National economic census coming soon

The general economic census is usually conducted every five years. According to the decision issued by the Minister of Finance, the subjects of the survey include corporations, general companies, enterprises, cooperatives, people's credit funds; non-public service units; associations; individual non-agricultural, forestry and fishery production and business establishments; cooperatives; religious and belief establishments; and branches and representative offices of foreign enterprises and non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.

The census focuses on collecting five main groups of information: Information on identification and classification of units; production and business conditions such as labor, assets and capital sources; production and business performance results including products, revenue and costs; level of application of science and technology, digital economy, e-commerce; and specialized information for management and analysis.

Công nhân sản xuất trong nhà máy ở Bình Dương Ảnh HC .jpg — The 2026 economic census nationwide will begin on January 5, 2026.

An important new point in the 2026 census is to make the most of existing administrative data sources, combining the application of information technology in the entire process of data collection, processing and synthesis, helping to reduce costs, increase efficiency and ensure the accuracy and transparency of results.

The information collection period is divided into two phases: Phase 1, from January 5 to March 31, 2026, focuses on individual non-agricultural, forestry, and fishery production and business establishments, cooperatives, and religious and belief establishments.

Phase 2, from April 1 to August 31, 2026, is for enterprises, non-public service units, associations, unions, production and business establishments under administrative agencies, public service units, branches, representative offices of enterprises and foreign non- governmental organizations.

The Prime Minister will establish a Steering Committee for the 2026 Economic Census at the central level to direct unified implementation nationwide, with the coordination of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Home Affairs and localities through Steering Committees at the provincial and communal levels.

Preliminary results are expected to be announced in January 2027, and official results will be announced in the third quarter of 2027, serving the assessment and planning of socio-economic development policies in accordance with the country's reality in the new period.