Country profile · Rank 70 of 108 · Emerging Upside
Vietnam compute capacity
Vietnam runs about 150 MW of live datacenter capacity as of 7 September 2026, a Gross Domestic Compute of $7.5B (an estimate). Its identified energy resource could host about 48 GW of AI compute, a ceiling worth $2.9 to 3.8T at today's price of a gigawatt, about 8 times its $494B GDP. The bankable slice today, discounted mainly for governance and physical conditions, is $186B, or $1,827 per person. Vietnam is emerging upside, ranked 70 of 108 countries by unlockable value.
Key numbers
| Live datacenter capacity | 150 MW | IT capacity, mid-2026. Estimate: below the top 35 markets. |
|---|---|---|
| Live compute (GDC) | $7.5B | Live GW × $50B, the central price of an AI factory. |
| Resource ceiling | 48 GW | Identified hydro, geothermal, solar, wind and surplus fossil resource. |
| Ceiling value | $2.9 to 3.8T | Ceiling GW × $60 to 80B per GW, NVIDIA's all-in figure. |
| Ceiling as a multiple of GDP | 8× | High end over nominal GDP of $494B (IMF). |
| Unlockable value | $186B | Firm untapped GW × $50B × readiness. The bankable slice. |
| Unlockable per person | $1,827 | IMF population, 2026. |
| Built | 48.3% | Hydro and geothermal already installed, over the ceiling. |
| Readiness | 57% | Eight-part discount. Binding: governance and physical conditions. |
| Conversion score | 28 | 0 to 100. Unchanged since 19 Aug. |
| Tier | Emerging Upside | In between: a narrower gap, and a real one. |
| Rank | 70 of 108 | By unlockable value. 6 of 10 in SE Asia. |
Three numbers, one scale
Ceiling is what the endowment could host; unlockable is the slice underwriters would sign today; live compute is what runs. Drawn on one linear scale on purpose: the gap is the point.
Projects on the ground
| Project | Scale | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| G42 + FPT sovereign AI framework | $1B+, HCMC hyperscale | Contracted | Feb 2026 |
SE Asia: how Vietnam compares
| # | Country | Unlockable | Live compute | Readiness | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 |  Indonesia | $1.5T | $20B | 63% | Emerging Upside |
| 51 |  Myanmar | $296B | under $1B | 22% | Sleeping Giant |
| 55 |  Papua New Guinea | $281B | under $1B | 37% | Sleeping Giant |
| 56 |  Philippines | $281B | $5.0B | 56% | Emerging Upside |
| 66 |  Thailand | $199B | $10B | 69% | Primed |
| 70 | Vietnam | $186B | $7.5B | 57% | Emerging Upside |
| 73 |  Laos | $180B | under $1B | 51% | Sleeping Giant |
| 88 |  Malaysia | $105B | $75B | 75% | Primed |
| 89 |  Cambodia | $96B | $1.0B | 48% | Sleeping Giant |
| 108 |  Singapore | under $1B | $55B | 87% | Incumbent |
What compute costs right now
The price of the silicon a country would host, from the tape. Labeled buy-now prints from named venues.
Questions people ask
How much data center capacity does Vietnam have?
Vietnam runs about 150 MW of live datacenter IT capacity as of 7 Sep 2026, an estimate: country totals below the top 35 markets are estimated. Valued at $50B per gigawatt, that is a Gross Domestic Compute of $7.5B.
What is Vietnam's compute net worth?
The ceiling is $2.9 to 3.8T: 48 GW of identified hydro, geothermal, solar, wind and surplus fossil resource valued at $60 to 80B per gigawatt, NVIDIA's all-in figure for an AI factory. That is 8 times Vietnam's $494B GDP. The bankable slice today, after a readiness discount of 57%, is $186B.
What holds Vietnam back from converting its energy into compute?
Readiness scores 57% on an eight-part discount stack (governance, stability, GPU access, grid, fiber, momentum, physical conditions and capital access). For Vietnam the binding discounts are governance and physical conditions. It has built 48.3% of its ceiling as generating capacity, and its conversion score is 28 of 100.
How does Vietnam compare with its neighbours?
Vietnam ranks 70 of 108 countries by unlockable value, and 6 of 10 in SE Asia. The regional leader is Indonesia at $1.5T unlockable and $20B of live compute.
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