The digital economy could reach $39 billion in 2025.

VTV.vn - Vietnam's digital economy is projected to reach $39 billion in 2025, continuing to be among the fastest-growing in the region.

Speaking at the 2025 Digital Transformation Forum for the Industry and Trade Sector on the morning of December 3rd, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan emphasized that Vietnam's digital economy is continuing to improve significantly and is becoming a new pillar helping to enhance productivity, expand markets, and increase the resilience of the economy. Retail e-commerce is projected to surpass $25 billion and continue to be a major pillar of the internet economy.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan

The Deputy Minister pointed out that the Government has identified 2025 as the year to accelerate the implementation of Resolution 57 on digital transformation, with the consistent view that digital transformation is an important driving force for developing productive forces and enhancing national competitiveness. 2025 requires the Ministry of Industry and Trade to innovate more strongly and comprehensively to take advantage of the opportunities from the dual transformation – digital transformation and green transformation.

In a report on "Digital Transformation Orientation for the Industry and Trade Sector in 2026," Mr. Hoang Ninh, Deputy Director of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy , Ministry of Industry and Trade, affirmed that digital transformation continues to be identified as a strategic task, closely linked to green transformation and sustainable development, and is also an important driving force to promote the comprehensive restructuring of the industry and trade sector by 2030.

Mr. Hoang Ninh, Deputy Director of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy, Ministry of Industry and Trade

Regarding the development of the digital economy, Mr. Hoang Ninh stated that e-commerce continues to be the main growth driver, with the B2C market reaching approximately US$25 billion in 2024, accounting for 10% of total retail sales of goods and consumer services. Digital transformation in industry – smart manufacturing – has shown many positive signs, with the Industrial Production Index (IIP) increasing by 8.4% – the highest level in 5 years; approximately 90% of processing and manufacturing enterprises have implemented some digital solutions; 35% apply robots and sensors in production; and 10–12% have reached the level of smart factory 3.0.

Mr. Ninh also emphasized that Vietnam's digital economy is expected to reach $39 billion in 2025, continuing to be among the fastest-growing in the region; more than 40 AI startups have attracted $123 million in private capital; 81% of users interact with AI daily and 96% express trust in AI agents.

"Safety first – transformation later"

Regarding the digital transformation process, at the forum, Ms. Nguyen Nhu Quynh, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Anti-Fraud Organization, assessed that as the Ministry of Industry and Trade accelerates digitalization on a comprehensive scale, the risk of cyberattacks also increases correspondingly, especially with high-tech crimes such as online fraud, email/partner information spoofing to change payment terms (BEC), attacks on industrial operating systems, and cross-border trade fraud.

In the context of rapidly developing AI technology, new forms of attack such as automated phishing and real-time deepfakes – from voice impersonation to the falsification of images and videos of leaders – make the risks more serious and directly target people, the most vulnerable link in the cybersecurity system.

To respond, Ms. Quynh recommended that businesses build proactive defense systems, adopting a multi-layered defense model encompassing infrastructure, data, and people; and applying AI in cybersecurity to monitor and provide early warnings of anomalies. Simultaneously, she suggested strengthening public-private cooperation to share data, experience, and attack models.

Enhancing human capabilities through regular training, practical simulations, and building a "security first - transformation later" culture is considered key to ensuring businesses can sustainably implement digital transformation. According to Ms. Quynh, information security is not just a technical issue but must become a core management capability of businesses in the digital age.

Source: https://vtv.vn/kinh-te-so-co-the-dat-39-ty-usd-nam-2025-100251203141502024.htm