According to the annual e-Conomy SEA 2026 report released by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company, Vietnam’s digital expansion is driven by double-digit growth across key sectors, alongside rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and digital financial services.
E-commerce remains the primary growth engine, accounting for two-thirds of the digital economy. The sector is forecast to expand 22 percent year-on-year to reach $32 billion in 2026 and tracks toward $61 billion by 2030, supported by AI-driven tools that improve targeting, listing, and conversion rates.
Online travel recorded 15 percent year-on-year growth to reach $5 billion in GMV, matching Malaysia for the fastest expansion in the region. Standalone GenAI platforms have overtaken social media as the second-most popular starting point for travel planning across Southeast Asia.
Other growth enablers also sustained momentum. Online media rose 17 percent year-on-year to $7 billion in GMV, while transport and food delivery reached $6 billion in GMV, up 17 percent, accelerated by intensifying competition among electric vehicle operators.
Vietnam stands out as Southeast Asia's most highly engaged AI market. GenAI adoption reached 45 million users, representing 65 percent of the working population and generating 31 billion annual queries.
Vietnam ranks first in Southeast Asia in daily GenAI engagement, with two in five users interacting with AI tools every day. Consumers use an average of at least five different tools, with 44 percent of consumer journeys starting with AI and four in five users willing to delegate purchases to AI agents.
Vietnamese serves as the default language for 80 percent of local AI conversations, marking the highest local-language usage rate in the region.
Mr. Marc Woo, Managing Director of Google Vietnam, said: “Reaching $49 billion in GMV while leading the region in daily local-language AI engagement proves that Vietnamese consumers are exceptionally forward-looking. When nearly half of all consumer journeys starting with AI and four in five users are ready to trust AI agents with purchases, we are looking at a market uniquely positioned to turn everyday.”
Mr. Andrea Campagnoli, Managing Partner at Bain & Company Vietnam, added that while Vietnam leads regional AI engagement, the key test will be converting adoption into meaningful business outcomes by restructuring workflows around AI.
Digital financial services expanded rapidly across all verticals. Digital lending emerged as the fastest-growing sector, surging 34 percent year-on-year to reach $14 billion in loan balances. Digital payments rose 21 percent to $197 billion in Gross Transaction Value (GTV) and are on track to hit $302 billion by 2030, propelled by a 38 percent surge in non-cash transactions in early 2026.
Private capital allocation is also recalibrating. While overall deal values moderated, investment flows are shifting away from short-term user acquisition toward foundational infrastructure, including data centers, semiconductors, and emerging tech sectors.
Google translate