From 1945 to 2045, the people power Vietnam’s journey forward

The people behind historic victories

Over 81 years since September 2, 1945, Vietnam has travelled a remarkable path, from a newly independent nation facing immense challenges to a developing country deeply integrated into the global economy and increasingly active on the international stage.

From the August 1945 Revolution and the 1954 Dien Bien Phu Victory to the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising and the Renewal process, one thread runs through Vietnam’s modern history: the people have been the central actors and a driving force behind the country’s major achievements.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Dinh Phong, senior lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the major ideas championed by President Ho Chi Minh from the early days of the nation, including independence, freedom, democracy and national unity, continue to hold significance today.

The August Revolution brought together patriotism, the aspiration for independence and the strength of national solidarity. That strength helped sustain the struggles for national liberation and defence, leading to historic victories and ushering Vietnam into an era of independence and reunification.

Immediately after independence, alongside the fight against hunger and illiteracy, President Ho Chi Minh placed particular emphasis on practicing democracy, building and consolidating national unity, and mobilising the people’s aggregate strength for national development and defence.

He encapsulated this philosophy in the words: “In the sky, nothing is more precious than the people. In the world, nothing is stronger than the united strength of the people.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phong said this strength extended beyond wartime victories and became a foundation for national development in peacetime.

The orientations of the 14th National Party Congress, from reaffirming that “the people are the root” to emphasising the role of officials in all areas of work, continue to inherit and develop President Ho Chi Minh’s thought under new conditions, aiming to strengthen public trust, promote people’s right to participate and unleash their creativity.

Four decades of Renewal build a new foundation for growth

The strength of the people has also been reflected in the profound changes Vietnam has undergone after nearly four decades of implementing the Renewal process.

In 2025, Vietnam’s GDP grew 8.02%, while growth reached 8.18% in the first six months of 2026. Total trade surpassed US$930 billion in 2025, with a trade surplus of US$20.03 billion, marking the 10th consecutive year of a trade surplus. In the first half of 2026, trade hit US$549.69 billion, up 27% year on year.

Vietnam has also increasingly become a destination for international investment. By the end of 2025, the country had more than 45,400 active FDI projects, with total registered capital of around US$529.6 billion. In the first six months of 2026, newly registered and additional FDI reached US$34.65 billion, up 61%, with greater attention being paid to technology, innovation and stronger links with domestic businesses.

Strategic infrastructure has continued to expand the country’s development space. By the end of 2025, Vietnam had completed and put into operation 3,345 km of expressways and 1,711 km of coastal roads, gradually establishing a network linking regions and giving people and businesses better access to markets.

Vietnam has also restructured its provincial-level administrative units, reducing the country to 34 provinces and centrally run cities. The two-tier local government model is designed to streamline the administrative apparatus, expand development space, strengthen decentralization and promote regional connectivity.

Yet the ultimate measure of development is people’s living standards. By the end of 2025, the multidimensional poverty rate had fallen to 2.95%, while health insurance coverage exceeded 95.2% of the population. Programmes to eliminate temporary and dilapidated housing were implemented nationwide. A policy providing free tuition for preschool and general education students at public schools from the 2025-2026 academic year has further expanded access to education.

Science, technology, innovation and digital transformation have also become increasingly important drivers of the economy. The Politburo’s Resolution 57 identifies these areas as a major breakthrough and a top priority. Vietnam is gradually developing fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, big data and biotechnology. The country ranked 44th out of 139 economies in the 2025 Global Innovation Index.

Vietnam’s economy in 2023 was 96 times larger than in 1986. The country is now among the world’s 40 largest economies and the top 20 in terms of trade and FDI attraction. It has diplomatic relations with all 193 UN member states and participates in more than 70 international organisations and forums.

These figures illustrate the profound transformation Vietnam has undergone through Renewal. Behind that progress are the labour, intellect, aspirations and shared commitment of millions of Vietnamese people.

A new era of development, with people at the centre

Across different historical periods, the ways of mobilizing people’s strength have evolved, but the fundamental principle has remained consistent: the people are both the agents of development and the beneficiaries of its achievements.

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam has emphasised that under the Party’s leadership, Vietnam has drawn on the people’s aspirations for self-reliance, confidence, resilience and national pride, combining these strengths with those of the times to achieve historic milestones.

“The revolutionary cause belongs to the people, is carried out by the people and is for the people. The people have both made historic victories possible and served as an endless source of strength for the Party to exist and develop,” he said.

In the new era, the challenge is not simply to mobilise the people’s strength to safeguard past achievements, but to turn that strength into a force for shaping the future.

Vietnam is pursuing two strategic goals of becoming a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed, high-income country by 2045.

To achieve double-digit economic growth, the challenge is not limited to capital, technology or infrastructure. People are at the heart of that ambition.

According to Dr. Chu Duc Tinh, former director of the Ho Chi Minh Museum, President Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts should be applied by viewing people as both the objective and the driving force of development. This means unleashing individual intelligence, responsibility and creativity while creating an environment where officials can take initiative, entrepreneurs can innovate and young people can contribute.

Institutions also need to create conditions for social resources to be fully mobilised, giving people opportunities to contribute to and benefit from national development.

History shows that when the Party’s aspirations are aligned with the people’s aspirations, the country’s material and spiritual resources can be multiplied.

This lesson carries particular significance as Vietnam enters a new stage of development. The goal now goes beyond rapid growth to encompass sustainability, self-reliance, innovation and inclusiveness.

From the autumn of 1945 to the vision of 2045, the strength of the people remains a common thread running through Vietnam’s development journey. If that strength helped secure independence and reunification in wartime, it will continue to determine the country’s ability to turn its aspiration for prosperity and happiness into reality in the new era.

Declaration of Independence puts people at the heart of national strength

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence, proclaimed by President Ho Chi Minh on September 2, 1945, not only affirmed national independence but also placed people at the center of the country’s historical development and national strength.