Vietnam

Socialist Republic of Vietnam │ Việt Nam

The garment sector in Vietnam has enjoyed remarkable growth in the last two decades. It becomes one of the country’s largest industries, generating exports of more than US$35 billion in 2020. The industry now provides jobs for more than 4.5 million people, who in turn support millions of other family members through the wages they earn in the factories. More than 70 per cent of garment workers are women, most of whom are young and most of whom are internal migrants from rural areas.

As a source of more secure and better paid jobs for many, the garment sector has grown to become an important driver of poverty reduction and socio-economic development in Vietnam. There are around 6,000 textile and garment factories in the country, around 70 per cent of which are producing readymade garments. Most garment firms produce at the cut-make-trim end of the value chain. Around 800 factories are producing for direct export, mostly to brands and retailers in North America, Europe and Japan.

Population

Total

99,500,000 (2022)

Gross Domestic Product

GDP per Capita (constant USD, thousand)

3,756.5 (2021)

Human Development Index Ranking

HDI Rank (out of 191 countries)

112 (2021)

Garment/Textile Workers

Number of workers in the garment/textile sector

2,500,000 (2022)

Women Workers in the Garment/Textile Industry

Percentage of women workers employed in the garment/textile industry

75% (2022)

Number of Garment/Textile Factories

Number of factories in the garment/textile industry

10,000 (2022)

Garment/Textile Industry Exports

(USD$ billion)

USD 44 billion (2022)

Garment/Textile Industry Size

Percentage of total exports

12% (2022)

Key Garment/Textile Export Markets

Top five countries ($USD value exported and subsequent percentage)

Country Percentage of Exports
United States 41.34%
South Korea 9.57%
Japan 9.04%
China 8.83%
Germany 8.68%

Government Entities

Government agencies actively involved in the garment/textile industry

Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) – Vietnam Industrial Agency (VIA)

Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MoLISA)

Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MoNRE)

Worker Organizations

Trade unions, Union federations, and other worker organizations

Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL)

Employer/Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce

Employers and industry related associations, private sectors associations and chambers of commerce

Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS)
Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)

Development Agencies/ International Organizations

National and international development organizations working within the garment/textile industry

  • Better Work Vietnam
  • Fair Wear Foundation
  • Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES)
  • CNV Internationaal

Civil Society Organizations/ Non-governmental Organizations

Organizations working within the garment/textile industry

BSR

CARE International Vietnam

Oxfam Vietnam

Center for Development Initiative (CDI)

Sources of data provided

  1. Population: https://www.gso.gov.vn/tin-tuc-thong-ke/2022/12/infographic-tinh-hinh-kinh-te-xa-hoi-quy-iv-va-nam-2022/
  2. GDP Per Capita: https://data.worldbank.org/country/vietnam?view=chart
  3. HDI: https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/rankings/human_development/
  4. Garment / Textile Workers: VITAS, VITAS (vietnamtextile.org.vn)
  5. Women Workers in the Garment /Textile Industry: VITAS, VITAS (vietnamtextile.org.vn)
  6. Number of Garment / Textile Factories: VITAS, VITAS (vietnamtextile.org.vn)
  7. Garment / Textile Industry Exports: VITAS, VITAS (vietnamtextile.org.vn), VITAS annual report 2022 
  8. Garment / Textile Industry Size: VITAS, VITAS (vietnamtextile.org.vn)
  9. Key Garment / Textile Export Markets: VITAS, VITAS (vietnamtextile.org.vn), VITAS annual report 2022 
What's going on in Vietnam?

What's going on in Vietnam?

We speak with prominent Labour Researcher Dr. Do Chi Quynh about the evolution of labour rights and working conditions in the Vietnamese garment and textiles industry, what impact the pandemic has had, and what the future has in store for the industry and its workers.

News on Vietnam


VN garment export sees light, pinning hope on greening effort

Le Tien Truong, chairman of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group, said that the demand will improve overall in 2024 but the improvement will not be very significant.

Read More

Green Production in Vietnam’s Textile Industry: Progress Report

Many textile enterprises are moving toward green production processes due to increasing consumer awareness in key export markets. In this article, we will run through how firms are adapting to this trend.

Read More

Garment Workers in Asia Need ILO Convention 190

“Ijah, you know, right, if you take maternity leave, your contract will expire? So don’t even think of taking maternity leave,” said the factory supervisor one afternoon when Ijah was about to leave her line to rest.

Read More

Resources in Vietnamese

View all

Resources on Vietnam

View all

Selected Folder or Collection item returned no results