HANOI, March 29 ― Vietnam's economy grew by 5.66 per cent on-year in the first quarter, according to official data published today, boosted by strong exports.

It is the communist country's strongest Q1 growth since 2019, but still well off Standard Chartered Bank's forecast of 6.1 per cent.

"The country's socioeconomic situation in the first quarter of 2024 achieved positive result despite many uncertainties in the world economy,” the General Statistics Office (GSO) said in a statement.

The industrial and construction sector expanded by 6.28 per cent, while the service sector grew 6.12 per cent compared with the same period in the previous year.

A major global manufacturing hub, Vietnam also earned US$93 billion (RM439.2 billion) from goods exports in the first quarter, up 17 per cent year-on-year. The United States was its largest export market during this period.

Vietnam's trade surplus reached US$8.08 billion in Q1, up from US$4.93 billion in the same period last year, the GSO said.

Authorities are targeting 6-6.5 per cent growth in 2024, up on the 5.05 per cent seen last year, while the Asian Development Bank forecast the year-end figure could reach six per cent. ― AFP