The strategy team of a Korean group needs three years of FDI data by sector in Vietnam to present a second-plant proposal. They ask: where do official figures live, how often are they updated, and conversely – will our own company’s data be visible to competitors?
Applicable Legal Framework
Statistical dissemination follows the Law on Statistics 89/2015/QH13 (amended 2021): the State statistics authority publishes aggregate data on a dissemination calendar, while individual information tied to a specific organisation is confidential and never published. FDI figures flow through two main channels: the statistics system (the Statistics Office – yearbooks and monthly/quarterly/annual socio-economic reports) and the investment authority (periodic foreign-investment situation reports of the specialised agency under the Ministry of Finance).
Users must distinguish ‘registered’ figures (newly registered and adjusted capital) from ‘implemented’ figures (disbursed capital) – two different series that press and even enterprises often mix. For investment decisions, state which series and which cut-off date you are using.
Detailed Answers to Practical Questions
Where do we look up published FDI statistics?
Three official sources: (1) the Statistics Office portal – statistical data sections and the statistical yearbook, with FDI by partner, sector and locality; (2) periodic foreign-investment reports published by the investment authority under the Ministry of Finance – the standard source for monthly registered and implemented capital; (3) provincial registration agency portals for local data. Avoid unsourced aggregator figures in board papers.
Will my company’s own data be published?
Not in individual form. Statistics law keeps enterprise-specific information confidential: only aggregates by sector, locality and type are published. Project information on public investment systems (project name, investor, registered capital, location) is investment registration information – different from business statistics (revenue, profit, costs), which are never published per enterprise.
How often is FDI statistical data updated?
Preliminary foreign-investment figures are published monthly (usually late in the month or early the next), socio-economic data monthly/quarterly/annually on the statistics dissemination calendar, and final figures in the following year’s statistical yearbook. Monthly figures are quick estimates and may be revised later – cite them as ‘preliminary at publication date’.
Can we request detailed data by sector or province?
Yes. Organisations and individuals may request not-yet-published statistical information (in aggregate form) from the statistics authority under the Law on Statistics, in writing or via service portals; some in-depth products are supplied as statistical services. The hard limit: no authority may release another enterprise’s individual data, whether the requester is a partner or a competitor.
Action Checklist
- Define the need precisely: registered or implemented series, by partner/sector/province, which periods.
- Prefer primary sources: the Statistics Office portal and the Ministry of Finance investment authority’s reports.
- Note the data status (preliminary/final) and cut-off date in internal documents.
- For unpublished data, send a written request to the competent statistics authority.
- Never try to reverse-engineer a competitor’s individual figures from aggregates – that defeats statistical confidentiality.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do press FDI figures differ from statistics office figures?
The press usually cites registered capital from the investment authority, while the statistics office also publishes implemented capital and FDI enterprise activity indicators in the yearbook. The two series serve different purposes; a gap does not mean one is wrong.
Is the statistical yearbook free to access?
Most electronic publications and data tables on the statistics portal are free; printed editions and some in-depth databases are supplied under statistical service rules.
Can we check which group our data is aggregated into?
Contact the provincial statistics office where you file: you may know how your information is used in aggregates, but you cannot access other enterprises’ individual data in the same group.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council