Japan and Vietnam
Businesses, vocational training and development cooperation connect Japan and Vietnam. The relationship has mechanisms to improve the business environment and an economic agreement. The 2026 consular contacts add follow-up to human ties that cannot be reduced to goods volumes.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Normalization and institutional cooperation
Diplomatic relations were established in September 1973.
Improving the business environment
The Japan–Vietnam Joint Initiative was launched in 2003 to address the business environment through an action plan between governments and the private sector.
The August 2026 consular dialogue
The Japanese record includes the ninth consular dialogue on August 25, 2026, and ministerial and youth contacts that same year.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 49,222.66 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / JPN |
| Goods: Japan to Vietnam | 18,859.24 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / JPN |
| Goods: Vietnam to Japan | 30,363.41 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / JPN |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Japan to Vietnam | 2.55 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / JPN |
| Export share: Vietnam to Japan | ||
| Investment stock: Japan in Vietnam | ||
| Investment stock: Vietnam in Japan |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / JPN · Goods; full year; JPN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Japan to Vietnam
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / JPN · Goods; full year; JPN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Vietnam to Japan
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / JPN · Goods; full year; JPN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: Japan to Vietnam
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / JPN · Goods share: JPN exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Some annual indicators refer to different years. Check the period beside each value before comparing them.
| Indicator | Japan | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 4.44 trillion USD2025 · WB | 514.7 billion USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP per capita | 35,951.05 USD2025 · WB | 5,065.99 USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP growth | 1.19 %2025 · WB | 8.02 %2025 · World Bank |
| Policy interest rate | 1.25 %2026-09-24 · BoJ | |
| Inflation · annual average | 3.17 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 3.31 %Annual average · 2025 · World Bank |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 1.9 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · Statistics JP | |
| Unemployment | 2.45 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 1.52 %ILO est.2025 · World Bank |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -1.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 206.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 30.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 4.86 %2025 · WB | 6.33 %2024 · World Bank |
| Population | 123,366,7342025 · WB | 101,598,5272025 · World Bank |
| Area | 377,969 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 331,338 km²2023 · World Bank |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDJapan: 2025 · World BankVietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personJapan: 2025 · World BankVietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Japan: 2025 · World BankVietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Japan: 2026-09-24 · Approximate target for the uncollateralised overnight rate · Bank of Japan
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Japan: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World BankVietnam: 2025 · Annual average change in CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedJapan: 2026-08 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Statistics Bureau of Japan · Published: 2026-09-18 · National headline CPI, 2025 base; includes fresh food and energy. The measure excluding fresh food (1.7%) and the preliminary Tokyo release are not used.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionJapan: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Vietnam: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Japan: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Vietnam: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Japan: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Vietnam: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPJapan: 2025 · World BankVietnam: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleJapan: 2025 · World BankVietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceJapan: 2023 · Total area, including inland waters; source's territorial coverage · World Bank · FAOVietnam: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Japan to Vietnam
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 4,951.4 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 2,524.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 920.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 91.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 61.6 M USD2025 · Source |
Vietnam to Japan
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 8,455.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 2,611.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 676.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 140.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 59.2 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Japan living in Vietnam | ||
| Residents from Vietnam living in Japan | ||
| Study and training: Japan in Vietnam | ||
| Study and training: Vietnam in Japan | ||
| Academic stays: Japan in Vietnam | ||
| Academic stays: Vietnam in Japan | ||
| Travel: Japan to Vietnam | ||
| Travel: Vietnam to Japan |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Normalization and institutional cooperation
Diplomatic relations were established in September 1973. The historical profile records a strategic expansion in 2014 with cooperation on agriculture, science, training and security. It is a dated precedent, not the only subsequent diplomatic designation. Institutional and business ties can continue amid political changes, with different instruments for each sector. [1]
Improving the business environment
The Japan–Vietnam Joint Initiative was launched in 2003 to address the business environment through an action plan between governments and the private sector. Its stages have their own schedule. Procedural reform and goods sales are different measures. The economic table observes recorded flows and does not use a plan's target as an amount of investments already implemented. [1]
Healthcare professionals and the EPA
The economic agreement was signed in December 2008. Its framework facilitated arrival of Vietnamese nursing and care candidates from 2014, according to the historical profile. Training, recognition and employment have conditions different from tourism or general residence. That mechanism does not represent all Vietnamese migration to Japan or a current student count. [1]
The scale of the two economies
Japan recorded nominal GDP of USD 4435.2 billion in 2025, compared with 514.7 in 2025 for Vietnam. The reference populations were 123.37 million (2025) and 101.6 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, Japan's nominal GDP was 8.62 times that of Vietnam. The figures contextualize market size; they do not in themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or demographic extrapolations retain their markings in the table. A ratio is not calculated when the periods do not match. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
The August 2026 consular dialogue
The Japanese record includes the ninth consular dialogue on August 25, 2026, and ministerial and youth contacts that same year. They are presented as documented episodes of dialogue without attributing unpublished results to them. The 2025 goods figures offer another observation of ties predating those meetings, with an independent reporting country and period. [2]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, goods recorded between Japan and Vietnam totaled 49,222.7 million USD. Japan's shipments to Vietnam were 18,859.2 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 30,363.4 million USD. Japan's shipments to the partner represented 2.55 % of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporting country. A single customs declaration is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or subsidiaries' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [3]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Japan–Vietnam institutional background
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan · Institutional source · Document: 2019-09 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Record of contacts with Vietnam during 2026
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan · Institutional source · Document: 2026-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 392; partners 0,643,704,360,608,764
UN Comtrade / JPN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- SP.POP.TOTL; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 392; partners 643,704,360,608,764; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / JPN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 392; partners 643,704,360,608,764; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / JPN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 392; partners 643,704,360,608,764; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / JPN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 392; partners 643,704,360,608,764; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / JPN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 392; partners 643,704,360,608,764; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / JPN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / JPN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 392; partners 643,704,360,608,764; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / JPN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 392; partners 643,704,360,608,764; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / JPN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 392; partners 643,704,360,608,764; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / JPN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 392; partners 643,704,360,608,764; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / JPN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 392; partners 643,704,360,608,764; X/M; annual goods.