Vietnam targets digital divide in ethnic minority regions

Vietnam is working to address the growing digital divide within its ethnic minority and mountainous communities. While the national digital transformation programme aims to develop a digital government, economy, and society by 2030, significant barriers remain for populations facing geographical, economic, and educational constraints.

Dr. Ro Dam Thi Bich Ngoc of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences notes that high rates of online service applications do not necessarily indicate high digital proficiency in these regions. Key obstacles to digital inclusion include linguistic barriers, as most digital platforms, e-commerce, and banking services primarily utilize standard Vietnamese, which can be difficult for those whose primary language is a minority tongue.