Celebrating the 79th National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

79 years after President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence and nearly 40 years of Renovation (from 1986 to present), from a country devastated by many wars, poor, backward, hungry, besieged and embargoed for 30 years, Vietnam has risen to become a middle-income country with an average income per capita of about 4,300 USD in 2023, an increase of nearly 60 times compared to 1986. Average economic growth is over 6.5%/year, belonging to the group of countries with high growth rates in the region and in the world. The size of the economy in 2023 ranks 35th in the world, an increase of more than 95 times compared to 1986. The macroeconomic foundation is basically stable; major balances of the economy are ensured.

General Secretary and President To Lam in his recent article: “Building a strong Party, a prosperous, democratic, fair and civilized Vietnam” emphasized that our entire Party, people and army need to strive, join hands and unite, inherit and strongly promote the glorious traditions and valuable experiences of our Party; promote to the highest level the spirit of “self-reliance, self-confidence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, national pride”; constantly explore and open up new and great prospects for human and social development.

Uphold Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, the goal of national independence, socialism and the Party's renovation policy. Uphold socio-economic development as the center, Party building as the key, cultural development as the spiritual foundation, ensuring national defense and security as essential and regular; maximize internal resources, mobilize external resources, in which internal resources and human resources are the most important. Especially attach importance to and constantly strengthen solidarity and unity within the Party, great national solidarity, and the close bond between the Party and the people.

Along with that, General Secretary and President To Lam also emphasized that recently, a very important spirit is the need to unify the perception of the new historical starting point, the new era, the era of the Vietnamese nation's rise, from which there will be stronger innovations. That is the new spirit of development that requires even higher and stronger efforts that are being posed to our entire Party, people and army.

Vietnam continues to be an economic bright spot in the region and the world.

According to the General Statistics Office, in 2023, Vietnam's socio-economic situation will continue to recover, the domestic macro-economy will remain stable, inflation will be controlled at an appropriate level; supply and demand of essential goods will be ensured, and domestic consumption and purchasing activities will maintain a fairly high growth rate. The agricultural, forestry and fishery sector will continue to be a solid pillar of the economy with stable growth, affirming that the restructuring of the industry has been effective, ensuring the supply of food, foodstuffs, essential goods domestically and increasing exports. Public investment will be boosted in terms of implemented capital, the disbursement rate will be high, and social security will be timely and effectively taken care of. Vietnam will continue to be an economic bright spot in the region and the world. Gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to increase by 5.05% compared to 2022.

The domestic market size is continuously increasing with total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue at current prices in 2023 estimated at VND 6,231.8 trillion, up 9.6% compared to 2022.

The business environment is increasingly improving, creating favorable conditions for enterprises to be more proactive in participating in the global value chain. Some Vietnamese products have initially affirmed their brands and become competitive in the international market. According to the General Statistics Office, in 2023, the country had 159.3 thousand newly registered enterprises with a total registered capital of VND 1,521.3 trillion. In the first 7 months of 2024, the country had more than 95.2 thousand newly registered enterprises with a total registered capital of VND 854.6 trillion.

The number of employed workers and the average monthly income of workers will increase. In 2023, the number of employed workers will be 51.3 million, an increase of 683 thousand people (equivalent to an increase of 1.35%) compared to 2022. Meanwhile, the rate of informally employed workers will be 64.9%, down 0.9 percentage points compared to 2022. The number of workers doing self-production and self-consumption work will be 3.8 million people, down 507.6 thousand people compared to 2022. The average income of workers in 2023 will be 7.1 million VND/month, an increase of 6.9%, equivalent to an increase of 459 thousand VND compared to 2022.

Labor productivity of the entire economy in 2023 at current prices is estimated at 199.3 million VND/worker (equivalent to 8,380 USD/worker, an increase of 274 USD compared to 2022).

According to the announcement of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Vietnam's GII (National Innovation System Assessment Toolkit) in 2023 ranked 46th out of 132 countries and economies worldwide, up 2 places compared to 2022; in the ASEAN region, Vietnam's GII ranked 4th in the region, after Singapore (ranked 5th), Malaysia (ranked 36th) and Thailand (ranked 43rd). Vietnam's research and development (R&D) index ranked 66th.

Along with economic development, in recent years, our Party and State have continuously paid attention to and invested all resources in cultural and social development. Up to now, the culture and people's lives have changed and are increasingly improved.

Vietnam's population in 2023 is 100.3 million people. Population quality is increasingly improving. Vietnam has basically maintained the replacement fertility rate since 2005. Achievements in the development of medicine and public health care have been improved, the average life expectancy of Vietnam's population in 2023 is 73.7 years old.

According to preliminary results from the 2023 Population Living Standards Survey, the living conditions of households have improved. Social security work has been promptly and practically implemented by all levels from the central to local levels. According to a report by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, as of December 19, 2023, the total value of money and gifts to support beneficiaries was more than 12.3 trillion VND; attracting many international tourists to visit and learn about Vietnamese culture and people. According to the General Statistics Office, in 2023, international visitors to Vietnam reached 12.6 million, 3.4 times higher than in 2022, far exceeding the target of 8 million international visitors in 2023. In the first 7 months of 2024 alone, international visitors to Vietnam reached nearly 10 million, an increase of 51.0% over the same period in 2023.

Red flags with yellow stars are shining brightly all over the streets

Vietnam's position in the international arena is increasingly increasing.

Continuing to promote the historical significance of the September 2, 1945 event and affirming its position in the international arena, Vietnam constantly nurtures the aspiration to rise up, with a resilient spirit and unshakable determination.

First of all, our country has maintained an independent, autonomous, yet flexible and creative foreign policy. In the context of an increasingly complex and multipolar world, upholding principles but being flexible in behavior helps Vietnam both protect national sovereignty and take advantage of international cooperation opportunities. This not only helps the country maintain peace and stability, but also creates momentum for building strategic partnerships, sharing benefits and responsibilities with other countries.

In addition, enhancing Vietnam’s role in international organizations is an indispensable task. Actively participating in global initiatives, especially in areas such as sustainable development, climate change response and peacekeeping, helps Vietnam affirm its role as a responsible and trustworthy country in the international arena.

To make the significance of the September 2nd event spread forever, Vietnam has made many efforts to protect and promote traditional cultural values, while absorbing the cultural quintessence of humanity. This not only helps Vietnam build a unique and strong identity in the international arena, but also creates a soft appeal, attracting respect and admiration from other countries. Each relic, song, dance, custom, and festival is a story of resilience, creativity, and love for the country - values ​​that have been and are bringing Vietnam to global stature.

Cultural diplomacy is also one of the powerful means to help Vietnam spread its stature to the world. When Vietnamese culture is widely introduced, when stories of resilience and solidarity are shared, the world will understand, love and respect our country more. From cultural and artistic activities to educational exchange programs and people-to-people exchanges, all contribute to building an image of Vietnam as beautiful, dynamic and full of potential.

From the light of the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945, Vietnam has continued to write heroic and proud pages of history on the international stage. We have proven that, despite its small size, with will and determination, Vietnam can completely affirm its position, contributing to the peace and prosperity of humanity./.

According to the Communist Party of Vietnam Electronic Newspaper