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To ensure transparency in the operationalization of the framework, Table 4.1 maps
each layer to the corresponding international index and its key components.
Layer 1 – Digital government foundation: Vietnam has entered the “Very High
EGDI” group but still lags behind leading ASEAN countries
According to the UN E-Government Survey 2024, Vietnam achieved an EGDI score
of 0.7709, ranking 71st out of 193 countries and being classified for the first time in the
“Very High EGDI” category (United Nations, 2024). The index reflects the development of
the country’s e-government foundation through three core components: the Online
Service Index (OSI), the Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII), and the Human
Capital Index (HCI).
Within this structure, Vietnam records OSI = 0.7081, HCI = 0.7267, and TII = 0.8780,
suggesting that digital connectivity infrastructure is currently the strongest component of
the country’s digital government system. The E-Participation Index (0.6027) indicates that
citizens’ digital engagement in governance has improved in recent years, although it
remains below the level observed in leading countries.
However, when Vietnam is considered in the ASEAN regional context, a noticeable
development gap remains. As shown in Table 4.2, Vietnam ranks fifth in ASEAN, behind
regional leaders such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Table 2. EGDI and its main components for selected ASEAN countries (2024)
Country Rank EGDI OSI HCI TII
Singapore 3 0.9691 0.9831 0.9362 0.9881
Thailand 52 0.8351 0.7611 0.8032 0.9410
Malaysia 57 0.8111 0.7280 0.7192 0.9862
Indonesia 64 0.7991 0.8035 0.7293 0.8645
Vietnam 71 0.7709 0.7081 0.7267 0.8780
Philippines 73 0.7621 0.8054 0.7256 0.7554
Source: United Nations, UN E-Government Survey 2024.
The results indicate that Vietnam demonstrates a relative advantage in
telecommunications infrastructure (TII), while its online service provision (OSI) remains
less competitive compared with several peer countries. This pattern suggests that
although the country has established a solid digital connectivity foundation, the
transformation of this infrastructure into effective online public services and meaningful
digital interaction mechanisms with citizens remains limited.
More importantly, the EGDI primarily captures the level of e-government
development, whereas the effective use of data and the deployment of advanced analytical
technologies in public governance depend on deeper layers of capability, particularly
GovTech development and data governance capacity (Mergel et al., 2019). Therefore, a
comprehensive assessment of the transition from e-government to AI-enabled governance
requires further examination of the second layer of the analytical framework—namely the
maturity of the GovTech ecosystem and the level of data integration within the public
sector.
Layer 2 – GovTech and data integration: Vietnam is classified in Group B,
indicating uneven maturity across components
To evaluate the second capability layer in the analytical framework—the level of
GovTech integration and data governance in the public sector—this study employs the
GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI) 2025 published by the World Bank. The index measures the
maturity of the GovTech ecosystem through four core dimensions: Core Government

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