Market Research Companies in Ho Chi Minh City

Key figures for researchers

Population

14,002,598 (basis of the July 2025 merger)¹

Area

6,772.59 km² after the merger¹

Merger

Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Ba Ria – Vung Tau, new city government from 1 July 2025¹

Local units

168: 113 wards, 54 communes and 1 special zone (since 2025)²

District level

abolished in 2025³

Births (former city area)

107,970 in 2025, a crude birth rate of 12.9‰⁵

Economy

GRDP growth of 8.03% (2025)⁴

Motorbikes

more than 11 million to undergo emissions testing (preliminary figure, January 2026)⁶

Rainy season 2026

from the first week of May; forecast to end around the first week of November⁷

Tết 2027

4–10 February (public sector holiday)¹⁰

Research guide

Research landscape

Ho Chi Minh City is the commercial centre of Vietnam and the base of most of the country’s research agencies, alongside Hanoi: local full-service firms, offices of international networks, qualitative and B2B specialists, panel providers and field-only suppliers. Many of them run national studies from the city, with interviewer teams or partners in the other provinces.

The city changed shape on 1 July 2025. Under Resolution 202/2025/QH15 of the National Assembly, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong province and Ba Ria – Vung Tau province were merged into a new Ho Chi Minh City of 6,772.59 km² and 14,002,598 people. Its GRDP grew by 8.03% in 2025.

Who you will interview

A “Ho Chi Minh City” sample no longer means only the former city. The new city includes the former provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria – Vung Tau, so ask the agency whether a study covers the whole merged city or only the former urban core, and set quotas accordingly. Results compared with studies made before July 2025 may not cover the same area.

Some recent indicators still describe only the former city: in 2025 it recorded 107,970 births, a crude birth rate of 12.9‰. Questionnaires are written in Vietnamese; English works for many B2B and executive interviews but rarely for the general public (see the Vietnam guide for languages and data protection rules).

Fieldwork in practice

The district level was abolished in 2025: the city is now divided into 168 commune-level units (113 wards, 54 communes and the Con Dao special zone), which replaced the former 273 wards, communes and townships of the old city and the units of the two merged provinces. Addresses, area names and administrative boundaries changed, so check that sampling frames, quota grids and address lists use the new wards and communes.

The city has a very large motorbike fleet: the city’s Department of Construction counted, as a preliminary figure, more than 11 million motorbikes and scooters required to undergo emissions testing. Plan interviewer routes and travel times with traffic and distances in mind, especially between the urban core, the former Binh Duong area and the coast of the former Ba Ria – Vung Tau.

Focus groups and qualitative research

Ho Chi Minh City is the main location for in-person focus groups in southern Vietnam, usually held in viewing facilities with a one-way mirror and video streaming, or in rented meeting rooms in the urban core. Respondents from outer wards and communes may need long journeys by motorbike: choose an accessible venue and allow extra time for evening groups, especially in the rainy season.

Ask the agency for its incentive levels, recruitment lead times and moderators’ experience; senior B2B respondents often prefer online interviews. Online communities and video interviews are widely used, alone or alongside in-person groups.

Timing

Avoid Tết (Lunar New Year): the public sector holiday runs for seven days, from 4 to 10 February 2027, and many residents travel back to their home provinces, so fieldwork slows down for longer than the official break. National Day gives a four-day break from 2 to 5 September 2027 (see the Vietnam guide for the other public holidays).

The rainy season usually lasts from May to November, with the dry season from December to April. In 2026, the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Station expected the season to start in the first week of May and to end around the first week of November. Heavy afternoon rain can slow travel by motorbike, so allow extra time for face-to-face interviews and group recruitment.

Working with a Ho Chi Minh City agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, wards or areas, method, languages and deadline.
• Say whether the study covers the whole merged city or only the former urban core, and ask how the sample is spread across the 168 wards, communes and special zone.
• Check that sampling frames and address lists use the new administrative units in force since July 2025.
• For focus groups, ask for the venue address, viewing room capacity, streaming options and incentive levels.
• Ask about quality control: back-checks, GPS or audio checks, supervision of telephone calls and panel data cleaning.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 Ho Chi Minh City companies from this page.

National rules (data protection, holidays, sampling across regions) are covered in our guide to market research in Vietnam.