Pixels of Progress: A Granular Look at Vietnam’s Development Journey

Picture: McKinsey

Check out this the Pixels of Progress by Mckinsey & Company which showcases a micro view of accelerated economic development in Vietnam in the past two decades.

In our analysis, we look beyond those national averages—the more granular, pixelated view indicates that even faster progress has been made by some microregions across Vietnam (see sidebar, “Technical note”). At the same time, it exposes microregions that are still behind national averages and highlights examples within Vietnam that could help shape a path for local economic development.

To better understand the stories and dynamics at play at this subnational scale, we have built a more nuanced picture of Vietnam’s economic development over the past 20 years, using GDP per capita and life expectancy of around 710 microregions from 63 provinces between 2000 and 2019.