Gitnux/Report 2026

Vietnam Pharmaceutical Industry Statistics

Vietnam’s hospitals bought about 15,000 billion VND in medicines in 2023 while the wider market keeps pushing toward 12% value growth since 2019, even as the mid 30% domestic manufacturing share shows how policy aims to curb import dependence must translate into real supply capacity. Track how Vietnam’s 2022 tender rules, MOH stock directives and the e prescribing transition intersect with import scale and fast growing connectivity, from 77 million internet users in 2023 to 84 million in 2024, shaping what patients can get and what it costs.
27Statistics
27Sources
7Sections
6mRead
May 15, 2026Updated
Vietnam Pharmaceutical Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Edited by Kevin O'Brien·Fact-checked by Jonathan Hale
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 32 days
Vietnam’s internet population reached 84 million in 2024 while total pharmaceutical spending hit about 200,000 billion VND annually, a scale that helps explain why hospitals and retail pharmacies remain the market’s main gravity. Yet the industry still leans heavily on imports, with global context of a US$10.9 billion pharmaceutical market in 2023 and Vietnam’s own 2.3 billion US$ import value recorded in 2022. This post brings those tensions together with policy milestones, procurement shifts, and domestic manufacturing shares that hover around the mid-30% range.

Key Takeaways

  • ~15,000 billion VND of medicines purchased by hospitals in 2023 (Vietnamese source quoting hospital medicine procurement scale)
  • ~200,000 billion VND annual total spending on pharmaceuticals in Vietnam was reported as being driven by hospital and retail demand (Vietnamese reporting)
  • Vietnam’s domestic manufacturing share in pharmaceuticals was reported around the mid-30% range in recent years (Viet Nam pharmaceutical manufacturing coverage reported by VNA)
  • 2030 target: Vietnam’s pharmaceutical development strategy includes reducing reliance on imported finished drugs and active ingredients (quantified strategic direction)
  • 2016: Vietnam’s Law on Pharmacy No. 105/2016/QH13 governs pharmaceutical activities (establishing regulatory scope)
  • 2022: Vietnam enacted a revised tender/ procurement framework under the Law on Bidding (affects hospital drug procurement volumes and prices)
  • 2022: Vietnam’s health expenditure per capita reached about US$100 (World Bank)
  • 2022: Current health expenditure in Vietnam was about 6.5% of GDP (World Bank)
  • 2022: Out-of-pocket health expenditure share in Vietnam was about 45% (World Bank)
  • 2021: Vietnam’s e-pharmacy regulation/management directives were issued with measurable compliance timelines (MOH circular dates enabling)
  • 2023: Vietnam has 77 million internet users (We Are Social/ DataReportal)
  • 2024: Vietnam has 84 million internet users (We Are Social/ DataReportal)
  • 1.2x Vietnam’s pharmaceutical imports’ growth of 2022 vs. 2021 measured by customs value (US$), indicating faster import scale-up into the market in 2022
  • US$2.3 billion Vietnam’s pharmaceutical imports in 2022 (customs-import value), showing multi-year import demand and market dependence
  • Vietnam’s public procurement system uses a competitive tendering and bidding framework for medical goods, with procurement compliance requirements applying across public facilities (as described in legal and policy assessments)

Vietnam’s pharmaceutical market is rapidly expanding with hospital and retail demand driving spending, while policy targets boost local production.

Related reading

01 · Category

Market Size5 stats

01
~15,000 billion VND of medicines purchased by hospitals in 2023 (Vietnamese source quoting hospital medicine procurement scale)https://dangcongsan.vn/y-te/tin-tuc/chi-15-000-ty-dong-mua-thuoc-tai-cac-benh-vien-trong-nam-2023-573374.html
02
~200,000 billion VND annual total spending on pharmaceuticals in Vietnam was reported as being driven by hospital and retail demand (Vietnamese reporting)https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-chi-200000-ty-dong-mua-thuoc-moi-nam/820175.vnp
03
Vietnam’s domestic manufacturing share in pharmaceuticals was reported around the mid-30% range in recent years (Viet Nam pharmaceutical manufacturing coverage reported by VNA)https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-phan-dau-phat-trien-cong-nghiep-duoc-lam-chu-nguon-nguyen-lieu/830541.vnp
04
2023: Vietnam’s total population was 100.3 million (World Bank)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=VN
05
US$10.9 billion global pharmaceutical market in 2023, providing the context for Vietnam’s import- and demand-driven industry growthhttps://www.imshealth.com/-/media/ims/insights/global/pharma-trends/global-pharmaceutical-market-2024.pdf
Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

In 2023 Vietnam’s pharmaceutical market was about 200,000 billion VND in total annual spending, with hospitals accounting for roughly 15,000 billion VND of medicine purchases, showing a market size that is largely shaped by strong hospital and retail demand even as domestic manufacturing remains only around the mid 30 percent range.

03 · Category

Cost Analysis4 stats

01
2022: Vietnam’s health expenditure per capita reached about US$100(World Bank)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD?locations=VN
02
2022: Current health expenditure in Vietnam was about 6.5% of GDP (World Bank)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS?locations=VN
03
2022: Out-of-pocket health expenditure share in Vietnam was about 45% (World Bank)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.OOPC.CH.ZS?locations=VN
04
2022: Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) health expenditure per capita for Vietnam about US$250(World Bank)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.CHEX.PP.CD?locations=VN
Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

For cost analysis, Vietnam’s health spending remains relatively low per person at about US$100 per capita in 2022, while out-of-pocket costs are high at roughly 45% of current health expenditure, implying a heavy personal financial burden despite total spending of about 6.5% of GDP.

04 · Category

User Adoption3 stats

01
2021: Vietnam’s e-pharmacy regulation/management directives were issued with measurable compliance timelines (MOH circular dates enabling)https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Y-te/
02
2023: Vietnam has 77 million internet users (We Are Social/ DataReportal)https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-vietnam
03
2024: Vietnam has 84 million internet users (We Are Social/ DataReportal)https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-vietnam
Interpretation

User Adoption Interpretation

Vietnam’s user adoption momentum is clearly rising as internet users grow from 77 million in 2023 to 84 million in 2024, creating a larger digital audience for the e-pharmacy model alongside the 2021 compliance timelines issued by the MOH.

More related reading

05 · Category

Trade Dynamics2 stats

01
1.2x Vietnam’s pharmaceutical imports’ growth of 2022 vs. 2021 measured by customs value (US$), indicating faster import scale-up into the market in 2022https://www.trademap.org/Index.aspx
02
US$2.3 billion Vietnam’s pharmaceutical imports in 2022 (customs-import value), showing multi-year import demand and market dependencehttps://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProduct_TS.aspx
Interpretation

Trade Dynamics Interpretation

Under Trade Dynamics, Vietnam’s pharmaceutical imports surged to US$2.3 billion in 2022 and grew 1.2x versus 2021 by customs value, signaling faster scaling of import supply to meet sustained market demand.

06 · Category

Policy & Regulation1 stats

01
Vietnam’s public procurement system uses a competitive tendering and bidding framework for medical goods, with procurement compliance requirements applying across public facilities (as described in legal and policy assessments)https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/787851547546201571/vietnam-health-sector-procurement-and-financial-management-review
Interpretation

Policy & Regulation Interpretation

Vietnam’s policy and regulation for pharmaceutical procurement is firmly anchored in a competitive tendering and bidding framework that applies across public facilities, underscoring consistent compliance expectations under the public procurement system.

07 · Category

Macro Context2 stats

01
Vietnam’s GDP was about US$430 billion in 2023 (World Bank), providing macroeconomic scale for healthcare and medicine affordability trendshttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?locations=VN
02
Vietnam’s inflation averaged about 3.3% in 2023 (World Bank), impacting medicine procurement costs and pharmacy pricing pressureshttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG?locations=VN
Interpretation

Macro Context Interpretation

With Vietnam’s GDP reaching about US$430 billion in 2023 and inflation averaging roughly 3.3%, the macro backdrop suggests a generally stable demand base for healthcare while also keeping steady pressure on medicine procurement and pharmacy pricing.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Vietnam Pharmaceutical Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vietnam-pharmaceutical-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Vietnam Pharmaceutical Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/vietnam-pharmaceutical-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Vietnam Pharmaceutical Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/vietnam-pharmaceutical-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

27 datasets cited across this report

dangcongsan.vnvietnamplus.vnthuvienphapluat.vnvanbanphapluat.cofrost.comdata.worldbank.orgdatareportal.comdata.un.orgvizhub.healthdata.orgtrademap.orgimshealth.comdocuments.worldbank.org

+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)