Vietnam's H1 GDP hits record low due to pandemic


FE Team | Published: June 29, 2020 16:18:02 | Updated: July 01, 2020 11:19:47


File photo used for representational purpose

Vietnam's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.81 per cent in the first half of this year, the lowest six-month growth rate in the 2011-2020 period, the General Statistics Office said on Monday.

Between January and June, the sector of agriculture, forestry and fishery expanded by 1.19 per cent against the same period last year, while industry and construction grew 2.98 per cent and services up 0.57 per cent.

The office said that the three sectors respectively contributed 11.89 per cent, 73.14 per cent, and 14.97 per cent to the overall growth, reports Xinhua.

In the second quarter alone, Vietnam's GDP grew merely 0.36 per cent compared to 3.82 per cent achieved in the first quarter due to social distancing measures adopted to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, the office said.

In a report released in April, the International Monetary Fund forecast Vietnam's economy would grow at 2.7 per cent this year.

Last year, the country's annual GDP growth hit 7.02 per cent, up from the annualised target of 6.6-6.8 per cent, according to the statistics office.

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