BACKVietnam was once seen as a promising newcomer on the global outsourcing scene. But with steady gains in global rankings, from talent and infrastructure to service quality and AI innovation, it’s now earning real recognition as a premier outsourcing destination.
As these benchmarks shift, so do the decisions of global leaders. Across the U.S., Australia, and Europe, more organizations now view Vietnam as a compelling hub for building and scaling offshore teams. This growing interest stems from a blend of capability strength and cost efficiency that leaders increasingly consider too significant to overlook.
Many leaders are no longer asking “Why Vietnam?” but, “Why not yet?”. Because once you see how consistently Vietnam is advancing across major global rankings, that shift in mindset becomes impossible to ignore.
Table of contents
Talent that drives scale
Vietnam’s story of growth starts with its people. The country has built one of the most vibrant talent pools in Asia – a skilled talent pool of engineers, developers, and creators who see technology not just as a career, but as a way to shape the future.
That energy is what’s drawing attention from global businesses looking for both scale and quality in one place.
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Top 10 globally in UNESCO’s ranking of countries producing the most engineers
If you’ve been following Vietnam’s growth, you’ve likely seen how rapidly its talent base is expanding. According to the latest UNESCO UIS and national education data, more than 707,600 students were enrolled in engineering and technology programs in the 2024-2025 academic year. That scale reflects a country investing deeply in technical education, and delivering a steady stream of skilled professionals ready to contribute on a global stage.
A World Economic Forum summary (2015), based on UNESCO data, once placed Vietnam among the world’s top 10 countries for producing engineering graduates. A decade later, that early recognition has evolved into something much larger: a proven track record of capability, consistency, and growing international confidence in Vietnam’s engineering talent.
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Top 10 worldwide for developer skills (SkillValue)
Vietnam’s developer talent is earning the kind of global recognition once reserved for long-established tech hubs. In SkillValue’s global ranking, Vietnamese developers placed among the top 10 worldwide for technical competency, outperforming many traditional outsourcing markets.
Behind that ranking is a workforce known for adaptability, clear communication, and a strong problem-solving mindset, qualities that make Vietnam’s developers trusted partners for global companies looking to build with both speed and precision.
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Top 2 in Southeast Asia for software outsourcing
Vietnam’s recognition as one of the top 2 destinations for software outsourcing in Southeast Asia, according to Accelerance, highlights how far the country’s tech ecosystem has come.
What was once seen mainly as a cost advantage has evolved into a thriving network of innovation, collaboration, and long-term partnership. Today, Vietnam’s software teams are known for their technical depth, reliability, and ability to deliver complex projects for global clients with agility and trust.
Rankings may capture progress, but people create it – professionals who learn fast, adapt easily, and take pride in their craft. Vietnam’s real distinction comes from trust earned over time, built through reliable, high-quality partnerships across the globe.
For businesses looking ahead, this is where momentum turns into opportunity, and where some of the world’s most capable engineers are already shaping what comes next.
Infrastructure built for remote U.S. operations
When you’re running remote teams, especially in the U.S., stable infrastructure is the foundation of collaboration and trust. Vietnam has steadily invested in the systems that keep teams connected, responsive, and productive.
According to the Speedtest Global Index, Vietnam outperforms its regional peers in network stability and speed. The comparison below highlights the difference clearly.
| Country | Mobile broadband ranking | Fixed broadband ranking | Overall positioning |
| India | Top 30 | Around Top 100 | Strong mobile, weak fixed |
| Philippines | Top 75 | Top 60 | Mid-range on both |
| Vietnam | Top 15 | Top 15 | Balanced, high-performing |
This strength is where Vietnam truly stands out in everyday work. From IT debugging to product design and customer support, teams collaborate seamlessly with smooth communication, fast cloud access, and a sense of closeness that bridges continents.
Vietnam is rapidly pushing forward with major infrastructure upgrades to ensure its digital foundation remains future-ready. This includes expanding 5G networks, reinforcing its fiber-optic backbone, and boosting submarine cable capacity. The country targets mobile speeds of around 100 Mbps by 2025 and projects 5G coverage for nearly the entire population by 2030.
For U.S. businesses, that translates into one less barrier between strategy and scale, and far greater confidence in what remote collaboration can achieve.
Service excellence and innovation readiness
Vietnam’s rise in global outsourcing now stands out for one clear reason: a reputation built on quality, reliability, and a genuine drive to innovate.
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#7 in Kearney’s 2023 Global Services Location Index
According to Kearney’s 2023 Global Services Location Index, Vietnam ranks 7th worldwide, ahead of several long-established outsourcing destinations.
The ranking reflects a strong balance of workforce capability, business environment, and financial competitiveness, showing how far the country has come from being seen as a cost-driven market to becoming a trusted partner for high-value digital work.
For U.S. organizations, that means you can count on teams that combine technical skill with global business understanding.
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Vietnam’s AI Rankings: 6th in the WIN World AI Index & 51st Globally
Recent findings from the WIN World AI Index 2025 place Vietnam 6th globally out of 40 countries, highlighting exceptional public trust and openness toward AI adoption. You can feel that momentum in the way your offshore teams think about technology, they’re eager to learn, quick to apply, and focused on turning ideas into impact.
At a broader national level, the Oxford Insights AI Readiness Index 2024 places Vietnam 51st out of 188 countries, reflecting solid progress in government commitment, digital infrastructure, and long-term investment in technology. It’s steady progress, driven by practical investment and real results rather than promises.
How U.S. companies can leverage Vietnam’s strengths
For many U.S. companies, Vietnam has become a strategic extension, a place where talent, time, and trust come together to unlock new capacity. The question is no longer if U.S. businesses should look to Vietnam, but how they can make the most of what it offers.
1. Tackling the U.S. talent gap
Across the U.S., companies continue to face a widening gap in tech and engineering roles. The American Action Forum projects a shortfall of around 1.1 million STEM professionals in the coming years.
Vietnam helps close that gap with something the U.S. market desperately needs: a reliable, high-quality talent pool that’s ready to scale. They bring the right mix of skill, curiosity, and cross-cultural ease – qualities that make them a seamless fit for global operations. For leaders trying to fill specialized roles fast, Vietnam’s workforce provides both capability and confidence.
2. Leverage time zone overlap for next-day readiness
One of the quiet advantages of working with Vietnam is time. The 12–15-hour time difference means that while your U.S. team ends the day, your Vietnam team begins theirs. By the time you wake up, progress has already been made: digital marketing campaigns optimized, or finance reports reviewed
This natural overlap creates what many global businesses call a follow-the-sun rhythm, where productivity never sleeps, but people still can. It’s a practical way to maintain round-the-clock operations without burning out your U.S. core team.
3. Shift to a strategic extension model
The best U.S. companies working in Vietnam don’t think in terms of outsourcing anymore, they build extensions of their own teams. The goal isn’t to hand off work, but to expand capability.
When you invest in a dedicated offshore team in Vietnam that mirrors your in-house standards, you create alignment across cultures and time zones. They act as true extensions of your in-house team, sharing your company’s DNA, aligned with your vision, and fully invested in your success. That shift transforms offshore work from a cost-saving tactic into a growth strategy.
4. Reinvest cost savings
A new wave of outsourcing, known as Outsourcing 2.0 by Away Digital Teams (ADT), puts quality and capability at the heart of global partnerships. Vietnam fits this model well, offering mature talent and operational stability while giving U.S. companies the flexibility to reinvest savings into what drives growth.
Those savings fuel innovation, powering new products, technology upgrades, and better customer experiences. Vietnam helps you reduce cost, yes, but more importantly, it helps you move faster and build stronger.
5. Ensure stability and retention
Talent stability is what turns offshore partnerships into long-term value. By building your team with local experts like Away Digital Teams who understand recruitment, retention, and HR in Vietnam, U.S. companies can build teams that don’t just perform well, they stay.
High retention means preserved knowledge, a stronger culture, and smoother collaboration. It gives your teams the space to grow together, which is where true performance begins.
Conclusion
From talent and infrastructure to innovation and service excellence, Vietnam’s steady climb across global rankings reflects more than data – it reflects determination. Each milestone shows a country not waiting for opportunity, but actively shaping its place on the world stage.
Recent client insights on how U.S. companies pivot from traditional hubs to success in Vietnam reveal the same momentum in action. Businesses are moving toward Vietnam not only for efficiency but for partnership, finding teams that match their standards, share their drive, and help them grow smarter and faster. Vietnam’s transformation is unfolding right now, and global leaders are stepping in to be part of it.
