Remittances to Ho Chi Minh City rose 39.5% to $2.835 billion in the third quarter of 2026, narrowing a nine-month shortfall, the State Bank of Vietnam’s Regional Branch 2 said.
Inflows were 3.6% higher than a year earlier, the first year-over-year quarterly gain of 2026. They had fallen 16.9% in the first quarter and 27.9% in the second. The third-quarter total exceeded the previous quarter’s by more than $802 million.
For January through September, the city received nearly $6.87 billion, down 13.8% from the same period in 2025. That shortfall was smaller than the 22.8% year-over-year decline recorded for the first half.
Of the third-quarter total, nearly $1.68 billion came from Asia, giving the region a 59.1% share. Asia’s share had been 49.3% in the second quarter. Transfers from the Americas totaled $748.5 million, or 26.4% of the latest quarter’s inflows.
Regional Branch 2 Deputy Director Trần Thị Ngọc Liên attributed much of the recovery to transfers from Asia. She pointed to the Korean won’s appreciation against the U.S. dollar and seasonal demand for funds used in investment and consumption in Vietnam toward year-end.
Economic organizations that receive and pay out foreign currency handled more than $2.2 billion in the third quarter, accounting for 77.7% of inflows. Their total rose 58.5% from the preceding quarter. Credit institutions processed $631.4 million, a 1.6% decline.
The branch projects fourth-quarter remittances of $2.6 billion to $2.9 billion and a full-year total of $9.5 billion to $9.8 billion. Its annual forecast has risen from the $8.6 billion to $8.9 billion range it gave in July, though it remains below the $10.3 billion figure the branch uses to compare 2025 inflows.
The branch said its outlook depends partly on exchange rates, labor markets where Vietnamese people live and work, and demand for transfers. Fourth-quarter inflows will show whether the latest recovery continues.
