When talking about the richest provinces or cities in Vietnam, most people will immediately think of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as the provinces with the highest per capita income in the country and the two largest cities in the country. However, the truth is that Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are not the two localities with the highest per capita income in our country, but the leading position belongs to another locality.
Every year, the General Statistics Office provides figures about the Vietnamese people, including the average income of Vietnamese citizens. By 2023, there were statistics for the year 2022. These are open numbers that you can fully access and search for on the General Statistics Office's website. According to the 2022 yearbook, the average monthly income per capita for the whole country is 4.67 million VND, and here are the top 10 provinces and cities with the highest per capita income in Vietnam. Some positions have changed compared to the previous year.
Position 10: Nam Dinh
The average income is 5.1 million VND/month. This position was previously held by Ba Ria Vung Tau; from a purely agricultural province, the industrial and service sectors of Nam Dinh now account for about 80% of the economic structure of this province. In the past couple of years, Nam Dinh has always been among the top provinces with the fastest economic growth in the country. Nam Dinh is known as a land of learning, and it is also a place that preserves many cultural values of the rice civilization, with distinctive cuisine from craft villages, festivals, temples, and shrines. A province that develops economically while also having a rich culture, and is one of the localities that is very convenient to travel from Hanoi.
Position 9: Vinh Phuc 5.19 million VND/month
Vinh Phuc is a province in the Red River Delta and is located right in the geometric center of the northern region of our country. Traveling from Hanoi to Vinh Phuc is also very convenient; this province is included in the planning of the Hanoi capital region and the Northern Key Economic Zone. Vinh Phuc has a nearly 50-50 ratio of urban residents to rural residents. The economic growth rate in Vinh Phuc is always high, with some years exceeding 20%. Vinh Phuc is famous for its factories and urban areas, especially those of brands like Toyota and Honda.
Position 8: Can Tho average income 5.32 million VND/month
Can Tho is a centrally governed city of Vietnam, the most bustling and developed city in the Mekong Delta, which has been known as the capital of the Southwest for over a hundred years. Can Tho also has many industrial zones and fertile land resources, especially in areas regularly deposited with alluvium, making it very suitable for rice cultivation, various crops, short-term industrial plants, and especially fruit trees. This creates conditions for Can Tho to develop agriculture comprehensively, especially with its intricate system of rivers and orchards, and bustling floating markets on the rivers like Cai Rang floating market and Phong Dien floating market, Can Tho has a lot of potential for ecological tourism development.
Position 7: Bac Ninh 5.47 million VND/month
Bac Ninh is the smallest province in our country, located in the Hanoi capital region, in the Red River Delta. This province is of course also in the Northern Key Economic Zone, with an area of only 822 km2, making it a very modestly sized province. Bac Ninh is home to many craft villages, numerous industrial zones, and the industrial scale is always increasing rapidly, making Bac Ninh a center for electronics and high-tech industries in the country, famously hosting the Samsung factory in Bac Ninh. In recent years, Bac Ninh has made significant breakthroughs in both socio-economic development, especially in industrial services, and this transformation has made Bac Ninh a locality with high per capita income and a strong attraction for investors.
Position 6: Da Nang average income 5.8 million VND/month.
Da Nang is a centrally governed city located in the South Central Coast region, the central and largest city of the Central and Central Highlands region. Da Nang is a multi-sector comprehensive city, a socio-economic political center with a role as a locomotive for industry, finance, tourism, and services. All the best and most refined aspects of the Central and Central Highlands regions are concentrated in Da Nang. The economy of Da Nang is diverse, including industry, agriculture, and especially tourism services. Among these, services and tourism account for a large proportion of the city's economic structure. Previously, Da Nang was still referred to as the most livable city in Vietnam.
Position 5: Hai Phong
The average per capita income is 5.89 million VND/month. Hai Phong is an important port city and a center for maritime industry, as well as a cultural and economic center of the northern coastal region of Vietnam. This is also one of the five centrally governed cities in our country, and even during the French colonial period, Hai Phong was already an important city. Hai Phong is a first-class city on par with Saigon and Hanoi. Hai Phong is the largest center for import-export flows in the North.
To date, the city has established import-export relations with over 40 countries and territories around the world. One of Hai Phong's development goals is to become a civilized and modern industrial and service port city. This city has a well-organized network of industrial zones with many large industrial parks. Besides industry, Hai Phong is famous for its tourism in Do Son and Cat Ba. This year, Hai Phong and Hanoi have swapped positions in terms of per capita income between the sixth and fifth positions.
Position 4: Dong Nai 6.34 million VND/month.
Dong Nai is a province in the Southeast region based on the merger of the two old provinces of Bien Hoa and Long Khanh. This is the fifth most populous province in the country after Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An. Dong Nai is the gateway to the Southeast economic region, the most developed and dynamic economic area in our country. The administrative center of Dong Nai is Bien Hoa City, located about 30 kilometers from the center of Ho Chi Minh City. This is the centrally governed city with the largest population in the country, with a population scale even equivalent to the two centrally governed cities of Da Nang and Can Tho.
Position 3: Ho Chi Minh City 6.39 million VND/month.
Thanks to its natural conditions and geographical location, Ho Chi Minh City has become a transportation hub of Vietnam and Southeast Asia, including road, rail, waterway, and air transport. In the fields of education, media, sports, entertainment, and economy, Ho Chi Minh City holds a significant and leading position in the country. If we consider the contribution to the economy for the whole country, Ho Chi Minh City always ranks first, but when divided by per capita income, the population of Ho Chi Minh City is the highest in the country, so the average figure will be lower. In terms of international trade, Ho Chi Minh City is located on the air and maritime transport axis of the Pacific region. This is always the most dynamic place in the country, a destination that many people aspire to come to for economic development and to establish their careers.
Position 2: Hanoi average income is 6.42 million VND/month.
Last year and this year, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have swapped positions. The year 2023 also marks the 15th anniversary of Hanoi's administrative boundary expansion since 2008, which means the incorporation of Ha Tay and part of the surrounding provinces. Since the expansion, Hanoi has maintained its leading position and is a driving force for the development of the Northern Key Economic Zone, increasingly playing an important role in the economy of the whole country. In the sectors contributing to Hanoi's economy, tourism is also being focused on for development and gradually becoming a spearhead economic sector.
Compared to other provinces and cities in Vietnam, Hanoi is a city with great potential for tourism development within the city, along with its architectural works, and also possesses one of the most diverse museum systems in the country. However, tourism in Hanoi also has its negatives. In 2022, the total number of tourists visiting Hanoi was 18.7 million, including 1.5 million international visitors.
Position 1: Binh Duong
The average per capita income is 8.07 million VND/month. Another year where Binh Duong leads this ranking, Binh Duong is a province in the Southeast region of Vietnam. The capital of Binh Duong is Thu Dau Mot City. This is one of the most economically developed provinces in the South and the most economically developed in the country. The development of Binh Duong has created millions of jobs, and many residents from other provinces also flock to Binh Duong to live and work. Binh Duong is also the only locality with a per capita income of over 8 million VND per month compared to the whole country. Among them, the high-income group in Binh Duong averages 18.3 million VND per month.