Nearly 35,500 new businesses set up in first two months

Nearly 35,500 new businesses set up in first two months

The enterprises registered combined capital of about VNĐ313.7 trillion (US$12 billion) and more than 167,500 employees.

A tra catfish processing line at Nam Việt Corporation (NAVICO) in southern province of An Giang. Around 11,300 enterprises were established in February alone. —VNA/VNS Photo

Nearly 35,500 enterprises were established across Việt Nam in the first two months of 2026, indicating a robust rebound in business formation despite continuing market headwinds.

The enterprises registered combined capital of about VNĐ313.7 trillion (US$12 billion) and more than 167,500 employees. Compared with the same period last year, the number of new businesses surged by 70.7 per cent, while registered capital rose by 36.1 per cent and registered labour increased by 19.1 per cent.

Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance (MoF) show that around 11,300 enterprises were established in February alone, with total registered capital reaching nearly VNĐ132.8 trillion (about US$5.05 billion) and nearly 59,400 registered workers.

Month-on-month figures, however, showed a slowdown. Compared with January, the number of newly established enterprises in February dropped by 53.2 per cent, while registered capital and labour declined by 26.6 per cent and 45.1 per cent, respectively. Despite the monthly fall, February still recorded a year-on-year increase of 11.6 per cent in new enterprises and a slight 0.4 per cent rise in registered workers, although registered capital edged down 2.6 per cent.

The average registered capital per newly established enterprise in February stood at around VNĐ11.7 billion, up 56.9 per cent from January but down 12.8 per cent compared with the same period last year.

The statistics agency also reported that nearly 6,200 enterprises resumed operations in February, down 74.9 per cent from the previous month and 12.6 per cent year-on-year.

Meanwhile, 4,257 enterprises temporarily suspended operations during the month, falling 92.2 per cent compared with January but rising 19.8 per cent year-on-year. Another 3,492 firms halted operations pending dissolution procedures, down 52.2 per cent month-on-month but up 17.5 per cent year-on-year. At the same time, 3,290 enterprises completed dissolution procedures, a decrease of 28.6 per cent from January but a sharp increase of 89.4 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.

Despite the strong growth in the number of newly established enterprises, the average capital scale of these businesses showed a declining trend. In the first two months of the year, the average registered capital per new enterprise stood at about VNĐ8.8 billion, down 20.3 per cent from a year earlier.

When including additional capital registered by existing firms, the total capital injected into the economy during the January–February period reached nearly VNĐ851.9 trillion, marking a 20.1 per cent increase year-on-year. Of this, more than VNĐ538.2 trillion came from additional capital registered by operating enterprises, up 12.4 per cent.

During the same period, about 29,000 enterprises resumed operations, slightly down by 0.2 per cent year-on-year. Taken together, the number of newly established and reactivated enterprises reached nearly 64,500 in the first two months, up 29.4 per cent from the same period last year. On average, about 32,200 businesses entered or re-entered the market each month.

However, the number of enterprises withdrawing from the market remained high. In the first two months of 2026, around 77,000 businesses exited the market, representing a 14.9 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025.

By sector, wholesale and retail trade and the repair of automobiles and motorcycles saw the highest number of new enterprises, with more than 16,000 firms established, up 124 per cent year-on-year. The manufacturing and processing industry followed with over 4,800 new businesses, while construction recorded 2,930. Transport and warehousing registered 2,094 new firms, accommodation and food services 1,591, and real estate business 959.

To further support enterprise development, the Ministry of Finance has urged efforts to remove bottlenecks related to institutions, access to land and natural resources, interest rate support and workforce training. The ministry is also pushing for a roadmap to streamline administrative procedures, shorten processing times and reduce compliance costs for businesses.

In addition, new policy packages are being developed to assist small- and medium-sized enterprises and household businesses, particularly in taxation and tax procedures. Authorities aim to encourage household businesses to transition into formal enterprises while helping smaller firms scale up into larger, globally competitive companies, supported by incentives related to infrastructure, including electricity supply, land rental and administrative fees. 

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