According to the monthly statistical information of the General Statistics Office

1.     Economic growth

-       GDP in 1st Quarter achieved an estimated growth of 5.10 percent against the same period last year, of which agriculture, forestry and fishery rose 2.03%, contributed 0.24 point per cent; industry and construction 4.17%, contributed 1.46 points percent; service 6.52%, contributed 2.65 points percent to the general growth. This year’s 1st quarter growth was higher thanh that in 2012-2014[1], but lower than that of 6.12% in 2015 and 5.48% in 2016.

-       Agriculture: Up to the middle of March, the country cultivated 3,040.9 thousand ha of winter-spring paddy, equaling 100.6% of same period last year, including: Northern provinces cultivated 1,114.3 thousand ha, equaling 101 , 3%; Southern provinces cultivated 1,926.6 thousand ha, equaling 100.3%. As of mid March, 341.4 thousand hectares of maize were planted in the whole country, equaling 98.3% of the same period last year; 65.9 thousand ha of sweet potato, equaling 95.5%; 106.2 thousand ha of peanuts, equaling 84.5%; 24.9 thousand ha soybean, equal to 73%; 531.2 thousand hectares of vegetables, by 102.5%. Buffalo nationwide in March was estimated to fall by 0.1% over the same period last year; Cattle increased by 1.5% -2.2%; Pigs increased by 1.5% -2.0%; Poultry up 3.2% -3.8%. The production of live-weight of buffalo meat in the first three months increased by 0.2% over the same period last year; cattle meat sales increased by 3.6%; pig meat production increased 4.3%; Poultry meat sales increased by 5.3%.

-       Forestry: The area of ​​concentrated forestation in the first three months of the year was estimated at 28.5 thousand hectares, an increase of 7.5% over the same period last year; The number of scattered planted trees was 16.1 million, up 1.9%; Timber production reached 1,684 thousand m3, up 5.4%; Firewood production was 7.8 million m3, up 1.3%. In the first quarter, the damaged forest area was 200.4 ha, down 76% against the same period last year, of which burnt area was 97.7 ha, down 86.5%; The area of ​​cleared forest was 102.7 ha, up 5.8%.

-   Seafood output in the first three month was estimated at 1,320.8 thousand tons, up 2.9% against same period last year, of which fishes reached 978.6 thousand tons, up 3.4%; Shrimp reached 131.5 thousand tons, up 5.3%. Production of aquaculture in the first three months was estimated at 566.8 thousand tons, increasing by 2.1% over the same period last year. Production of fishery products in the first three months was estimated at 754.1 thousand tons, up 3.5% over the same period last year, of which fishes reached 577 thousand tons, up 4.8%; Shrimp reached 33.7 thousand tons, up 1% (Seafood production was estimated at 720 thousand tons, up 3.7%).

-    Industry: In the first quarter of 2017, industrial production index increased 4.1% over the same period last year, much lower than the increase in the same period last year. In industrial sectors, the manufacturing sector grew by 8.3%; Power production and distribution increased by 9.4%; Water supply and waste and waste water disposal rose by 7.2%; Mining decreased 11.4%.

-    Service: Total retail sales of consumer goods and services in the first quarter of 2017 were estimated at VND 921.1 trillion, up 9.2% over the same period last year, excluding the price increase of 6.2% (Lower than the 7.5% rise in the first quarter of 2016). Passenger carriage in the first 3 months reached 969.9 million passengers, up 8.7% over the same period last year and 44.1 billion passengers-kilometers, up 9.4%. Cargo traffic in the first quarter reached 350.1 million tons, up 14.7% over the same period last year and 64.4 billion tons.km, up 6.7%. International visitors to Vietnam in the first 3 months were estimated at 3,212.5 thousand, increasing by 29% over the same period last year, of which arrivals by air reached 2,631.6 thousand, increasing by 32, 5%; By land reached 468.8 thousand, increasing by 7.6%; Arriving by sea reached 112.1 thousand, increasing by 66.2%.

-  Operation of the business: In the first quarter of this year, there were 26,478 newly established registered enterprises nationwide with a total registered capital of VND271.2 trillion, up 11.4% in enterprises and 45.8% in capital over the same period in 2016; The average registered capital of newly established enterprises was VND10.2 billion, up 30.9%. If including VND325.4 trillion of enterprises who changed to increase their capital, the total registered capital added to the economy in the first quarter of 2017 is VND596.6 trillion. The total number of registered employees of newly established enterprises in the first quarter was 291.5 thousand people, equaling 90.5% of same period last year. In the first three months of the year, 9,271 businesses returned to work, down 1.1% over the same period last year, bringing the total number of newly established enterprises and enterprises back to operation in the first quarter to more than 35,700 businesses.

2.     Macro-economic stability, inflation control

-       Price index: Consumer price index (CPI) in March 2017 increased 0.21% over the previous month. Average CPI in the first quarter of this year increased by 4.96% compared to the same period in 2016. Core inflation in March 2017 unchanged from the previous month and up 1.60% over the same period last year. The average inflation in the first three months of 2017 rose 1.66% over the same period in 2016.

-       Banking: Up to March 16, 2017, the total means of payment increased 2.88% compared to the end of 2016 (same period last year increased 3.08%); Capital mobilization increased 2.43% (same period in 2016 increased 2.26%); Credit growth of the economy reached 2.81%.

-       Development investment: Total investment capital in the first quarter at current prices was estimated at VND 297.8 trillion, up 8.6% over the same period last year and equivalent to 32% of GDP, including: capital from the state sector reached VND99.9 trillion, accounting for 33.5% of total capital and up 4.9% over the same period last year; Non-state sector reached VND 117.4 trillion, accounting for 39.4% and increasing by 13.8%; Foreign direct investment (FDI) reached VND80.5 trillion, accounting for 27.1% and 6.2% respectively.

-       State budget revenues and expenditures: Total state budget revenue from the beginning of the year to March 15, 2017 was estimated at VND 216.7 trillion, equaling 17.9% of the yearly estimate, of which domestic revenue was VND 175.5 trillion, equaling to 17.7%; Revenue from crude oil was 9 trillion VND, equaling 23.4%; The budget revenue from import and export activities was 32.2 trillion VND, equaling 17.9%. Total state budget expenditure to March 15, 2017 was estimated at VND 229.1 trillion, equaling 16.5% of the yearly estimate, of which development spending was VND 32.6 trillion, By 9.1%; Regular expenditures were VND 173.2 trillion, equaling 19.3%; Interest payment was 23 trillion VND, equaling 23.2%. Loan payments from the beginning of the year to 15/3/2017 were estimated at VND38.4 trillion, equaling 23.4% of the yearly estimate.

-       Export and import of goods: Export turnovers in the first quarter of 2017 were estimated at US$ 43.7 billion, up 12.8% against the same period last year, of which the domestic economic sector gained US$ 12.3 billion, an increase of 12.1% %; Foreign-invested sector (including crude oil) reached US$ 31.4 billion, an increase of 13%. Excluding the price factor, export turnover in the first quarter increased 6.7% over the same period in 2016. Import turnovers in the first quarter of this year reached US $ 45.6 billion, up 22.4% against the same period last year, of which the domestic economic sector imported US $ 18.4 billion, up 24.4%; The foreign invested sector imported US$ 27.2 billion, an increase of 21.1%. Excluding the price factor, import turnover in the first quarter increased by 19.9% ​​over the same period last year. Trade deficit of the first quarter was US$ 1.90 billion, of which domestic economic sector had a trade deficit of US$ 6.06 billion; The foreign invested sector (including crude oil) had a trade surplus of US$ 4.16 billion.

-       Gold and USD price index: Domestic gold prices fluctuate in world gold prices. Gold price index in March 2017 decreased by 0.28% over the previous month; rose by 1.98% compared to December 2016 and by 5.00% over the same period last year. US$ price index in March 2017 increased by 0.41% over the previous month, by  0.26% compared to December 2016 and by 1.92% over the same period in 2016.

3.     Social welfares

-       Labor, employment: The number of laborers aged 15 and over in the country by April 1, 2017 is estimated at 54.5 million, an increase of 104.9 thousand over the same period in 2016, including: 28 0 million male workers, accounting for 51.4% and  26.5 million female workers, accounting for 48.6%. The number of employed persons in the first quarter of this year was 53.4 million, including 21.7 million working in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, accounting for 40.6% of the total; 13.6 million people in the industry and construction sector, accounting for 25.5%; 18.1 million people in the service sector, accounting for 33.9%. The unemployed rate of labor in the first quarter of 2017 is estimated at 2.30%, of which it is 3.21% in the urban area and 1.82% in the rural area. 

-       Traffic accident: In the first three months of 2017, there were 4,812 traffic accidents in the whole country, including 2,451traffic accidents (from less serious and above) and 2,361 traffic collisions, 2,114 deaths, 1,032 were injured and 2,803 were slightly injured. 

-     Damage caused by natural disaster: In the first three months of 2017, tide, tornadoes and hail have affected production and peoples life in some localities. According to preliminary reports, natural disasters injured six people; 2.9 thousand houses flooded, landslided, roofs blown away; 3,2 thousand hectares of rice, 845 hectares of crops, 260 hectares of industrial crops, 360 hectares of forest trees, fruit trees and 326 hectares of aquaculture damaged. The total value of damage in the first 3 months is estimated at over VND57 billion.

-       Environmental protection and fire protection: In the first quarter of 2017, 4,022 cases of violations of regulations on environmental protection in the whole country were discovered, of which 3,427 cases were handled with a fine of nearly VND40 billion. In the first quarter of this year, 1,293 fires and explosions occurred in the whole country, causing 33 deaths and 69 injuries, damage was estimated at VND684 billion. Compared with the same period last year, the number of fires and explosions increased by 37.7%, the number of deaths by 2.5 times, the number of injured people by 13.8%, and the estimated damage by 34.2%./.

Ministry of Planning and Investment