This study provides a concise introduction to the economic history of Vietnam from
1976 to present. We identify different phases of the development of the Vietnamese economy,
from its unification after a Vietnam war to the current phases of the transition (1989-2000) and
propose a specific pattern of transition in the case of Vietnam. This research is the first attempt to
make a synthesis quantitative analysis of socio-economic aggregate data during different phases
of the Vietnamese economy in 1986-2000, in which different national input-output tables (1989,
1996 and 2000) in constant prices have been employed. The economic performances are
investigated from three aspects: (i) evolution of domestic final demand; (ii) evolution of
international trade structure and (iii) the technological change. The analysis shows economic
history of Vietnam from 1986 up to present as a continuous evolutionary process and integration
in to the international market is inevitable. Government programmes only played a vital role of
accommodator to the economic changes of the Vietnamese economy.