HANOI: Vietnam’s consumer price index (CPI) rose by an average of 3.31% in 2025, meeting the inflation target set by the National Assembly, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).
Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi on Monday, NSO director general Nguyen Tho Huong said December CPI increased by 0.19% compared to November and 3.48% year-on-year. Average CPI in the fourth quarter rose 3.44% from the same period the year prior.
Prices increased in 11 months and fell in one month compared to the previous month, driven by seasonal demand during holidays and the Lunar New Year, fluctuations in global prices of rice, cooking gas and fuel and domestic changes in pork prices, electricity tariffs, construction materials and housing rents.
Huong said the outcome reflected flexible and coordinated macroeconomic management, prudent monetary policy, a stable foreign exchange market, interest rate reductions and faster public investment disbursement.
She also highlighted close management of state-controlled prices, optimisation of transport costs and measures to ensure energy and food security and stabilise inflation expectations.
Nguyen Thu Oanh, head of the NSO’s Service and Price Statistics Department, said prices of food and catering services rose 3.27%, contributing 1.17 percentage points to the overall CPI.
Food prices alone increased 3.61%, adding 0.8 points, while restaurant services rose 3.81%. Prices of the narrower food group edged up 0.17%.
Housing, electricity, water, fuel and construction materials increased by 6.08%, contributing 1.38 points, mainly due to higher rents and home repair costs.
Residential electricity prices rose 7.2% following higher demand and tariff adjustments by Electricity of Vietnam on Oct 11, 2024, and May 10, 2025.
Prices of medicine and health services surged 13.07%, adding 0.61 points to CPI, after a Health Ministry circular issued on Oct 17, 2024 led to higher medical service fees. — Viet Nam News/ANN
