A report suggests that the ecommerce market in Southeast Asia is set to grow by more than 5X over the next few years, largely driven by factors like digital technology adoption, improvements in cross-border ecommerce, and more. The report also details some market trends and additional insights that highlight important facts about the industry.
Ecommerce Market in Southeast Asia Expected to Climb Rapidly
According to a report that was recently released, the Southeast Asia ecommerce market is projected to grow rapidly in the coming years. The market was valued at $269.63 billion in 2025, but is expected to climb up to over $1.48 billion by 2034.
This means it’s expected to grow by more than 5X, and the report predicts the market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.83% from 2026 to 2034.
Growth Factors in Southeast Asia
There are several factors that contribute to this steep and rapid forecasted growth. First, there’s a high level of digital adoption taking place across both urban and semi-urban areas that’s contributing to this growth.
The more digital and mobile users there are, and the greater the tech adoption is in the area, the more potential customers there are for ecommerce brands to sell to.
In addition to greater technology adoption in the region, there have been drastic improvements in cross-border commerce globally, which give shoppers in Southeast Asia better and easier access to foreign brands. Also, the advanced digital payment systems should help with the ecommerce market in the area.
The report also highlights some market trends in addition to the growth factors, which include a major shift towards online shopping, thanks to easier access to more products, better convenience, and a smooth digital experience.
Social commerce is also growing, and is often integrated right into popular communication channels that people in the region already use. People are also more commonly using mobile devices for shopping and tracking orders, and many more consumers are very comfortable and confident making online purchases.
Regional Ecommerce Insights
The report also includes some key takeaways and insights from the region. First, it highlighted the popularity of the apparel, footwear, and accessories industry, which held a 26% market share in 2025. These purchases are often driven by shopping methods like livestream shopping and social commerce.
The report also mentioned that business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions dominate in the industry, as they represent a 60% share of the market. Indonesia led the region with a 28% share, largely thanks to its huge population and growing internet usage.
While AI isn’t covered in the report, a recent partnership between Sea, the owner of Shopee, the leading ecommerce platform in the region, and Google, shows that AI is sure to play a role in the growing digital economy in the region.
In fact, it already plays a major role in the larger Asia Pacific (APAC) region, as 74% of consumers in this region use AI during the early stages of shopping to help discover products or learn more about them.
While it’s impossible to know if the market will grow as much as this report projects, it wouldn’t surprise me, as the region has all the makings of a major contributor to the global ecommerce industry, thanks to growing digital adoption, a huge population, advanced digital payment systems, and confidence when it comes to making online purchases.
