After making significant progress in its “financial inclusion” plan through accelerated digitalization, experts say Vietnam should now aim higher. The country needs to move beyond mere access to financial services and focus on the broader concept of “financial health.” In Vietnam, “financial inclusion” has been a widely discussed term in recent years. The term refers to the idea that everyone should be able to access financial services. The year 2025 marks the end of the first phase of Vietnam’s National Strategy on Financial Inclusion to 2025, with a vision toward 2030, approved in 2020 by the prime minister in Decision No. 149. The second phase, introduced by the State Bank of Vietnam, emphasizes “Digital Financial Inclusion,” highlighting how technology can improve access to financial services. Today, Vietnamese people can easily make mobile payments almost anywhere, including rural areas, where data coverage has expanded widely. Opening accounts and paying for services have also become easier thanks to electronic authentication systems. According to the World Bank Group’s Global Findex 2025 report, over 70% of Vietnamese adults aged 15 and older have a financial account, and 62% of them use digital payment services, thanks to internet coverage reaching 80% of the population. Despite […]