Vietnam is poised for a revolution with comprehensive reforms to spur new momentum for growth.

Digital technology progress

Vietnam Social Security (VSS) is one of four government agencies that have been fully digitized. It now provides 100% of its public services online. This includes 25 administrative procedures available through various platforms such as the VSS Public Service Portal, the National Public Service Portal, the VssID app, and IVAN service providers.

With the entire system operating online, the time needed to process administrative tasks has been shortened 86%, and citizens now have around the clock access to social security services.

13,000 medical facilities are now connected to VSS to facilitate health insurance payments. 74% of pensioners and monthly social insurance beneficiaries in urban areas receive payments via bank transfer.

Nguyen The Manh, General Director of VSS, said: “Accelerating digital transformation has opened up opportunities to simplify administrative procedures. Using interconnected data and sharing data, we aim to continue streamlining processes for the benefit of the public and businesses.”

Digital transformation has brought significant changes to Vietnam's economy, from management and investment to production and e-commerce. Revenues from e-commerce rose sharply from 13.7 billion USD in 2021 to 20.5 billion USD in 2023. Local products of the OCOP (One Commune One Product) program are now being sold on both domestic and cross-border e-commerce platforms, providing farmers with new income streams. Cashless payments are increasingly common, with 87% of adults having payment accounts, surpassing the 2025 goal of 80%.

Vietnamese-made digital products continue to grow and reach global markets. According to the General Department of Customs, exports of digital products increased from 113 billion USD in 2021 to 117 billion USD in 2023. In the first half of this year, exports of digital produces earned nearly 65 billion USD, up 23%. Many leading global tech companies are investing heavily in Vietnam, particularly in emerging sectors such as electronics, semiconductor chips, research and development, and artificial intelligence.

Economist Dr. Vo Tri Thanh said:  “The digital economy enables the real economy to grow. We consider digital transformation and the growth of the digital economy a golden opportunity for Vietnam, a latecomer, to catch up with global trends.”

Advanced production mode

Digital transformation is more than just the application of technology to socio-economic activities—it is the creation of a modern, advanced production model that combines human ingenuity with cutting-edge technology, including AI. Vietnam has been proactive in this endeavor.

Tran Luu Quang, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission, said: “Recognizing AI's potential, the Vietnamese Party and State have introduced policies to promote AI research, development, and application. The Prime Minister has adopted a National Strategy on AI Research and Development until 2030, aiming to make AI a key sector in Vietnam. The Strategy aims to position Vietnam as a hub of innovation and AI development and application in ASEAN by 2030.”

Provinces and cities nationwide are investing in human resource development. Da Nang aims to train 5,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030, while Binh Dinh province recently launched its AI Center-Auxiliary Urban Area project which applies high-tech and AI to promote innovation and local economic development.

Pham Anh Tuan, Chairman of the Binh Dinh provincial People’s Committee, said: “The AI Center-Auxiliary Urban Area will be a key feature of the province’s technology ecosystem, a hub of research, high-quality human resource training, and AI application in critical sectors.”

A robust digital transformation is crucial to Vietnam’s development. Advancing digital transformation efforts will help achieve the goal of placing Vietnam among the world’s top 50 countries and 3rd in ASEAN for e-government and digital economy by 2030.