THE HANOI TIMES — Hanoi has topped among 34 provinces and cities nationwide in the 2024 Digital Transformation Index (DTI), scoring 0.8241 points, announced the Ministry of Science and Technology on October 21.

The achievement strengthens the capital’s leading role in developing a digital government, digital economy and digital society.

Hanoi led in four key indicators: Digital Awareness, Digital Institutions, Digital Economic Activities and Digital Social Activities. Compared to the 2023 DTI, the city rose four ranks from fifth place.

Hanoi is advancing digital transformation across all sectors. More than 285 high-tech agricultural models are operating in suburban areas, helping farmers improve productivity, cut costs and expand market access through online platforms.

At the grassroots level, 126 communes and wards are applying a two-tier digital government model that uses digital record management software, one-stop electronic systems and chatbots to assist residents.

The “45 Days and Nights of Digital Transformation” campaign has created strong momentum, encouraging officials and citizens to use online public services, cashless payments and the city’s digital applications.

Over 5,000 community digital technology teams with around 30,000 members are active in communes and wards, helping residents access digital platforms and join the “Digital Learning for All” initiative.

The city has introduced several major digital utilities, including the iHanoi app, an electronic health record system, judicial record issuance through VNeID and integrated data systems connecting tax, land and banking information.

These efforts have strengthened management efficiency, transparency and public service delivery.

According to Nguyen Phu Tien, Deputy Director General of the National Authority of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Science and Technology has used the DTI framework since 2020 to measure and evaluate the nation’s digital progress. Data are collected and analyzed online through the website dti.gov.vn to ensure transparency and accuracy.

The national DTI includes 12 indicators under three main pillars: Digital Government (400 points), Digital Economy (300 points) and Digital Society (300 points), for a total of 1,000 points.

At the provincial level, the DTI follows the same three pillars, comprising eight main indicators and 47 sub-indicators. Each locality’s readiness and performance depend on essential factors such as digital awareness, institutions, infrastructure, human resources and cybersecurity.

The Ministry of Science and Technology reported that the national DTI 2024 reached 0.7955 points, up 8.6% from 2023, while the average provincial DTI stood at 0.6961 points, rising 2.6% year-on-year.

The National Authority of Digital Transformation noted that this year’s assessment differs from previous years, as the number of provincial-level administrative units dropped by 46%, from 63 to 34. Newly merged provinces received DTI scores based on the average results of their predecessor units to ensure consistency.

Following Hanoi, the central coastal city of Hue ranked second with 0.7951 points and the northern port city of Haiphong came third with 0.7857 points. Both achieved high scores in digital institutional and infrastructure indicators.