Southeast Asia's Digital Economy to Reach $368 Billion

According to the 11th e-Conomy SEA report prepared in partnership with Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company, Southeast Asia's digital economy will record an annual growth rate of 17 percent in 2026, reaching a gross merchandise value of $368 billion. It is stated that generative artificial intelligence has become an integral part of daily life in the region and is actively used by 243 million people.

According to the results of the 11th e-Conomy SEA report published by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company, generative artificial intelligence applications play a major role in the growth of the digital economy in Southeast Asia. The study reveals that 243 million people, corresponding to 58 percent of the working population in the region, use artificial intelligence in their daily lives, and this technology is spreading four times faster than the adoption rate of mobile internet. With this momentum, the regional economy is expected to exceed the $1 trillion threshold by 2035.

The e-commerce sector leads this transformation with a gross merchandise value of $226 billion and an annual growth of 18 percent. While the online travel market reaches $59 billion, online media revenues hit $44 billion. In addition, the mobility and food delivery sector reached a size of $40 billion, while the total transaction volume of digital financial services hit $1 trillion 650 billion. Regional artificial intelligence usage is projected to increase 60-fold over the next five years.