Students behavior report 2025: an analysis of Vietnamese students’ consumer behavior based on Coc Coc data

Overview: 80% of Vietnamese students spend under VND 5 million per month, with budgets focused on essential needs

According to the report, the majority of Vietnamese students spend less than VND 5 million per month (excluding tuition fees), with housing and living expenses consistently accounting for the largest share of monthly spending. Specifically:

• 20% spend under VND 1 million per month

• 35% spend between VND 1 million and under VND 3 million

• 24% spend between VND 3 million and under VND 5 million

>>> Download the PDF report Students Behavior Report 2025 here.

Spending Polarization Across Student Segments, Especially Near Graduation

The spending structure shows that students clearly prioritize essential living needs rather than emotional or luxury consumption. Notably, students with higher financial independence—such as those working part-time, receiving scholarships, or accessing loans and credit support—tend to spend more than those financially dependent on family. This trend is reflected in the sharp increase in students spending over VND 5 million per month among fourth-year students (24%) and fifth-year and above students (35%).

This reflects an inevitable behavioral pattern: the closer students are to graduation, the higher their level of financial independence, along with a broader spending capacity.

Regional spending differences: Ho Chi Minh City leads in student spending

The data reveals clear regional disparities:

• Ho Chi Minh City: nearly one-third of students spend VND 5 million per month or more (the highest nationwide)

• Hanoi: 19% spend over VND 5 million

• Da Nang: 9% spend over VND 5 million

• Other provinces: 19% spend over VND 5 million

This reflects higher urban living costs, a faster pace of life, and a more developed consumption and service ecosystem in major cities—particularly Ho Chi Minh City. As a result, brands need to differentiate strategies by region to align with students’ purchasing power and consumer psychology, thereby optimizing campaign effectiveness.

Spending differences by needs: Student budgets focus on essentials without extreme cutbacks

Survey results show that students’ monthly budgets are primarily allocated to essential needs. Key spending categories include:

• Utilities account for the largest share at 39%
• Home cooking stands at 35%, reflecting a proactive approach to cost control
• Dining out remains popular at 34%
• Entertainment accounts for 32%, indicating the need to balance study and relaxation
• Food and beverage delivery reaches 29%
• Transportation accounts for 26%

The key insight is not that students are cutting spending aggressively, but rather how they optimize their budgets. Home cooking is prioritized as an effective cost-control solution, while dining out and food delivery are still maintained when necessary. This balance highlights a continued demand for convenience, social interaction, and personal experience - even in a more selective spending environment.

From a regional perspective, consumer behavior shows notable differences:

• Students in Hanoi tend to prioritize home cooking (39%), reflecting a cost-conscious mindset and stable daily routines
• Students in Ho Chi Minh City lean more toward dining out (44%), indicating stronger demand for convenience and culinary experiences

These differences create significant opportunities for brands in F&B, food delivery services, restaurant chains, and FMCG. Designing region-specific messaging, product offerings, and distribution channels will help brands increase relevance and effectiveness when targeting student audiences.

E-commerce platform usage differences: Shopee & TikTok shop dominate student shopping behavior

In students’ online shopping behavior, according to the Students Behavior Report 2025 by Coc Coc, domestic e-commerce platforms dominate with the following usage rates:

• Shopee: 64%

• TikTok Shop: 43%

• In-store purchases at shops/supermarkets/markets: 40%

• Other platforms (Lazada, Tiki…): 17%

• Social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Zalo): 15%

• Brand websites: 11%

This behavioral landscape shows that domestic e-commerce platforms play a central role within a hybrid shopping model:

• Online: price hunting, convenience, wide product selection

• Offline: immediate and essential needs

This is a defining characteristic of multi-channel consumer behavior among younger generations.

The Vietnamese student consumer profile in 2025

Based on data from the Students Behavior Report 2025, five core characteristics emerge:

• Financial mindset: Increasing financial independence, not fully reliant on family support

• Spending behavior: Cautious and essentials-focused, but not extreme

• Shopping behavior: Strongly digital-first, with a preference for local platforms

• Lifestyle: Balanced between saving, convenience, and experience

• Consumer mindset: Practical, logical, and value-driven rather than image-driven

Strategic implications for brands and advertisers

For businesses and brands, students are no longer merely a “low-budget” segment, but a strategic long-term consumer group. Effective engagement requires:

• Repositioning students as “controlled spenders,” not “low spenders”: Nearly 80% of students spend under VND 5 million per month, focusing on utilities, food, and daily living. This indicates optimization rather than consumption cutbacks. Brands must demonstrate real functional value and avoid emotional or disconnected messaging.

• Segmenting by academic year and financial independence, not just age: Final-year and financially independent students (part-time work, scholarships) show significantly higher spending. Messaging should differentiate between early-year students (price-sensitive, essentials-focused) and year 3–5+ students (more open to experiences and higher-value offerings).

• Prioritizing a mobile-first consumer journey: Search, food delivery, and e-commerce behaviors primarily occur on mobile. Mobile is not just a touchpoint but the conversion driver. Brands must optimize speed, UX, CTAs, and checkout flows to reduce bounce rates and improve conversion rates.

• Leveraging regional differences in content and distribution strategies: Students in Ho Chi Minh City spend more and favor services and dining out, while Hanoi students prioritize controlled spending and home cooking. Messaging, visuals, and channels should be localized rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.

• Domestic e-commerce as the primary touchpoint—without neglecting offline: Shopee and TikTok Shop dominate digital shopping, yet 40% of students still purchase essentials in-store. Effective strategies combine online awareness with offline conversion (OMO).

• Content must be practical, verifiable, and rooted in student life: Students value clear information, real reviews, and direct comparisons. Advertorials, in-depth analyses, and practical usage guides on digital news platforms help build trust during the consideration stage.

• Engaging students is a long-term customer lifecycle investment: Consumption habits formed during student years often persist into working life. Early, contextually relevant engagement helps build brand familiarity and optimize lifetime value (LTV) rather than focusing solely on short-term ROI.

• Digital news platforms play a trust-building role in decision-making: As students spend cautiously, credible media channels help validate information, reduce perceived risk, and support conversion—making them ideal for in-depth content combined with display advertising.

About SmartAds, formerly known as eClick, SmartAds is developed by FPT Online - one of Vietnam’s pioneers in digital technology and media. Through continuous innovation and a strong partnership network with leading premium publishers, SmartAds has established itself as a frontrunner in digital news advertising in Vietnam. The platform aspires to become a trusted partner for brands on their journey to winning consumers. If you are looking for an advertising solution that maximizes both brand awareness and performance, don’t hesitate to create an account and experience campaign setup on SmartAds here.