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Regarding the growth of the ICT sector, which is the core driver of the digital
economy, statistics show that ICT revenue reached 120 billion USD in 2020 and increased
to 165.9 billion USD in 2024, representing nearly 65% growth over four years. The
forecast for 2025 is 198 billion USD. This strong growth reflects the expansion of
technology enterprises, increased production, and the export of software and digital
services. It contributes to the creation of high-quality jobs, promotes innovation, and
generates higher added value compared to resource-extractive industries. Moreover, the
ICT sector generally has lower emission intensity than many traditional industries, thereby
supporting a greener structural transformation in the long term.
In terms of digital infrastructure and Internet access, the proportion of the
population using the Internet increased from 70% in 2020 to 79.1% in 2024, with
particularly strong growth during 2022–2023 (from 73.1% to 79.1%). In 2025, the rate is
forecast to remain relatively stable at nearly 79%, indicating that Vietnam is approaching
Internet saturation (around 80%). This provides a fundamental foundation for e-
commerce, digital services, digital government, and digital finance. From a sustainable
development perspective, the Internet helps narrow the digital divide, enhance access to
public services, and improve transparency and governance.
The Digital Transformation Index (DTI) increased from 30.26% in 2020 to 79.55% in
2024—an approximately 2.6-fold rise within four years. This is the fastest improvement
among Vietnam’s digital economy indicators. It demonstrates the Government’s strong
push for digital transformation and the improved digital capacity of enterprises and local
authorities. However, the DTI has grown faster than the digital economy’s share of GDP,
suggesting that while digital transformation is progressing rapidly, its actual contribution
to GDP has not yet fully materialized.
E-commerce is the fastest-growing sector. E-commerce revenue rose from 11.8
billion USD in 2020 to 25 billion USD in 2024, and is forecast to reach 52 billion USD in
2025. If the 2025 forecast is achieved, revenue will have quadrupled within five years.
Thus, e-commerce is the strongest growth driver among all indicators. It significantly
contributes to sustainable development by improving distribution efficiency, reducing
intermediary costs, supporting SMEs in accessing markets, and promoting digital finance
and electronic payments. However, rapid e-commerce growth also increases packaging
waste, logistics activities, and transportation emissions. This highlights the need for green
e-commerce policies to ensure environmental sustainability, in line with SDGs 12 and 13
Considering the three pillars of the SDGs—economic, social, and environmental—
the current digital economy indicators are detailed as follows:
Table 2. Sustainable development indicators – economic pillar
GDP per GDP growth Labor productivity (USD Percentage of
Year
capita (USD) rate (%) per worker) SMEs (%)
2020 3.552 2,87 6.000 98,1
2021 3.756 2,55 7.398 97,3
2022 4.000 8,54 8.083 97,2
2023 4.282 4,98 8.380 96
2024 4.700 7,04 9.182 98
Forecast 2025 5026 8,02 9.809 98
Source: Compiled from the General Statistics Office, the Ministry of Planning and
Investment, and the World Bank

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