Vietnam and Qatar
Vietnam and Qatar have maintained relations since 1993 and have built consultation mechanisms and agreements on labor, transport and investment. Language training and a relatively small Vietnamese community complement a trade and institutional agenda of growing scope.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08Bilateral context
Vietnam opened an embassy in Doha in March 2008 and Qatar inaugurated its embassy in Hanoi in January 2010.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2024, goods trade between Vietnam and Qatar totalled 852.7 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from Vietnam to Qatar, at 169.4 million USD in 2024.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 852.73 M USD | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Vietnam to Qatar | 445.78 M USD | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Qatar to Vietnam | 406.95 M USD | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Vietnam to Qatar | ||
| Export share: Qatar to Vietnam | 0.428 % | 2024 · Comtrade |
| Investment stock: Vietnam in Qatar | ||
| Investment stock: Qatar in Vietnam |
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
- 2024 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter QAT. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
- Goods: Vietnam to Qatar
- 2024 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter QAT. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
- Goods: Qatar to Vietnam
- 2024 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter QAT. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
- Export share: Qatar to Vietnam
- 2024 · UN Comtrade · Exports to the partner / worldwide exports by the same reporter; same year and coverage.
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 | Vietnam | Qatar |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 514.7 billion USD2025 · World Bank | 215.56 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 5,065.99 USD2025 · World Bank | 72,524.91 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 8.02 %2025 · World Bank | 2.9 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | ||
| Inflation · annual average | 3.31 %Annual average · 2025 · World Bank | 1.27 %Annual average · 2024 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | ||
| Unemployment | 1.52 %ILO est.2025 · World Bank | 0.13 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 30.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 41.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 6.33 %2024 · World Bank | 14.81 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 101,598,5272025 · World Bank | 2,972,2152025 · WB |
| Area | 331,338 km²2023 · World Bank | 11,490 km²2023 · WB |
| 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 USDVietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personVietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Vietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Vietnam: 2025 · Annual average change in CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Qatar: 2024 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency stated
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionVietnam: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Qatar: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Vietnam: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.Qatar: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Vietnam: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.Qatar: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPVietnam: 2024 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleVietnam: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Qatar: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceVietnam: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Qatar: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, 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.
Vietnam to Qatar
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 169.4 M USD2024 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 84 M USD2024 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 0.619 M USD2024 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 0.608 M USD2024 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 0.0122 M USD2024 · Source |
| Metal ores | 0.00873 M USD2024 · Source |
Qatar to Vietnam
Connections between people
Qatar offers Arabic-language scholarships, increased from three to four annually since 2021. The document estimates the Vietnamese community at around 300 people, consisting mainly of temporary workers and professionals' families. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Vietnam living in Qatar | ||
| Residents from Qatar living in Vietnam | ||
| Study and training: Vietnam in Qatar | ||
| Study and training: Qatar in Vietnam | ||
| Academic stays: Vietnam in Qatar | ||
| Academic stays: Qatar in Vietnam | ||
| Travel: Vietnam to Qatar | ||
| Travel: Qatar to Vietnam |
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.
Bilateral context
Vietnam opened an embassy in Doha in March 2008 and Qatar inaugurated its embassy in Hanoi in January 2010. A joint commission and foreign ministry consultations have existed since 2007; the June 2026 profile identifies a consultation round in Hanoi in July 2024. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Vietnam is 514.7 billion USD (2025), compared with 215.6 for Qatar (2025). The reference populations are 101.6 and 2.97 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Vietnam was 2.39 times that of Qatar in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Cooperation and bilateral issues
The labor recruitment agreement signed in January 2008 entered into force in March 2009. The investment protection agreement, signed in 2009, did not take effect until December 2021, while the tax and air agreements entered into force in 2011. Qatar offers Arabic-language scholarships, increased from three to four annually since 2021. The document estimates the Vietnamese community at around 300 people, consisting mainly of temporary workers and professionals' families. An October 2024 memorandum between SCIC and QIA added a channel for investment cooperation. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2024, merchandise trade between the two countries (Vietnam and Qatar) totalled 852.7 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 445.8 million; those in the opposite direction, 407 million. The difference between the two flows was 38.8 million, in favour of Vietnam. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Qatar to the partner represented 0.428% of its worldwide goods exports in 2024. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, electrical and electronic equipment stands out in shipments from Vietnam to Qatar, at 169.4 million USD in 2024. Within the selected chapters, mineral fuels and oils stands out in shipments from Qatar to Vietnam, at 190 million USD in 2024. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [3]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — QAT-VNM
mofa.gov.vn · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record; reused verified primary payload, not re-downloaded
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- 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
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- 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
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.