Large firms account for just 0.9% of enterprises in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

Speaking at a CEO networking program in Can Tho City on Tuesday, Nguyen Phuong Lam, director of the branch, said the delta recorded 9,600 newly established businesses in the first six months of 2026, a year-on-year increase of about 20 percent.

However, the number of businesses shutting down or completing dissolution procedures was also significant, Lam said.

After newly established businesses are offset against those that close or dissolve, the region gains only about 1,000 new businesses a year.

The delta currently has just 4.1 businesses per 1,000 residents, well below the national average of 9.1 firms per 1,000 people.

The average registered capital per business is also relatively modest, at VND6.8 billion (US$260,450).

By employment size, micro-enterprises make up 87 percent of all businesses in the region.

Small, medium-sized and large enterprises account for 9.5 percent, 1.8 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.

Under Vietnam’s Law No. 04/2017/QH14 and Decree No. 80/2021/NĐ-CP, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are categorized into micro, small, and medium tiers based on their sector - either Agriculture/Industry/Construction or Trade & Services - and evaluated by workforce size alongside either total capital or annual revenue. 

Overall, an SME cannot exceed 200 employees, VND100 billion in capital, or VND300 billion  in revenue. 

Specifically, a Small Enterprise in Agriculture/Industry/Construction operates with up to 100 employees and either total capital up to VND20 billion or annual revenue up to VND50 billion, whereas a Small Enterprise in Trade & Services is capped at 50 employees and either VND50 billion VND in capital or VND100 billion in revenue. 

Threshold eligibility requires meeting the employee headcount plus at least one of the financial criteria, determined by the enterprise’s primary revenue-generating sector.

Lam also pointed to what he described as a paradox: although the Mekong Delta is Vietnam’s agricultural powerhouse, it lacks sufficiently strong businesses operating in the sector.

Agricultural enterprises account for less than five percent of the region’s total number of businesses.

“These figures show that businesses, society and government agencies all share responsibility for creating a business environment that enables enterprises to grow,” Lam said.

He stressed that businesses operating in the region must make greater efforts to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, particularly by adopting new management models and governance practices compatible with current advances in science and technology.

The VCCI Mekong Delta branch is stepping up efforts to accompany businesses in the region.

In addition to its regular activities, the unit is making recommendations to the government on improving the business environment and policies, while also working to address difficulties facing businesses at the local level.

“Training and improving business capacity are among our top priorities,” Lam said.

VCCI to develop Mekong Delta market, business report

VCCI plans to develop a comprehensive report on the Mekong Delta’s market and business activities in 2027, according to Lam.

The report is expected to examine key industry groups, emerging changes across the region, future prospects, and the moves being made by businesses and investors.

The aim is to provide companies in the delta with timely and practical information, enabling them to develop business plans and strategies to adapt to and navigate the new economic environment.