Vietnam digital economy set for 20 per cent growth in 2026
E-commerce is expected to contribute US$32 billion, while Vietnam ranks first regionally for daily use of generative AI.
Vietnam’s digital economy is projected to generate US$49 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) during 2026, a year-on-year increase of 20 per cent. The forecast comes from the 2026 e-Conomy SEA report, produced by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company.
The report puts e-commerce at roughly two-thirds of Vietnam’s digital economy. It forecasts GMV of US$32 billion for the sector in 2026, representing growth of 22 per cent, and US$61 billion by 2030. It attributes expansion partly to AI features that help shoppers discover products and enable merchants to automate listings.
For online travel, the report projects US$5 billion in GMV, an increase of 15 per cent. Its online media forecast is US$7 billion, up 17 per cent. Ride-hailing and food delivery are together expected to generate US$6 billion, also growing 17 per cent.
Vietnam ranks first regionally for daily generative AI engagement, according to the report. It records 45 million users—equivalent to 65 per cent of the workforce—and annual prompt volumes of 31 billion. Daily users account for two in five, with each user employing at least five AI tools on average.
The report says 44 per cent of consumer journeys start with AI, and four in five users would delegate shopping tasks to AI agents. Vietnamese makes up 80 per cent of AI conversations in the country, the largest native-language proportion across Southeast Asia’s six biggest economies.
