The ADB projected 5.2% growth for Indonesia, 4.9% for Malaysia and 3.3% for the Philippines in 2026.
At the launch of the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) for September in Hanoi on Wednesday, ADB Country Director in Vietnam Shantanu Chakraborty said Vietnam’s GDP grew an impressive 8.2% in the first half of this year. Growth was supported by stronger manufacturing, domestic consumption, foreign direct investment, and supportive policies.
“Vietnam entered 2026 with strong momentum and continued to perform very well in the first half of 2026, despite a more uncertain global environment. ADB has raised Vietnam's growth forecast to 7.8% in 2026, up from 7.2% in the July update. Growth is projected to moderate slightly to 7.6% in 2027, up from the previous forecast of 7%, which is still a robust pace and one of the fastest in Southeast Asia,” said Chakraborty.
Bui Minh Giap, ADB’s Chief Economist in Vietnam, highlighted foreign direct investment and manufacturing as two important growth drivers for Vietnam’s growth outlook. “First, foreign direct investment remains strong, particularly in the processing and manufacturing sector. This shows that Vietnam continues to be an important destination for regional production chains. Second is manufacturing. The Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, has remained above the 50-point threshold for the past 14 months, showing that the manufacturing sector continues to expand. This supports exports, logistics, transport and many related services.”
According to the ADB, continued reforms will be key for Vietnam to improving productivity, strengthening domestic capacity and bringing it closer to the goal of becoming a high-income country.
