According to the World Bank's annual country classification released on July 1, Vietnam's gross national income (GNI) per capita rose from
USD 4,490 in 2024 to USD 4,970 in 2025. With this level, Vietnam moves from the lower-middle-income group to the upper-middle-income group. GNI (Gross National Income) is the total national income, i.e., the sum of all income earned by residents and businesses of a country, whether earned domestically or abroad. The World Bank says Vietnam's upgrade reflects growth in the economy and exports: during 2024-2025, exports grew by more than 15%. Looking at the five-year period 2021-2025, Vietnam's GNI grew by about 10% per year on average. The World Bank describes Vietnam as one of the economies with the strongest sustainable growth in the region. The World Bank projects Vietnam’s economy to grow 6.8% in 2026, with inflation at 4.2%, while noting risks from Middle East conflicts affecting trade, fuel prices, and business activity. Vietnam now aims to become an economy with a modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, progressing toward a developed, high-income country by 2045. To achieve this, the government aims for growth rates of 10% or higher in the coming period. This year, the World Bank assessed 218 countries, with six upgraded. Besides Vietnam, four countries were upgraded from lower-middle to upper-middle: the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Jordan, and Micronesia. One West African country, Togo, was upgraded from low income to lower-middle. The World Bank's estimates of GNI per capita are used to classify economies into four income groups: low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high. According to the World Bank, this classification determines access to concessional lending and development assistance and helps analysts monitor global economic trends. However, upgrading six countries does not affect the World Bank's current lending policy. For example, Vietnam and the Philippines remain in the IBRD lending category, while Sri Lanka remains in the IDA concessional lending category.
