First quarter GDP highest in three years

Regarding the individual economic sectors, the agriculture, forestry and aquaculture sector had slightly higher GDP growth than 2013 (2.34 percent), with a large contribution from agriculture (accounting for more than 70 percent).

Industry and construction, and service, saw considerable GDP growth at 4.69 percent and 5.95 percent, up from 4.59 percent and 5.68 percent in 2013, respectively.

According to GSO, Consumer Price Index (CPI) in March declined 0.44 percent from the previous month. This means that this year's March CPI rise is the lowest rate compared to the same month of the past eleven years.

Specifically, among the commodity and service basket with CPI calculation, four groups enjoyed CPI reduction from the previous months, including restaurant and service (0.96 percent), housing and building materials (0.74 percent), transport (0.03 percent) and post and telecommunication (0.03 percent). Other groups had CPI increases of below 1 percent. The highest CPI hike went to the beverage and cigarette sector at 0.24 percent.

March CPI in ten provinces and cities dropped against a month earlier, including Hanoi (0.15 percent), Ho Chi Minh city (0.46 percent), Thai Nguyen (0.48 percent), Hai Phong (0.09 percent), Thua Thien - Hue (0.4 percent), Da Nang (0.64 percent), Khanh Hoa (0.56 percent) and Can Tho (0.75 percent).