growth trend, with a 25.5% increase in the number of entities compared to 2021. In fact, foreign-invested enterprises saw a significant surge of 33.9%. Conversely, the individual business sector began to show a shift in labor toward a more structured formal economic sector.
At the local level, Gia Lai Province actively contributed by completing surveys on 178,467 economic units involving more than 1,300 enumerators. This success was supported by inter-agency coordination among local government, the Tax Department, and other relevant bodies to ensure data validity in the field.
Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Census Steering Committee, Ngo Van Tuan, emphasized that the collected data will serve as a crucial foundation for both central and local governments. These statistics are expected to serve as a strategic benchmark in formulating economic development policies, drafting medium-term plans, and enhancing future governance effectiveness. The complete report and in-depth analysis of this census are scheduled to be officially published in December 2026.
