Vietnam recognised as a dynamic digital leader

Vietnam recognised as a dynamic digital leader

The Global System for Mobile Communications Association presented Vietnam with the highest global honour for digital policy on May 26, at the Digital Nation Summit in Hanoi.

The global Government Leadership Award 2026 from the association (GSMA) recognises the nation that best exemplifies visionary leadership paired with real-world delivery and is decided each year by an independent panel of international experts based on evidence of digital progress, policy consistency, and delivery.

Julian Gorman, head of Asia Pacific, GSMA

Vietnam was selected not only for its bold national digital transformation roadmap, but also for its timely and coordinated delivery over the past two years. The recognition reflects the collective view of the global mobile industry, which now regards Vietnam as one of the most dynamic digital leaders in Asia-Pacific.

"It is a real honour to recognise the government of Vietnam,” said Alex Sinclair, chief technology officer at GSMA. “Vietnam has been recognised not for a single initiative, but for the coherence, pace and consistency of its digital transformation. Vietnam is one of the clearest examples we see of how digital ambition, when matched with policy, discipline and coordinated execution, translates into real economic impact for citizens, businesses and the wider economy.”

The award recognition is supported by the GSMA's Digital Nations 2025 report, which positions Vietnam as a primary engine of Southeast Asia's digital economy. Accordingly, Vietnam's digital economy contributed 18.3 per cent of GDP in 2024, with the government on track to hit its ambitious 20.5 per cent target this year.

Vietnam was ranked in the top half of the GSMA Digital Nations Index 2025, marking it as a leading digital nation in Asia-Pacific. The country shows balanced advancement across infrastructure, innovation, data governance, security, and people. Vietnam's success is the result of deliberate policy choices rather than chance, reflecting a clear shift from digital adoption to strategic nation building.

Over the past three years, Vietnam has been the fastest-growing digital economy in the region, achieving this at national scale across a population of over 100 million people. The country is on course to become the second-largest digital economy in ASEAN by 2030.

Julian Gorman, head of Asia-Pacific at GSMA, said, "Vietnam's rapidly expanding digital economy is expected to contribute around 30 per cent of GDP by 2030, supported by strong foreign investment in sectors such as semiconductors, AI, and smart manufacturing. Advanced digital infrastructure and next-generation connectivity will determine whether Vietnam captures higher value activity or remains a cost-efficient link in global supply chains.”

To sustain momentum, the GSMA has identified two priorities for Vietnam’s next phase of digital development. Sustaining digital growth will depend on maintaining trust in digital services. This requires closer, real-time coordination between telecom operators, financial institutions and public authorities to disrupt scams and protect consumers. Initiatives such as the Asia-Pacific Cross-Sector Anti-Scam Taskforce and the GSMA Open Gateway framework provide a practical foundation to enable this at scale.

Meanwhile, Vietnam’s strong foundation in community-based digital inclusion provides a platform for the next stage of capability development. Scaling advanced digital and AI skills will be critical to ensure the workforce can support higher value industries and remain competitive as technology adoption accelerates.

"Perhaps Vietnam's most powerful differentiator is its focus on people," added Gorman. "Inclusion is being treated as a core economic strategy. Scaling advanced digital and AI skills will be the next critical step, and the foundations already in place position Vietnam well to make that transition."

VIR