Editorial illustration for Southeast Asia digital economy to hit USD 368B as agentic commerce runway clears
Southeast Asia Digital Economy Hits $368B by 2026
Southeast Asia digital economy to hit USD 368B as agentic commerce runway clears
Southeast Asia's digital economy is set to hit $368 billion in gross merchandise value in 2026, up 17% year-on-year, according to the 11th edition of the e-Conomy SEA report released by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company. The report, titled "Building the Intelligent Economy," puts the region on track to cross $1 trillion by 2035.
The numbers behind that growth point to a specific driver: generative AI. 243 million people in the region, 58% of the working population, now use it actively, and adoption has scaled four times faster than mobile internet did in its own rollout. The report uses tokens as a new benchmark for measuring the AI economy, and projects a 60-fold jump in regional AI usage over the next five years as agentic commerce gains traction with consumers and businesses alike.
The 2026 edition breaks its findings into three main takeaways, starting with how AI is sustaining growth across every sector of the digital economy, from e-commerce to travel to transport. The first of those findings centers on e-commerce, the largest single category by GMV, and how AI-driven product discovery is changing the way people shop online.
In Southeast Asia, generative AI has become an essential part of daily life, actively used by 243 million people (58% of the working population) and scaling four times faster than the rollout of the mobile internet. This has major implications for the region’s economy, according to the 11th edition of the annual e-Conomy SEA report 1 .
Why this matters
The gap between "willing to let AI shop for me" and "actually trusting AI with my payment card" is where most agentic commerce pitches go to die. The e-Conomy SEA numbers are worth sitting with precisely because they describe behavior, not sentiment: 243 million people already use generative AI, and 72% have normalized automation features like price tracking. That's a different claim than a survey asking "would you like an AI agent to help you shop." It suggests the region has built habits that make autonomous transactions feel like a small step rather than a leap, which is exactly the kind of adoption curve founders building commerce agents should want to see before they raise a Series A on the promise of "agentic checkout." For developers, the practical question is less about model capability and more about payment rails, dispute resolution, and liability when an agent buys the wrong thing.
Southeast Asia's $368 billion projection is a market-sizing headline. The 75% willingness figure is the actual product signal, and it's the one worth testing against real transaction data, not just survey responses, before anyone builds a roadmap around it.
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Common Questions Answered
What is the projected gross merchandise value for Southeast Asia's digital economy in 2026?
According to the 11th edition of the e-Conomy SEA report released by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company, Southeast Asia's digital economy is set to hit $368 billion in gross merchandise value in 2026, representing a 17% year-on-year increase. This growth trajectory puts the region on track to cross $1 trillion by 2035.
How many people in Southeast Asia actively use generative AI and what percentage of the working population does this represent?
According to the report, 243 million people in Southeast Asia actively use generative AI, which represents 58% of the working population. This adoption rate is scaling four times faster than the rollout of mobile internet in the region, demonstrating rapid integration of AI technology into daily life.
What is agentic commerce and why is it considered a key growth driver for Southeast Asia's digital economy?
Agentic commerce refers to AI agents handling shopping and payment transactions on behalf of consumers. The report indicates that 72% of Southeast Asian users have already normalized automation features like price tracking, suggesting behavioral readiness for AI agents to manage purchases, which represents a significant opportunity for digital economy growth beyond just consumer sentiment.
How does generative AI adoption in Southeast Asia compare to mobile internet rollout?
Generative AI is scaling four times faster than the rollout of mobile internet in Southeast Asia. This accelerated adoption rate demonstrates that AI technology is being integrated into the region's economy at an unprecedented pace, with 243 million people already actively using it as part of their daily lives.
Further Reading
- Asia Pacific set to lead the agentic future of commerce - Deloitte
- Asia Pacific to drive two-thirds of global retail growth as agentic AI gains momentum - TechNode Global
- Unlocking opportunities from Southeast Asia's digital acceleration - HSBC
- Why agentic AI is the new enterprise standard in Southeast Asia - Tech Collective
- AI Agents in Asia, Kept Current: Platforms, Pilots and the Shift from Chat to Action - AI in Asia
