Vietnam was ranked 71st among 193 countries in the 2024 edition of the United Nations (UN) E-Government Survey – Accelerating Digital Transformation for Sustainable Development, which was launched by the UN on September 17.

The UN has recognized Vietnam’s efforts, moving the country rank up by 15 places compared to the survey conducted in 2022 

According to the report, Vietnam, scoring 0.7709 in the E-Government Development Index (EGDI), was in the very high EGDI group. The country was ranked fifth among 11 Southeast Asian countries.

The EGDI 2024 report highlights the global development of digital government, emphasizing the application of digital technologies to improve the quality of public services and enhance citizen participation in government activities, particularly during the post-COVID-19 recovery phase. The EGDI 2024 report introduced a new Digital Government Model Framework as a reference for countries to accelerate their digital transformation for sustainable development.

The UN's Digital Government Model Framework consists of six key drivers for digital government: Digital Leadership, Data-Centric Approach, Legitimate Digital Identity, Effective E-Participation, Digital Culture, and Digital Infrastructure. Additionally, the EGDI 2024 report also sheds light on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public sector governance.

In 2024, Vietnam's EGDI value placed the country in the group of nations with "Very High" EGDI levels (39.4% of countries fall into this category). This score is higher than the global average EGDI of 0.6382, the Asian regional average of 0.6990, and the Southeast Asian average of 0.6928.

In Southeast Asia, Vietnam surpassed Brunei to rank 5th out of 11 countries, an improvement of one place compared to 2022. The four countries with higher rankings than Vietnam are Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Notably, Singapore rose by 9 positions, securing the 3rd spot globally; the Philippines climbed 16 places; Vietnam advanced by 15 positions; Indonesia increased by 13 places; while Timor-Leste dropped by 12 places.

The UN also recognized Vietnam, along with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brunei in Southeast Asia, by moving these countries from the "High" EGDI group to the "Very High" group.

The UN praised Vietnam for its efforts in improving the quality of online public services. Among the 55 countries in the lower-middle-income group, Vietnam is one of five nations (the other four being Ukraine, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines) to achieve a "Very High" EGDI level.