The strategy, issued under Decision 1266 signed by Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung, outlines Vietnam’s roadmap for digital transformation during 2026-2030, with a vision to 2045.

It reflects the country's determination to move beyond digitising public services toward building a comprehensive digital economy and digital society, where innovation, data and emerging technologies become central to policymaking, business development and public services.

By 2045, Vietnam aims to become a prosperous, safe and human-centred digital nation, with digital transformation integrated across every sector of society and the economy.

The strategy also sets a target for Vietnam to rank among the world's top 30 countries in e-government and digital government, while establishing the digital economy as one of the country's principal engines of growth.

Digital government, economy and society at the core

The strategy identifies three major pillars for implementation through 2030: digital government, digital economy and digital society.

For digital government, Vietnam plans to digitise 100% of administrative records and public service results, in addition to ensuring seamless data connectivity across government agencies.

National, sectoral and local databases will be standardised and integrated to support AI-powered governance.

Provincial intelligent operation centres will also be upgraded with AI capabilities to improve forecasting and decision-making, while all civil servants and public officials are expected to receive digital skills training and access AI-powered assistants for public administration.

Vietnam aims to rank among the world's top 50 countries in digital government by 2030.

In the economic sphere, the strategy aims for the digital economy to make up at least 30% of GDP by 2030 before expanding to no less than 50% by 2045.

Authorities also plan to support at least 500,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in digital transformation, and to develop at least five legally compliant and secure data exchanges.

E-commerce is expected to account for 15-17% of total retail sales and consumer service revenue, with around 45% of SMEs participating in major domestic and international e-commerce platforms.

More than 40% of SMEs are also expected to gain access to shared AI platforms and digital solutions.

For digital society, the strategy sets ambitious goals to expand nationwide digital connectivity and inclusion.

By 2030, fibre-optic broadband is set to reach all households, while at least 95% of people aged 15 and above will have payment accounts with banks or licensed payment service providers.

More than 70% of adults are expected to possess digital signatures or electronic signatures, and all citizens will have electronic health records.

At least 10 million working-age people are also projected to receive basic digital skills training.

Data and AI become strategic national resources

One of the defining features of the new strategy is its recognition of data as a strategic national resource rather than simply an administrative asset.

Vietnam plans to establish a unified national data governance framework to ensure that public data is accurate, complete, continuously updated, standardised, securely shared and efficiently utilised.

National, sectoral and local databases will continue to be expanded and interconnected to form a comprehensive national integrated database capable of supporting AI applications across government operations.

Priority databases include population, land, businesses, finance, insurance, healthcare, education, labour, transportation and natural resources.

The government also plans to accelerate data digitisation, standardisation, cleansing and reuse to simplify administrative procedures, shorten processing times and improve public services.

Alongside database development, Vietnam will continue building shared AI-enabled digital platforms covering data exchange, digital identity, electronic authentication, digital payments, digital maps, AI assistants, open data as well as sector-specific platforms for healthcare, education, logistics, agriculture, tourism and smart cities.

The strategy sees AI not merely as an emerging technology but as a core tool for improving governance, supporting policy analysis and enhancing productivity across the economy.

Domestic technology companies expected to drive innovation

Another notable feature of the strategy is the central role assigned to Vietnamese digital technology enterprises.

The government identifies “Make in Vietnam” technology companies as the driving force behind national digital transformation and technological self-reliance.

Policy support will prioritise businesses operating in strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, semiconductors, software, cybersecurity and digital platforms.

The government also intends to create stronger domestic demand for digital technologies through public procurement, pilot projects and state-funded technology deployment in areas including online public services, digital healthcare, digital education, digital payments and smart governance.

By leveraging government demand to stimulate innovation, Vietnam aims to strengthen domestic technological capabilities, increase local value creation and enhance national competitiveness in the global digital economy.

A long-term vision for a data-driven economy

Beyond the numerical targets, the National Digital Transformation Strategy represents a broader shift in Vietnam's development model.

Rather than viewing digital transformation primarily as an administrative reform programme, the strategy positions digital technologies, AI and data as foundational resources for economic restructuring, innovation and sustainable growth.

As global competition increasingly revolves around digital capabilities, Vietnam's long-term objective is to build an economy where data serves as a new factor of production, AI supports both governance and business innovation, and domestic technology enterprises become globally competitive players.

If successfully implemented, the strategy could not only accelerate digitalisation across government and society but also reshape Vietnam's economic growth model, laying the groundwork for a more innovative, productive and resilient economy by the middle of the century.