From The Straits Times, November 11:
With Singapore continuing to be its anchor, the South-east Asia digital economy is expected to exceed US$300 billion (S$390 billion) by the end of 2025, according to a study out on Nov 11.
Gross merchandise value (GMV) – the value of goods sold on e-commerce platforms, among others – for the region hit US$299 billion as at June 2025.
The findings are from an annual report by consultancy firm Bain & Company, Temasek and Google, and covers Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
In 2025, the report also expanded to cover four more Asean countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
When those four countries are included, revenue hit US$100 billion, and GMV hit US$305 billion.
This means that the digital economy of the region in GMV has exceeded the inaugural report’s forecast of US$200 billion made a decade ago.
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is also expected to make the region ripe for transformation, especially with region’s large internet population and its keen interest in AI, the report said.
Singapore is the region’s AI hub, with some 495 AI start-ups out of the region’s 680 AI start-ups located in Singapore.
Over US$2.3 billion has been invested in AI-related start-ups....
....MUCH MORE
