Vietnam climbed 8 spots from 115th to 107th in the latest Human Development Index (HDI) rankings, reaffirming its position among developing countries with high HDI scores.

In Decision No 262/QD-TTg dated April 1, 2024, the Prime Minister approved the implementation plan for the National Power Development Master Plan in the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050.

In its April 2024 Asian Development Outlook (ADO) report, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has maintained its earlier forecast for Vietnam’s economic growth this year, despite ongoing uncertainties from the external environment. Vietnam’s economy is expected to achieve a growth rate of 6.0% in 2024 and 6.2% in 2025.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has reported that Vietnam’s rice exports hit 708 million USD in the first two months of 2024, an increase of nearly 50% compared to the same period last year. The figures promise a positive outlook for rice exports during 2024 as a whole, especially those to major markets.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has set a target of Vietnam’s total coffee plantation area reaching 640,000 - 660,000 hectares by 2030, with exports expected to account for 80-85% of the country’s total production.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is aiming for Vietnam’s total rubber plantation area to reach some 800,000 - 850,000 ha by 2030, with 100% of rubber latex and wood to obtain planting area codes for product origin traceability.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has set a goal of the total pepper cultivation area nationwide standing at 80,000 - 100,000 ha by 2030, with a production target of 180,000 - 230,000 tonnes.

The National Assembly’s resolution on the socio-economic development plan for 2024 sets a target of 6.0-6.5% growth in gross domestic product (GDP) for the year, while per capita income is expected to reach 4,700-4,730 USD.

Vietnam earned more than 43 billion USD from agro-forestry-fishery exports in the first 10 months of 2023, a decrease of 4.2 percent over the same period last year.

Vietnam attracted foreign direct investment of 106.8 billion USD into its renewable energy sector during the 2015-2022 period, ranking it 2nd among developing economies around the world.

The 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians, to be hosted by the Vietnamese National Assembly from September 14-17, is expected to promote the role of young parliamentarians in the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Vietnam’s digital economy has played an important role in the country’s socio-economic development in recent times, and accounted for nearly 15% of GDP in the first half of this year, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam earned over 3.25 billion USD from exporting fruit and vegetables in the first seven months of the year, representing a year-on-year increase of a significant 68.8%.

Vietnam’s garment-textile sector strives to achieve a total export value of 68-70 billion USD, according to the development strategy for the apparel and footwear industry to 2030, with a vision to 2035.

The 2022 Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) Report on Vietnam was released recently by the Centre for Community Support and Development Studies, the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Centre for Research and Training, Real-Time Analytics, and the United Nations Development Programme.

Belgium is now Vietnam's sixth largest trading partner in the EU with a total investment of more than 1.1 billion USD to Vietnam, mainly in the field of logistics and infrastructure development which Belgium has strengths.