Vietnam E-Commerce Growth: Key Findings from the 2025 E-Business Index

The Vietnam E-Business Index (EBI) 2025 reveals significant disparities in e-commerce development across the country, with Hanoi leading the rankings, followed by Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. While Vietnam’s digital economy has seen strong growth, the national average EBI score underscores the growing gap between major urban centers and other provinces.

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Hanoi ranks first among all provinces and cities in Vietnam in the EBI 2025 with a score of 74.7 points, followed by Ho Chi Minh City with 73.5 points and Da Nang with 28.1 points, according to the latest EBI report of the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM).

The EBI, compiled from data gathered in a nationwide survey of thousands of businesses, measures localities’ digital economy readiness and performance across three core areas: infrastructure and human resources, business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce, and business-to-business (B2B) transactions. This report underscores the importance of strategic policies and regional development efforts to support inclusive growth in the e-commerce sector.

See also: Vietnam E-Commerce Sector Outlook: Key Growth Trends

Key findings: E-commerce growth and regional disparities

Despite strong overall growth in Vietnam’s digital economy, the national average EBI score in 2025 was just 9.3 points, underscoring a persistent and wide gap between the leading metro hubs and most provinces.

According to the EBI report, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang dominated the ranking, with scores far above the national average. In infrastructure and human resources, the top three cities scored at least 76.9 points, compared with much lower figures in other localities.

In addition, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City also led the B2C segment with scores of 62.9 points or more, while the highest among the remaining 61 provinces was only 4.5 points.

These results highlight a digital divide between Vietnam’s major economic centers and its broader provincial landscape, posing a structural challenge for inclusive e-commerce expansion across the country.

Supportive economic fundamentals for Vietnam’s e-commerce growth

Vietnam’s strong macroeconomic performance continues to underpin the rapid expansion of e-commerce nationwide. In 2024, GDP grew by 7 percent, reaching an estimated US$476 billion, while GDP per capita rose to around US$4,700.

Services, retail, and trade are trending positively

Growth was led by the services sector, which expanded 7.4 percent year-on-year, with wholesale and retail activities increasing by nearly 8 percent. Total retail sales of consumer goods and services climbed 9 percent to approximately US$263 billion, reflecting sustained domestic consumption.

At the same time, Vietnam’s trade activity remained robust. Exports of goods and services increased 15.5 percent, while imports rose 16.1 percent, resulting in a goods trade surplus of US$24.8 billion.

E-commerce market expands at double-digit rates

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This broader economic momentum has translated directly into growth in digital commerce. According to VECOM, Vietnam’s e-commerce market reached US$32 billion in 2024, representing a 27 percent year-on-year increase.

Online retail sales alone accounted for US$22.5 billion, up 30 percent, and made up around 12 percent of total retail sales, compared with 10 percent in 2023.

Logistics and delivery infrastructure scale-up

Logistics capacity has expanded in parallel with e-commerce growth. In 2024, total postal output reached an estimated 3.2 billion parcels, of which e-commerce-related deliveries accounted for around 2.4 billion, marking a 30 percent increase from the previous year.

This expansion underscores the critical role of delivery and logistics infrastructure in sustaining and scaling Vietnam’s online business activity.

Transition to a more structured development phase

Vietnam’s e-commerce sector has grown eightfold since 2015, when the market size was estimated at just US$4 billion. Despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent global economic volatility, growth rates have remained consistently high. However, VECOM notes that e-commerce penetration in Vietnam remains below the global average, suggesting continued room for expansion.

The association classifies the development of Vietnam’s e-commerce market into distinct phases: infrastructure formation from 1998 to 2005, market popularisation from 2006 to 2015, and a period of rapid expansion from 2016 onward. In this context, 2025 is viewed as a preparatory year, laying the groundwork for a fourth phase of development beginning in 2026, which is expected to focus on more sustainable and regulated growth.

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Achieving the next stage of growth in the digital economy will require strategic policy and regulatory progress. Key frameworks anticipated to shape the landscape include:

• The National E-commerce Development Master Plan (2026–2030);
• A dedicated E-commerce Law; and
• More and more transparent guidance on taxation, online exports, and statistical standards for e-commerce reporting.

These initiatives aim to reduce barriers to digital participation, improve market transparency, and support local authorities’ efforts to enhance competitiveness.

See also: Vietnam’s E-Commerce Law 2025: Key Provisions and Implications

Implications for businesses

For domestic and foreign enterprises, the 2025 EBI results signal both opportunity and strategic challenge. The rapid growth of online consumer markets and the adoption of technology present clear potential for expansion. However, companies must also contend with regional disparities in infrastructure, logistics capabilities, and digital skills outside the two major centres.

Investors and business leaders should consider aligning strategies with evolving policy regimes and digital ecosystem developments to capture demand beyond major metropolitan markets.

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