Ho Chi Minh City’s traffic jams are getting worse, and the problem is becoming a daily headache for millions of commuters. Understanding why the congestion keeps rising helps us see how vehicle numbers and the city’s transport plan interact.

As of June 2026 the city recorded 12.77 million registered vehicles, of which 11.55 million were motorbikes. This rapid growth puts heavy pressure on the existing road network.

Only a small share of trips rely on public transport – just 7.23 percent of passenger journeys, according to the Department of Transport. The city currently operates a single metro line, a 20‑km route from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien, which offers limited relief.

Many key road projects are still unfinished. Beltway No. 2 has a 13.75‑km missing section, while Beltways 3 and 4 and several expressways are only under construction or still being planned. At the same time, traffic is increasingly squeezed onto major gateways and arterial roads, with 28 congestion‑prone spots such as Hang Xanh Intersection and An Phu Interchange marked for priority work.

Financing the needed upgrades is also a challenge. The city estimates it will require VND 1.12 quadrillion (US$43.3 billion) for transport infrastructure between 2026 and 2030, but the projected public budget of VND 616 trillion would cover only about 55 percent of that amount.

Because vehicle numbers keep rising, public transport remains a tiny fraction of trips, and major roads and metro lines are still incomplete, the city’s traffic congestion continues to worsen. The gap between the required investment and the available budget adds another layer of difficulty.