World Bank classifies Vietnam as upper-middle-income country

According to WB, Vietnam’s gross national income (GNI) per capita increased from US$4,490 in 2024 to US$4,970 in 2025. The figure surpassed the US$4,636 threshold required for economies to be classified as upper-middle income under the WB’s latest criteria.

The WB attributed Vietnam’s upgraded status to sustained economic expansion and positive export growth.

In 2024 and 2025, the country’s export turnover rose by more than 15%, while its gross domestic product (GDP) growth reached 7% and 8%, respectively.

Notably, Vietnam’s GNI recorded an average annual increase of around 10% during the 2021 - 2025 period. WB experts described this as “one of the strongest and most sustainable growth rates in the region”.

This year, WB assessed 218 economies, with six countries upgraded to higher income categories.

In addition to Vietnam, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Jordan, and Micronesia all moved from lower-middle income to upper-middle income. Meanwhile, Togo was upgraded from low-income to lower-middle income status.

The WB currently classifies economies based on the previous year’s GNI per capita, adjusted for exchange rate fluctuations. Countries and territories are divided into four categories: low income, lower-middle income, upper-middle income and high income.

Under the updated criteria, economies with GNI per capita ranging from US$1,176 to US$4,635 are classified as lower-middle income, while those with GNI per capita between US$4,636 and US$14,375 fall into the upper-middle-income group. These thresholds have been slightly raised compared to the previous period due to inflationary pressures.

The WB’s classification system is considered as an important basis for determining countries’ eligibility for concessional financing and development support programs, while also serving as a tool for tracking global economic trends.