Việt Nam’s 2025 was defined by sweeping state reforms and economic resilience as the country navigated a year of rapid change at home and uncertainty abroad.The following are Việt Nam’s 10 outstanding events of 2025 as selected by the Vietnam News Agency:

1. Việt Nam completes sweeping State overhaul years ahead of schedule

Việt Nam completed a far-reaching restructuring of its State apparatus five years earlier than planned, slashing layers of administration from the centre to local levels.

The overhaul cut nearly 35 per cent of central-level units and reduced the number of provincial and commune-level administrative units by 46 per cent and 66.9 per cent, respectively.

A youth volunteer helps a resident take her queue number at a public service centre in An Giang Province on July 22, three weeks after the two-tier local government system came into operation. — VNA/VNS Photo

From July 1, the country began operating a two-tier local government system – removing the district level entirely – across all 34 provinces and cities.

Officials described the reform as a structural reset that expands development space and signals a gradual shift from administrative control toward service-oriented governance.

2. Party elevates 'strategic autonomy' as a guiding principle

The draft political report for the Communist Party of Việt Nam’s 14th National Congress introduced 'strategic autonomy' as a core objective, reflecting a push for greater national agency in a volatile global environment.

Military officers patrol on Song Tử Tây Island to safeguard national sovereignty, January 21. In simple terms, strategic autonomy refers to a country’s ability to set its own direction amid global uncertainty.

For the first time, the report merged assessments of political direction, socio-economic performance and party-building work into a single document. It attracted nearly 14 million public comments, both in person and online, following consultations within party organisations.

Party congresses at all levels for the 2025–2030 term were completed ahead of schedule. In another first, all provincial party secretaries and chairpersons of provincial people’s committees were appointed from outside their home localities.

3. National commemorations rekindle patriotism and development ambitions

Large-scale military parades and public marches marked the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, alongside the 50th anniversary of national reunification.

The events drew wide public attention and were framed as celebrations of national pride and forward-looking ambition.

Vietnamese female peacekeepers march in the military parades marking the 80th anniversary of August Revolution (August 19, 1945 - 2025) and National Day (September 2, 1945 - 2025).

The commemorations were accompanied by a series of high-profile 'national concerts' and the release of Red Rain, a war-themed film that became the highest-grossing Vietnamese movie on record and won the top prize at the 2025 Vietnam Film Festival.

Together, the cultural surge added momentum to Việt Nam’s long-term strategy to build its creative and cultural industries.

4. Extreme weather pushes past historical limits

Việt Nam endured its most severe year of weather on record, with 21 storms and tropical depressions – the highest number ever observed. Five of the storms intensified rapidly, triggering tornadoes, flash floods and landslides across multiple regions.

More than 400 people were killed or reported missing, while economic losses approached VNĐ100 trillion (US$3.8 billion), equivalent to around 0.7 - 0.8 per cent of GDP.

A rescue team helps a woman in the flood-hit province of Thái Nguyên after she was trapped in her home for two days by rising floodwaters.

Among the most striking events were catastrophic floods in Thái Nguyên, severe landslides in the south-central coast and Central Highlands, record-breaking rainfall of 1,740mm in 24 hours at Bạch Mã peak (Huế City) and tidal surges in HCM City, Cần Thơ and Cà Mau that exceeded historical thresholds.

5. Strategic policy push aims for faster, more resilient growth

The Politburo rolled out a set of strategic resolutions that place people at the centre of policy design, science and technology as the main breakthrough driver, the public sector as a guiding force and the private economy as a core engine of growth.

Two workers inspect air conditioners on a production line at Daikin Vietnam’s factory. Politburo resolutions identify the private economy as a core engine of growth.

At its 10th session, the 15th National Assembly passed 51 laws and eight regulatory resolutions – nearly 30 per cent of all legislation adopted during the current term.

The Government followed with action plans and implementation guidelines, reinforcing alignment between political direction, legal frameworks and administrative execution.

6. Economic growth ranks among Asia’s strongest

Việt Nam’s economy is projected to grow by around 8 per cent in 2025, placing it among Asia’s top performers. Inflation remained below 4 per cent, while realised foreign direct investment reached an estimated $24 billion – the highest level in five years.

Workers sort frozen pangasius fillets for export at a factory in the southern province of Đồng Tháp. Việt Nam’s GDP growth in 2025 is forecast at around 8 per cent.

The results came despite what policymakers described as 'dual shocks' from global trade tensions, intensifying geopolitical conflicts, extreme weather and the disruptive effects of domestic administrative restructuring.

Authorities sought to reinvigorate traditional growth engines while accelerating new ones, including the digital, green and creative economies, to boost productivity and resilience.

7. Hanoi Convention sets first global legal framework on cybercrime

Việt Nam hosted the opening-for-signature ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (Hanoi Convention) in Hà Nội on October 25–26, marking the first time a Vietnamese location has lent its name to a global multilateral treaty.

More than 2,500 delegates from multilateral organisations and from 119 countries and territories attended the event. Seventy-two countries signed the convention at the opening ceremony, laying the groundwork for the treaty’s entry into force.

President Lương Cường delivers opening remarks at the signing ceremony of the UN Convention against Cybercrime, also known as the Hanoi Convention, on October 25.

The agreement aims to establish shared standards for preventing, investigating and prosecuting cybercrime – a borderless threat that has outpaced national legal systems.

8. Nationwide drive eliminates temporary housing years ahead of target

By late August, a nationwide campaign to eliminate substandard housing had rebuilt or replaced more than 334,000 temporary and dilapidated homes, completing the goal more than five years ahead of schedule.

Officials described the programme as a convergence of political will and grassroots mobilisation, emphasising its social and humanitarian impact.

Military officers build a new home for a family in Cần Thơ City, replacing their old dilapidated house, on February 10.

Following historic floods in the south-central region and Central Highlands, authorities also launched the rapid 'Quang Trung Campaign' in late November to repair and rebuild homes for affected families.

9. Expressway network passes major milestone

Việt Nam opened 3,513km of expressways in 2025, exceeding its target of at least 3,000km by year-end and setting the stage for a 5,000-km network by 2030. Local governments also completed 1,700km of coastal roads.

Vehicles travel on the Cần Thơ–Hậu Giang Expressway on its opening day, December 22.

The milestone capped years of accelerated construction, driven by strong central oversight and round-the-clock work schedules that often continued through holidays and the Lunar New Year.

10. Vietnamese revolutionary press marks its centenary

Việt Nam’s revolutionary press marked its 100th anniversary in 2025, tracing a century-long role in struggles for independence, reunification and national development.

As media consumption shifts rapidly in the digital age, news organisations have been pushed to rethink their models, embrace new technologies and redefine their public role.

A commemorative performance marks the 100th anniversary of the Revolutionary Press Day on June 21.

The passage of an amended Press Law at the 15th National Assembly’s 10th session was presented as opening new space for journalism’s evolution in a rapidly changing information landscape. — VNS