EuroCham Vietnam confidence eases as firms report administrative strain
The Q3 index fell to 78.3 from 79.7, while 93% of survey respondents reported regulatory and administrative pressures.
EuroCham Vietnam reported a third-quarter Business Confidence Index of 78.3, down from 79.7 in the second quarter, as its survey respondents combined positive business sentiment with widespread administrative and tax-related difficulties.
The results, released on 15 October, show 64% of respondents describing their current business situation as good or very good, while 28% were neutral. Nine in ten would recommend Vietnam as an investment destination.
Alongside that confidence, 93% reported some impact from regulatory and administrative challenges, and the same proportion reported tax and financial-administration pressures. The findings come from the survey conducted by DXL Research and Consulting for EuroCham, the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam.
Respondents reported an average of eight obstacles to growth. Administrative procedures and paperwork were the most frequently cited individual difficulty, at 60%, followed by unclear or inconsistently applied rules at 53%, tax administration at 52% and talent shortages at 49%.
The detail points to several different operating constraints behind the headline confidence score. Nearly four in five respondents, or 77%, faced at least five challenges; 16% reported 14 or more. These counts describe the experiences reported by participating businesses.
Sentiment also differed by sector. Agriculture and the food value chain rose 11.7 points to 83.9, while tourism and hospitality fell 22.5 points to 67.9. Businesses focused on Vietnam recorded confidence of 80.4, compared with 73.2 for EU-focused respondents and 70.7 for those focused on the United States.
Asked about improvements, 37% of respondents prioritised faster administrative decisions. Better alignment with international standards and faster, fully digital government services were each cited by 35%. EuroCham said it would carry the findings into its 19–22 October mission to Brussels as part of its business-policy dialogue.
The public release does not provide the sample size, response rate, fieldwork dates or weighting, and the linked full report was not accessible for verification. The results describe EuroCham’s survey respondents and should not be treated as representative estimates for every business in Vietnam.
Source: EuroCham Vietnam’s 15 October 2026 Q3 Business Confidence Index release.
