Digital transformation has been identified among strategic pillars, besides science technology and innovation, for Việt Nam towards rapid, sustainable and inclusive growth.

Việt Nam has completed the initial stage of its national digital transformation and will now focus on achieving tangible economic and social impacts. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

Việt Nam is poised to enter a deeper and broader phase of digital transformation over the next five years, shifting focus from building infrastructure and raising awareness to creating tangible economic and social value.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Chí Dũng said at an event to celebrate National Digital Transformation Day 2025 last week that science, technology, innovation and digital transformation would remain the golden keys for Việt Nam’s new development phase.

Digital transformation has been identified as one of the strategic pillars, alongside science, technology, and innovation, to drive Việt Nam's rapid, sustainable, and inclusive growth at a time when the world is entering a period of profound transformation marked by rapid advances in artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things, biotechnology, and new energies.

Over the past five years, the country has laid the groundwork for its nationwide digital transformation.

Since the launch of the national digital transformation programme in 2020, the government has developed essential digital infrastructure, improved legal frameworks and introduced key platforms for online public services, making Việt Nam well-positioned for the next wave of digital transformation.

To date, 80 per cent of ministries and localities share common data platforms. Việt Nam also climbed 15 places in the 2024 United Nations E-Government Development Index, ranking 71st out of 193 countries. Nearly 40 per cent of administrative procedures are now processed entirely online, a nine-fold increase as compared with 2019.

Việt Nam’s digital infrastructure has expanded rapidly, with broadband network now covering 99.3 per cent of villages, mobile internet speeds averaging 146.64 Mbps -- ranking 20th globally -- and 5G services rolled out to 26 per cent of the population.

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The digital economy now contributes nearly 20 per cent of Việt Nam’s GDP, underscoring its growing importance. VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

Stronger digital foundation

Numerous digital platforms have also been put into operation, including the national population database, the national public service portal and the national digital identity and authentication infrastructure. These systems create a secure and convenient foundation for citizens and businesses to conduct electronic transactions.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Dũng stressed that challenges remained. Policy frameworks were not yet fully consistent and aligned with international standards, nor were they keeping pace with the rapid development of science and technology.

"Data systems remain fragmented and the shortage of high-quality digital human resources continues to constrain the progress," Dũng said, adding that if these bottlenecks were not addressed promptly, they would slow the pace of national digital transformation.

“It’s time for Việt Nam to move from mindset to action, from digitisation to value creation -- ensuring that digital transformation truly serves people and drives inclusive and sustainable growth,” Dũng said.

Việt Nam had completed the initial stage of its national digital transformation and would now enter a deeper and results-oriented phase that would focus on tangible economic and social impacts, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Vũ Hải Quân said.

In the first phase, digital transformation focused on raising digital awareness, building infrastructure and platforms, and developing basic public services, which paved the way for a more impactful phase in the next five years.

“Việt Nam is ready to step into a new stage with stronger determination and more drastic action,” he said. “However, there is still much work to be done for digital transformation to deliver real, measurable benefits to the economy and society.”

The coming stage would focus on practical outcomes, ensuring that digital transformation produces real-world economic and social value.

“The next five years will be a period of deeper and broader digital transformation,” Quân said.

“The digital world is moving every second. We must move faster — in institutional reform, in implementing strategies, in adopting technology and especially in changing our mindset.”

Speed, however, must go hand in hand with effectiveness.

“Every penny invested in digital transformation must generate multiple times its value in return,” Quân said.

“The ultimate goal is to convert the achievements of digitalisation into economic growth, higher productivity, stronger national competitiveness, and improved governance at all levels.”

A woman scans a QR code to make an online payment. Inclusivity will be a key principle in Việt Nam's next phase of digital transformation. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngọc Phước

Inclusivity and trust

Inclusivity would be a core principle of the coming phase, Quân said, emphasising the need to narrow the digital gap so that no one would be left behind. Every Vietnamese citizen -- whether in rural, mountainous or urban areas -- must have equal access to digital utilities.

"More importantly, digital trust is also a cornerstone in the coming period, ensuring that every citizen feels protected and confident in the online environment," Quân said.

"Digital transformation can only succeed when citizens trust that their privacy, data, and rights are respected. Along with that, it is necessary to develop strong digital culture, digital ethics, skills, and awareness."

Notably, Việt Nam would develop a law on digital transformation to serve as the legal backbone of the national digitalisation process, aiming toward a modern, transparent and data-driven governance system, Quân explained.

Under the national digital transformation programme, by 2030, Việt Nam targets to be among the top 50 countries in e-government development, with the digital economy accounting for 30 per cent of GDP. VNS

Việt Nam’s digital transformation index rises 8.6 per cent in 2024Việt Nam’s Digital Transformation Index (DTI) for 2024 reached 0.7955, up 8.6 per cent from 0.7326 in 2023, the Ministry of Science and Technology has announced.At the provincial level, the DTI averaged 0.6961, marking a 2.6 per cent year-on-year increase. All three key pillars showed improvement, with Digital Government scoring 0.7582, up 4.7 per cent; Digital Economy at 0.7723, up 13.3 per cent; and Digital Society at 0.7692, up 13.4 per cent. The results reflect local efforts to apply digital technology in governance and socio-economic development, accelerating digitalisation across sectors.Hà Nội led the 2024 rankings, followed by Huế, Hải Phòng, HCM City, and Thanh Hóa. Meanwhile, Cao Bằng, Quảng Trị, and Hưng Yên were the lowest performers.At the national level, ministries were not ranked for 2024 due to organisational restructuring that began in March 2025, which prevented several ministries from providing complete datasets.The ministry is revising the DTI framework to align with new government resolutions and international evaluation standards. The updated version, set for release in the fourth quarter of this year, will focus more on measuring outcomes of digital transformation rather than just implementation progress.The updated DTI will be used for 2025 assessments covering ministries and 34 provinces following administrative mergers, with results to be announced in the first quarter of 2026.Launched in 2020, the DTI evaluates Việt Nam’s digital transformation across three levels - national, ministerial, and provincial - using 12 indicators under three pillars: Digital Government (400 points), Digital Economy (300), and Digital Society (300).Data are collected and assessed online via dti.gov.vn, combining automated measurement and verified statistical reports to ensure transparency and accuracy. VNS

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