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| Auto technology solutions are on display at an exhibition on the 80-year national achievements__Photo: VNA |
Vietnam's digital economy has been flagged as a core pillar generating new productive forces and advanced production models as the country accelerates toward its ambitions of becoming a developing nation with modern industry and upper-middle income status by 2030 and a high-income developed economy by 2045.
During 2021–2025, this sector stood out as an important pillar of the National Digital Transformation Strategy, recording rapid growth across industries. The push gained fresh impetus from the Politburo's Resolution 57-NQ/TW, issued on December 22, 2024, which targets breakthroughs in science – technology, innovation and digital transformation.
A key growth engine
In 2025, the digital economy played a crucial role in driving domestic expansion, contributing an estimated 14.02 per cent of GDP, or roughly USD 72.1 billion in added value, marking a 1.64-fold leap from the USD 43.8 billion in 2020. Vietnam now counts about 80,000 digital technology firms, up sharply from the 58,000 in 2020. Within the services sector, its share of GDP ascended to 7.2 per cent from 6.5 per cent in 2020.
The Ministry of Finance’s National Statistics Office noted that digitalisation is advancing both in scope and sophistication, especially in trade, finance, public services and energy infrastructure. In several localities, digital economy has become the epitome of distinction, lifting its share in gross regional domestic product to above 20per cent, led by Bac Ninh at 46.3 per cent, Thai Nguyen 29.53 per cent, Hai Phong 22.28 per cent and Phu Tho 22.71 per cent.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has stressed that nurturing the digital economy is vital to revamping the growth model, restructuring the economy and boosting productivity and competitiveness. Still, the sector remains heavily tilted toward digitising legacy industries rather than forging entirely new growth models. Despite the rapid rise in its GDP share, its domestic added value stays limited, tethered closely to foreign-invested companies and cross-border platforms.
Meeting the goals set in Resolution 57-NQ/TW, including a digital economy share of at least 30 per cent of GDP by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2045, will demand more substantive, high-value progress fueled by breakthrough innovations.
Digital firms as core drivers
Anchored in data as new means of production, digital infrastructure as tools, and frontier technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and digital platforms, the digital economy is seen as a decisive catalyst for Vietnam’s pursuit of double-digit growth. It is reshaping the economy end-to-end, from production and distribution to consumption and corporate governance.
Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung argued that rather than pursuing fragmented digitisation across sectors, the State should act as the "chief architect" of a unified national digital framework. Within that structure, digital technology companies would act as strategic productive forces, responsible for building the backbone of the national digital space, including telecommunications networks, data centres, cloud computing, digital platforms, and cybersecurity solutions.
These enterprises need to lead in mastering essential technologies, from design and architecture to algorithms, data, intellectual property rights and large-scale rollout, enabling them to deliver solutions for the home market while securing meaningful footholds in global value chains.
The State, in turn, should foster supportive policies, standards and procurement practices, all while nurturing a thriving domestic digital marketplace. This will empower local players to scale with confidence before they venture globally and emerge as globally competitive tech powerhouses.
Meanwhile, the so-called low-altitude economy is gaining traction as a potential accelerator for digital growth. This emerging domain blends green and digital elements, revolving around unmanned aerial vehicles and electric aircraft for passenger and cargo transport, birthing an innovative sector in the skies below 1,000 metres (or 5,000 m if needed).
Experts see substantial potential for Vietnam in this space, with forecasts pointing to a market size of USD 2–3 billion by 2030. To seize this opportunity, Managing Director of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Arnaud Ginolin urged Vietnam to craft a clear, actionable national strategy for low-altitude economy development, push technology mastery via strategic partnerships, ramp up investments in cutting-edge infrastructure and talent in robotics, AI and aviation; and adopt pilot models with direct enterprise participation ahead of broader rollout.- (VNA/VLLF)
