Brian Jeffrey
Every two years since 2003, the United Nations has conducted a ranking to assess the electronic/digital government development across 193 member nations. The purpose of this initiative is to assist countries in understanding trends that inform their future digital governance strategies.
In the latest EGDI 2024 report released by the UN, Vietnam has achieved a significant milestone by being recognized among countries with ‘very high’ e-government development for the first time, securing the 71st position and improving by 15 places since 2022.
Within the ASEAN region, Vietnam has overtaken Brunei, now standing in fifth place, which is one slot higher than in 2022. Among 55 countries with lower average incomes, Vietnam is one of only five nations rated with a very high EGDI 2024.
The EGDI is derived from three primary indexes: TII (Telecommunications Infrastructure Index), HCI (Human Capital Index), and OSI (Online Service Index).
According to the National Innovations Center’s analysis of EGDI 2024, all three of Vietnam’s key indicators have seen notable improvements in scores and rankings, particularly in telecommunications and human resources.
Vietnam scored 0.7267 in the HCI, putting it in 79th place—an impressive rise of 36 ranks compared to 2022. The TII score stood at 0.8780, with a ranking of 67th, up by 7 positions. The OSI metrics reflect a score of 0.7081, with Vietnam holding the 75th spot, a modest improvement of one rank from the previous assessment.
Overall, Vietnam’s e-government development index has increased by 13.6%, with TII showing the most significant growth at 25.9%, followed by OSI and HCI at 9.2% and 5.3% respectively.
Among the three indexes, Vietnam ranks ‘very high’ in Telecommunications Infrastructure, and ‘high’ in the other two metrics.
Vu The Binh, the Deputy Chair and Secretary General of the Vietnam Internet Association, expressed that the rise in Vietnam’s EGDI is a positive indication of the country’s substantial efforts toward advancing telecommunications, internet resources, and online services in recent years.
Binh noted, “The improvements show that Vietnamese citizens and businesses are experiencing enhanced benefits from digital services and applications.”
He highlighted the substantial improvement in the TII, which reflects factors like the number of internet users and mobile and broadband subscriptions. Notably, the inclusion of broadband access capability as a new metric underscores progress.
Binh remarked on the observable increase in mobile broadband subscribers and the affordability of broadband services in Vietnam over the last two years.
Nguyen Quang Dong from the Vietnam Digital Communications Association emphasized that the higher TII rankings reflect a significant commitment to digital transformation, yielding early positive results. He pointed out the essential contributions of Vietnamese firms to the TII and HCI metrics.
Dong asserts that the UN’s evaluations align with the reality of Vietnam’s digital technology advancements and are supported by various other assessments.
Additionally, a survey by Google and Bain Company indicates that Vietnam possesses the fastest-growing internet economy in ASEAN.
This growth potential justifies Vietnam’s prioritization of investments in digital technologies, as highlighted by Party Committee Secretary General To Lam.
Recognizing the necessity for infrastructure to remain ahead, Vietnam prioritizes the development of digital infrastructure alongside energy and transport sectors.
However, Dong cautioned that challenges remain for Vietnam to effectively compete with its ASEAN counterparts.
EGDI 2024 also reveals improvements across other ASEAN nations, marking their advancements in digital transitions.
Vietnam continues to trail behind Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia in attracting global BigTech companies. A focus on enhancing OSI will also be critical for Vietnam in the future.
Countries are categorized into four levels based on their EGDI scores: very high EGDI, high EGDI, middle EGDI, and low EGDI.
