As of December 31, 2020, Việt Nam counted 683,600 operational enterprises. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — As of December 31, 2020, Việt Nam counted 683,600 operational enterprises, up 35.3 per cent from 2016, the 2021 economic census revealed.

According to the census, whose preliminary results were announced by the General Statistics Office (GSO) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, during the 2016-2020 period, the number of firms increased 7.9 per cent each year, still lower than the average of 8.7 per cent recorded between 2011 and 2016.

In 2020, the businesses employed more than 14.7 million labourers, a rise of 4.7 per cent from 2016. In the 2016-20 period, the number of workers expanded by 1.2 per cent, lower than the 5.1 per cent in 2011-16.

Cooperatives saw a sharp increase in number but a noted drop in workforce, with nearly 15,300 units nationwide in 2020, up 17.5 per cent from 2016, and 169,600 employees, down 15.6 per cent.

In 2020, there were nearly 5.2 million private business and production establishments, up 5.7 per cent from 2016. However, the yearly increases of 1.4 per cent and 0.7 per cent in the numbers of establishments and labourers during the 2016-2020 period were much lower than the hikes of 3.0 per cent and 1.8 per cent, respectively, in 2011-16, and 4.4 per cent and 5.6 per cent in 2006-11.

The census also found decreases in the numbers of non-business units and non-governmental organisations. However, religious establishments maintained its growth in terms of both quantity and workforce.

Nguyễn Trung Tiến, GSO deputy head and member of the steering board of the central economic census, said the office is working to announce the official results of the census as soon as possible.

Also on January 11, it released preliminary results of the 2021 administrative census that showed that Việt Nam had 32,300 administrative establishments as of late 2020, down 7.25 per cent compared with 2016.

The official results are expected to be publicised in the second quarter of this year.

The census aims to collect information about administrative units and their staff, as well as their budget spending and collection to review, adjust and supplement management policies and planning schemes, said Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyễn Trọng Thừa. — VNS