Vietnam’s Data Center Future: Scenarios for 2025–2030

The data center industry is transforming at an unprecedented pace. Globally, capacity is projected to rise from 82 GW in 2025 to 219 GW by 2030, largely driven by artificial intelligence (AI) workloads. For Vietnam, this global trend represents both a tremendous opportunity and a complex challenge.

To better understand what lies ahead, we modeled three potential growth scenarios for Vietnam’s data center capacity demand from 2025 to 2030: Conservative, Baseline, and Aggressive. The chart above illustrates how the country’s capacity, measured in megawatts (MW), could evolve depending on market forces, government policy, and investor appetite.

Scenario 1: Conservative Growth

Under the conservative scenario, Vietnam’s data center capacity grows from 164 MW in 2025 to just over 1,095 MW by 2030. This 931 MW increase equates to roughly 52,000 racks at an average density of 18 kW per rack.

This pathway reflects challenges such as delays in power availability, limited international investment, or slower policy reform. Growth would be steady but not transformative, leaving Vietnam trailing regional peers like Singapore and Malaysia.

Scenario 2: Baseline Growth

The baseline scenario reflects Vietnam’s current momentum. Starting at 410 MW in 2025, capacity would rise to 2,190 MW in 2030. This expansion of 1,780 MW, equivalent to nearly 100,000 racks, would make Vietnam a strong mid-tier hub in Southeast Asia.

Several factors support this scenario: increasing demand from domestic enterprises, growing adoption of cloud services, more submarine cable landings, and government efforts to attract foreign direct investment. Still, it would require significant upgrades in power grid resilience, renewable energy integration, and skilled workforce development.

Scenario 3: Aggressive Growth

The aggressive scenario is ambitious but achievable if conditions align. Capacity would grow from 820 MW in 2025 to 4,380 MW in 2030, a jump of 3,560 MW—equivalent to almost 200,000 racks.

Such growth would require hyperscale cloud providers and AI-driven companies to build multiple large campuses in Vietnam. It would also depend on robust government support: streamlined land and permit approvals, long-term renewable energy purchase agreements, and investments in grid and cooling infrastructure.

Expert Insight: Dr. Dương Văn Thịnh

Dr. Dương Văn Thịnh, Chairman of the AI & Data Center Club (AIDC), emphasizes the urgency of preparation. “Even in the conservative case, Vietnam needs to add nearly one gigawatt of capacity within five years,” he explains. “That means thousands of racks, reliable renewable power, and a skilled workforce ready to operate facilities that meet global standards.”

According to Dr. Thịnh, the real opportunity lies in positioning Vietnam as an AI-ready hub. “Traditional workloads will continue to grow, but AI is the main driver. Data centers here must prepare for liquid cooling, higher rack densities, and advanced networking. Investors who design for AI from the beginning will be best placed to capture future demand.”

Implications for Stakeholders

For government leaders, the scenarios highlight the importance of accelerating energy transition and simplifying regulatory processes. A one-stop approach for land, permits, and grid connection would make Vietnam more attractive to international investors.

For developers and operators, success will depend on modular design, sustainability, and partnerships with global hyperscalers. Investing early in AI-ready infrastructure could provide a competitive edge.

For enterprises, the growth of local capacity offers opportunities to migrate workloads domestically, reducing latency and ensuring compliance with data regulations.

And for the workforce, Vietnam’s data center expansion could create thousands of new jobs in engineering, operations, and digital infrastructure services. As Dr. Thịnh notes, “Talent is just as critical as technology. We must train the next generation of data center professionals if we want to meet this demand.”

Conclusion

Vietnam’s data center industry is at a crossroads. Whether growth follows the conservative, baseline, or aggressive path will depend on decisions made today. The chart above demonstrates one fact clearly: even the slowest scenario requires significant investment in just five years.

With the right strategy, Vietnam can position itself as a regional powerhouse—delivering reliable, sustainable, and AI-ready infrastructure to support both domestic digital transformation and Southeast Asia’s broader AI revolution.