Ba Ria - Vung Tau
Vietnam's maritime economy hub—$8K GDP/capita (2x national), $4B FDI (5 months 2025), 138M tonnes port throughput, Long Son $5.4B petrochemical complex.
Ba Ria-Vung Tau punches far above its geography. Occupying 0.6% of Vietnam's area with 1% of population, the province ranks 6th in economic scale, 4th in budget revenue, and 5th in FDI attraction. GDP per capita exceeds $8,000—nearly double the national average. The secret: oil, gas, and deep-water ports that handle 138.2 million tonnes annually (2024), up 23% year-on-year.
FDI flows accelerate. In the first five months of 2025, the province attracted over $4 billion in foreign investment across 73 projects. The Long Son Petrochemical Complex added $400 million, reaching $5.4 billion total—anchoring the chemical industry cluster. Container throughput hit 10.8 million TEUs in 2024, up 34% from 2023. Cai Mep-Thi Vai deep-water ports handle vessels that can't dock in Ho Chi Minh City.
Con Dao—the island archipelago and former political prison—transforms into a national tourist area. The province targets $18,000-18,500 GDP per capita by 2030, centrally-run city status, and maritime economy hub designation. Wind, solar, and gas power position Ba Ria-Vung Tau for hydrogen and green ammonia production. By 2026, the province tests whether energy transition can compound existing advantages.