HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has been awarded the GSMA Government Leadership Award 2026, the highest global honour for digital policy, in recognition of its rapid progress in national digital transformation and sustained policy delivery.

The award, presented on Monday by the GSMA, the global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem, recognises countries that demonstrate strong leadership combined with measurable implementation. Winners are selected annually by an independent panel of international experts based on evidence of digital progress, policy consistency and delivery.

Việt Nam was selected not only for its National Digital Transformation Roadmap but also for its coordinated execution over the past two years. The recognition reflects the view of the global mobile industry, which now sees Việt Nam as one of the most dynamic digital leaders in the Asia-Pacific region.

"It is a real honour to recognise the Government of Việt Nam as the recipient of the GSMA Government Leadership Award 2026, the highest recognition the global mobile industry bestows on a government,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer at GSMA.

“Việt Nam has been recognised not for a single initiative but for the coherence, pace and consistency of its digital transformation. Việt Nam is one of the clearest examples we see of how digital ambition, when matched with policy, discipline and coordinated execution, translates into real economic impact for citizens, businesses and the wider economy.”

According to GSMA’s Digital Nations 2025: Sustaining progress in Asia Pacific through investment report, Việt Nam is positioned as a key engine of Southeast Asia’s digital economy. The report found that the digital economy contributed 18.3 per cent of GDP in 2024, with the Government on track to reach its 20.5 per cent target this year.

Việt Nam is also ranked in the top half of the GSMA Digital Nations Index 2025, marking it as a leading digital nation in the Asia-Pacific region. The country shows balanced progress across all five pillars of the index: infrastructure, innovation, data governance, security and people.

The GSMA said Việt Nam’s progress is the result of deliberate policy choices rather than chance, reflecting a shift from digital adoption to strategic nation building.

Over the past three years, Việt Nam has been the fastest-growing digital economy in the region, achieving this at a national scale across a population of more than 100 million people. It is on track to become the second-largest digital economy in ASEAN by 2030.

Julian Gorman, Head of Asia-Pacific at GSMA, said: “Việt Nam's rapidly expanding digital economy is expected to contribute around 30 per cent of GDP by 2030, supported by strong foreign direct investment in sectors such as semiconductors, AI and smart manufacturing.

"Advanced digital infrastructure and next-generation connectivity will determine whether Việt Nam captures higher value activity or remains a cost-efficient link in global supply chains.” — VNS