DIGITAL 2024: VIETNAM

This newsletter contains all the latest data, insights, and trends you need to help you understand how people in Vietnam use digital devices and services in 2024.

OK, let’s get into the data…

The state of digital in Vietnam in 2024

Here are DataReportal ’s essential headlines for digital adoption and use in Vietnam in early 2024:

• There were 78.44 million internet users in Vietnam at the start of 2024, when internet penetration stood at 79.1?percent.
• Vietnam was home to 72.70 million social media users in January?2024, equating to 73.3?percent of the total population.
• A total of 168.5 million cellular mobile connections were active in Vietnam in early 2024, with this figure equivalent to 169.8?percent of the total population.

• These headline stats offer a great overview of the “state of digital” in Vietnam, but in order to make sense of how digital trends and behaviours are evolving, we need to dig deeper into the data.

Let’s take a closer look at what the latest numbers tell us, starting with some valuable context relating to the population of Vietnam.

Population of Vietnam in 2024

The population of Vietnam stood at 99.19 million in January?2024.

Data shows that Vietnam’s population increased by 655 thousand (+0.7?percent) between early 2023 and the start of 2024.

50.6?percent of Vietnam’s population is female, while 49.4?percent of the population is male.

At the start of 2024, 39.8?percent of Vietnam’s population lived in urban centres, while 60.2?percent lived in rural areas.

Note: gender data are currently only available for “female” and “male”.

Vietnam’s population by age

The median age of Vietnam’s population is 33.0.

Here’s how Vietnam’s total population breaks down by age group:

• 7.2?percent is between the ages of 0?and?4.
• 12.0?percent is between the ages of 5?and?12.
• 7.1?percent is between the ages of 13?and?17.
• 9.7?percent is between the ages of 18?and?24.
• 15.7?percent is between the ages of 25?and?34.
• 15.6?percent is between the ages of 35?and?44.
• 13.1?percent is between the ages of 45?and?54.
• 9.9?percent is between the ages of 55?and?64.
• 9.8?percent is aged 65?and?above.

Note: percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.

Internet use in Vietnam in 2024

There were 78.44 million internet users in Vietnam in January?2024.

Vietnam’s internet penetration rate stood at 79.1?percent of the total population at the start of 2024.

Kepios analysis indicates that internet users in Vietnam increased by 502 thousand (+0.6?percent) between January?2023 and January?2024.

For perspective, these user figures reveal that 20.75 million people in Vietnam did not use the internet at the start of 2024, suggesting that 20.9?percent of the population remained offline at the beginning of the year.

However, complexities associated with the collection and analysis of internet user data mean that it can often take several months before research is ready for publication. As a result, the latest published figures for internet use invariably under-represent reality, and actual adoption and growth may be higher than the figures shown here suggest. Please see our comprehensive notes on data for further details.

Dig deeper: for the latest insights into internet adoption and use around the world, follow our regular Global Statshot reports.

Internet connection speeds in Vietnam in 2024

Data published by Ookla indicate that internet users in Vietnam could have expected the following internet connection speeds at the start of 2024:

• Median mobile internet connection speed via cellular networks: 47.06 Mbps.
• Median fixed internet connection speed: 105.04 Mbps.

Ookla’s data reveals that the median mobile internet connection speed in Vietnam increased by 7.47 Mbps (+18.9?percent) in the twelve months to the start of 2024.

Meanwhile, Ookla’s data shows that fixed internet connection speeds in Vietnam increased by 24.74 Mbps (+30.8?percent) during the same period.

Social media statistics for Vietnam in 2024

DataReportal ’s figures show that there were 72.70 million active social media user identities in Vietnam in January?2024.

Note: over the past year, we’ve made some important changes to how we calculate social media user numbers, and the data sources that we use to inform these calculations have also made significant and wide-ranging revisions to their published figures during that period.

As a result, our latest figure for social media use might appear to be quite different to the values that we published in previous years .

Because of this, we advise caution when comparing the social media user values published in this year’s reports with those published in previous years, especially because changes in reported values may be the result of “corrections” in the source data, as well as changes in actual user behaviour.

For clarity, Kepios analysis shows that social media users in Vietnam increased by 6.5 million (+9.8?percent) between early 2023 and the beginning of 2024.

The number of social media users in Vietnam at the start of 2024 was equivalent to 73.3?percent of the total population, but it’s important to stress that social media users may not represent unique individuals (see our detailed notes on data to learn why).

Meanwhile, data published in the ad planning tools of top social media platforms indicates that there were 72.55 million users aged 18 and above using social media in Vietnam at the start of 2024, which was equivalent to 99.2?percent of the total population aged 18 and above at that time.

More broadly, 92.7?percent of Vietnam’s total internet user base (regardless of age) used at least one social media platform in January?2024.

At that time, 51.0?percent of Vietnam’s social media users were female, while 49.0?percent were male.

Note: gender data are currently only available for “female” and “male”.

Facebook users in Vietnam in 2024

Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicates that Facebook had 72.70 million users in Vietnam in early 2024.

However, Meta has made important changes to the way its advertising resources report audience reach data over recent months – including making significant revisions to its base audience data for Facebook – so the figures shown here may not be directly comparable with figures published in our previous reports.

To learn more about these changes, please see this article , as well as our comprehensive notes on data .

Facebook user growth in Vietnam

Figures published in Meta’s own tools indicate that Facebook’s potential ad reach in Vietnam increased by 6.5 million (+9.8?percent) between January?2023 and January?2024.

For more recent context, the same data show that the number of users that marketers could reach with ads on Facebook in Vietnam decreased by 5.9 million (-7.4?percent) between October?2023 and January?2024.

However, it’s important to stress that these advertising reach figures are not the same as the monthly active users figures that Meta reports in its investor earnings announcements, and they should not be interpreted as such.

As the company states within its ad planning tools,

“Estimated audience size is not a proxy for monthly or daily active users, or for engagement. Estimates aren’t designed to match population, census estimates or other sources, and may differ depending on factors such as how many accounts across Meta technologies a person has, how many temporary visitors are in a particular geographic location at a given time, and Meta user-reported demographics.”

As a result, changes in ad reach may not necessarily indicate any change in the platform’s overall user base.

But despite these caveats, Meta’s ad reach data still offers valuable insights into how Facebook use is evolving.

Facebook adoption in Vietnam

Facebook’s ad reach in Vietnam was equivalent to 73.3?percent of the total population at the start of 2024.

However, Meta only allows people aged 13 and above to use Facebook, so it’s worth highlighting that 90.7?percent of the “eligible” audience in Vietnam uses Meta in 2024.

For additional context, Facebook’s ad reach in Vietnam was equivalent to 92.7?percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) in January?2024.

At the start of 2024, 51.0?percent of Facebook’s ad audience in Vietnam was female, while 49.0?percent was male.

Note: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.

YouTube users in Vietnam in 2024

Google’s advertising resources indicate that YouTube had 63.00 million users in Vietnam in early 2024.

It’s important to stress that these advertising reach figures do not necessarily represent the same thing as monthly active user figures though, and there may be meaningful differences between the size of YouTube’s ad audience and its total active user base.

However, the company’s own data suggests that YouTube’s ad reach in early 2024 was equivalent to 63.5?percent of Vietnam’s total population at the start of the year.

To put those figures in perspective, YouTube ads reached 80.3?percent of Vietnam’s total internet user base (regardless of age) in January?2024.

At that time, 49.5?percent of YouTube’s ad audience in Vietnam was female, while 50.5?percent was male.

Note: Google’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.

YouTube user growth in Vietnam

Data published in Google’s own ad planning tools show that YouTube’s potential ad reach in Vietnam remained unchanged between the start of 2023 and early 2024.

Meanwhile, the same data show that the number of users that marketers could reach with ads on YouTube in Vietnam also remained unchanged between October?2023 and January?2024.

Instagram users in Vietnam in 2024

Numbers published in Meta’s advertising tools indicate that Instagram had 10.90 million users in Vietnam in early 2024.

The company’s regularly revised figures suggest that Instagram’s ad reach in Vietnam was equivalent to 11.0?percent of the total population at the start of the year.

However, Meta only allows people aged 13 and above to use Instagram, so it’s worth highlighting that 13.6?percent of the “eligible” audience in Vietnam uses Instagram in 2024.

It’s also worth noting that Instagram’s ad reach in Vietnam at the start of 2024 was equivalent to 13.9?percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age).

In early 2024, 60.1?percent of Instagram’s ad audience in Vietnam was female, while 39.9?percent was male.

Note: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.

Instagram user growth in Vietnam

Data published in Meta’s planning tools show that Instagram’s potential ad reach in Vietnam increased by 550 thousand (+5.3?percent) between January?2023 and January?2024.

On a quarterly basis, the company’s data also reveal that the size of Instagram’s ad audience in Vietnam decreased by 650 thousand (-5.6?percent) between October?2023 and January?2024.

As we noted in the Facebook section above though, changes in the audience reach figures published in Meta’s ad planning tools do not necessarily correlate with overall changes in its platforms’ active user bases.

TikTok users in Vietnam in 2024

Figures published in ByteDance’s advertising resources indicate that TikTok had 67.72 million users aged 18 and above in Vietnam in early 2024.

Note that ByteDance allows marketers to target TikTok ads to users aged 13 and above via its advertising tools, but these tools only show audience data for users aged 18 and above.

For context, ByteDance’s figures indicate that TikTok ads reached 92.6?percent of all adults aged 18 and above in Vietnam at the start of 2024.

Meanwhile, TikTok’s ad reach in Vietnam was equivalent to 86.3?percent of the local internet user base at the beginning of the year, regardless of age.

In early 2024, 49.1?percent of TikTok’s ad audience in Vietnam was female, while 50.9?percent was male.

Note: ByteDance’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.

TikTok user growth in Vietnam

Data published in ByteDance’s own ad planning tools show that TikTok’s potential ad reach in Vietnam increased by 18 million (+35.8?percent) between the start of 2023 and early 2024.

Meanwhile, figures indicate that the potential reach of ads on TikTok in Vietnam increased by 5.1 million (+8.2?percent) between October?2023 and January?2024.

Having said that, ad audiences often only account for a subset of a platform’s total users, and given that TikTok’s ad tools only publish data for users aged 18 and above, it’s important to remember that trends in TikTok’s ad reach figures may not necessarily match changes in the platform’s overall user base.

Facebook Messenger users in Vietnam in 2024

Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicate that ads on Facebook Messenger reached 54.50 million users in Vietnam in early 2024.

The company’s frequently revised audience numbers suggest that Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in Vietnam was equivalent to 54.9?percent of the total population at the start of the year.

Meta only allows people aged 13 and above to use Facebook Messenger though, so it’s worth highlighting that 68.0?percent of Facebook Messenger’s “eligible” audience in Vietnam in 2024.

For additional context, Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in Vietnam is equivalent to 69.5?percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age).

At the start of 2024, 51.5?percent of Facebook Messenger’s ad audience in Vietnam was female, while 48.5?percent was male.

Notes: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.

Facebook Messenger user growth in Vietnam

Data published in Meta’s planning tools show that Facebook Messenger’s potential ad reach in Vietnam increased by 1.9 million (+3.5?percent) between January?2023 and January?2024.

On a quarterly basis, the company’s data reveal that the size of Facebook Messenger’s ad audience in Vietnam decreased by 4.5 million (-7.6?percent) between October?2023 and January?2024.

However, as we noted in the Facebook section above, changes in the audience reach figures published in Meta’s ad planning tools do not necessarily correlate with overall changes in its platforms’ active user bases.

LinkedIn users in Vietnam in 2024

Figures published in LinkedIn’s advertising resources indicate that LinkedIn had 7.50 million “members” in Vietnam in early 2024.

However, note that LinkedIn’s advertising tools publish audience reach data based on total registered members, rather than the monthly active users that form the basis of the ad reach figures published by most other social media platforms.

As a result, these LinkedIn figures are not directly comparable with the figures for other social media platforms published on this page, or in our Digital 2024 reports.

The company’s advertising reach figures suggest that LinkedIn’s audience in Vietnam was equivalent to 7.6?percent of the total population at the start of 2024.

LinkedIn prevents people below the age of 18 from using its platform though, so it’s also helpful to know that 10.3?percent of the “eligible” audience in Vietnam uses LinkedIn in 2024.

For additional context, LinkedIn’s ad reach in Vietnam was equivalent to 9.6?percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.

In early 2024, 50.0?percent of LinkedIn’s ad audience in Vietnam was female, while 50.0?percent was male.

Note: LinkedIn’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.

LinkedIn user growth in Vietnam

Data published in LinkedIn’s planning tools show that LinkedIn’s potential ad reach in Vietnam increased by 2.3 million (+44.2?percent) between the start of 2023 and the beginning of 2024.

On a quarterly basis, the company’s data reveal that the size of LinkedIn’s ad audience in Vietnam increased by 400 thousand (+5.6?percent) between October?2023 and January?2024.

However, because LinkedIn’s ad audience figures are based on total registered members rather than monthly active users, it’s unclear whether these trends might reflect changes in active LinkedIn use too.

X users in Vietnam in 2024

Numbers published in X (Twitter)’s advertising resources indicate that X had 5.58 million users in Vietnam in early 2024.

This figure means that X’s ad reach in Vietnam was equivalent to 5.6?percent of the total population at the time.

However, it’s important to stress that these advertising reach figures are not the same as monthly active user figures, and there may be meaningful differences between the size of X’s ad audience and its total active user base.

Moreover, we’ve seen some particularly bizarre trends in the data reported in X’s advertising tools over the past year, so we’d advise caution when it comes to analysing these X figures.

It’s worth noting that X only allows people aged 13 and above to use its platform, so the latest figures suggest that 7.0?percent of the “eligible” audience in Vietnam uses X in 2024.

For additional context, X’s ad reach in Vietnam was equivalent to 7.1?percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.

In early 2024, the company’s own data indicated that 36.8?percent of X’s ad audience in Vietnam was female, while 63.2?percent was male.

However, it’s worth noting that X infers its users’ gender, by analysing signals such as the name that users enter in their profile, and their broader activity on the platform.

This contrasts with the gender data offered in the advertising tools of platforms like Facebook, which relies on the gender that users themselves enter in their own profile.

Moreover, our analysis suggests that X’s inferences may not be particularly reliable in determining users’ gender, especially in countries where English is not the dominant language.

For example, consumer research findings published by GWI often offer quite a different picture of X use by gender compared with X’s own audience data.

But the apparent distortions that frequently appear in X’s inferred gender data may be due in large part to the high number of “non-human” accounts that feature in X’s active user data (e.g. accounts that represent businesses, animals, musicians, etc.), especially because X doesn’t currently separate these accounts out from “real” human individuals in the ways that Facebook and Instagram do.

Regardless of the cause of these anomalies though, we advise caution when analysing or interpreting X’s reported figures for use by gender.

X user growth in Vietnam

Data published in X (Twitter)’s own ad planning tools show that X’s potential ad reach in Vietnam increased by 1.5 million (+36.2?percent) between the start of 2023 and early 2024.

Meanwhile, the same data show that the number of users that marketers could reach with ads on X in Vietnam decreased by 316 thousand (-5.4?percent) between October?2023 and January?2024.

However, please note that the figures published in X’s planning tools appear to be liable to significant fluctuation –?even over short periods of time –?and these anomalies may impact the reliability and representativeness of this change data.

Mobile connections in Vietnam in 2024

Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 168.5 million cellular mobile connections in Vietnam at the start of 2024.

However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection –?for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work –?so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.

GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in Vietnam were equivalent to 169.8?percent of the total population in January?2024.

The number of mobile connections in Vietnam increased by 5.1 million (+3.2?percent) between the start of 2023 and the start of 2024.

Source: Datareportal