2025 Vietnamese administrative reforms

Phase 1

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed merging districts that do not meet the criteria for area and demography. On February 18, 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued Decision 73/QĐ–BNV regarding the Program of practicing thrift and combating wastefulness by the Ministry of Home Affairs for 2025.^[16] However, just before the start of the 2025 New Year holidays, the top state bodies announced the first program of reforms. The campaign began with the merger or dissolution of a series of state agencies, which were considered inefficient and wasteful of budget funds.

This has led to the dismissal of thousands of government employees who failed to meet work performance standards.^[17] In addition, the arrangement and merger at the provincial-level also takes into account geographical conditions, socio-economic level, and infrastructure.

On February 21, the Government of Vietnam issued Declaration on Vietnam's baselines in the Gulf of Tonkin and immediately submitted to the United Nations a depository copy of the nautical chart and coordinates of the baselines in the Gulf of Tonkin.^{[note 3][18]} The event, although causing outrage in the People's Republic of China,^[19][20] is seen as a stepping stone for efforts to reform Vietnam's already troubled administrative unit system.^[21]

Phase 2

After the 2025 Lunar New Year, on February 22, with Concludes 126 and 127,^{[note 4]} the Politburo and the Central Secretariat announced a number of proposals on merging administrative units.^[22]

Among them, the plan for a government with only three levels^{[note 5]} received high consensus. Six days later, the Politburo and the Secretariat officially announced the policy of eliminating rural districts (huyện), then merging communes (xã) and finally merging provinces (tỉnh).^[23]

In response to this directive, localities were required to suspend all elections and not build new government buildings to save their budgets.^[24] Under this criterion, the number of communes and provinces in Vietnam will begin to be reduced by 1/5 (commune) to 1/2 (province), with completion by May 2025 at the latest.

From March 7 to 17, 2025, the Government and the Fatherland Front gradually announced plans to cut personnel and eliminate ineffective agencies in localities,^{[note 6]} stressing the implementation must ensure caution, thoroughness and quality. It also stated its focus on receiving opinions from the Politburo at the meeting on March 7, 2025, completing the submission and project for arrangement and reorganization of administrative units at all levels, and building a model for organizing local governments to ensure adequate political, legal basis and praxis in implementing. However, this move was criticized by many domestic and international media outlets for a lack of transparency.^[25]

On March 14, 2025, the Politburo and the National Assembly began a meeting, which is said to be the longest in its history, lasting until May.^[26] This event was to prepare for the official list of administrative units after the rearrangement and merger.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính announced on March 11, 2025 an August 30 deadline for the reforms, to allow the new administrative units to take effect by September 1.^[27][28]

Based on Resolution 1211 enacted by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam in 2016, the Ministry of Home Affairs officially announced the list of province-level administrative units subject to merging because they did not meet population, economic and infrastructural standards on March 26, 2025.^[29] In addition, the government also encouraged provinces to name new communes in order number.^{[clarification needed][30][31]}

• 11 localities will be preserved: Hà Nội, Huế, Lai Châu, Điện Biên, Sơn La, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn, Quảng Ninh, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh.^[29]
• 52 localities will be arranged: Hải Phòng, Hồ Chí Minh, Đà Nẵng, Cần Thơ, Hà Nam, Hưng Yên, Vĩnh Phúc, Bắc Ninh, Thái Bình, Hải Dương, Nam Định, Ninh Bình, Bắc Kạn, Thái Nguyên, Phú Thọ, Bắc Giang, Hòa Bình, Tuyên Quang, Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Hà Giang, Ninh Thuận, Quảng Trị, Phú Yên, Quảng Bình, Quảng Ngãi, Khánh Hòa, Đắk Nông, Tây Ninh, Bình Dương, Bình Thuận, Bình Phước, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, Bến Tre, Bạc Liêu, Vĩnh Long, Hậu Giang, Trà Vinh, Tiền Giang, Sóc Trăng, Đồng Tháp, An Giang, Long An, Cà Mau, Quảng Nam, Bình Định, Đắk Lắk, Đồng Nai, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lâm Đồng, Kiên Giang.^[29]

Therefore, 34 new localities are expected: Hà Nội, Huế, Lai Châu, Điện Biên, Sơn La, Lạng Sơn, Quảng Ninh, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, Cao Bằng, Tuyên Quang, Lào Cai, Thái Nguyên, Phú Thọ, Bắc Ninh, Hưng Yên, Hải Phòng, Ninh Bình, Quảng Trị, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Ngãi, Gia Lai, Khánh Hòa, Lâm Đồng, Đắk Lắk, Hồ Chí Minh, Đồng Nai, Tây Ninh, Cần Thơ, Vĩnh Long, Đồng Tháp, Cà Mau, An Giang.^[32] In addition, 13 island districts^{[note 7]} will be transformed into special zones under their respective provinces:^{[note 8]} Bạch Long Vĩ, Cát Hải, Cồn Cỏ, Côn Đảo, Cô Tô, Hoàng Sa, Lý Sơn, Kiên Hải, Phú Quốc, Phú Quý, Thổ Châu, Trường Sa, Vân Đồn.^[33][34]

According to Resolution 60–NQ/TW on April 12, 2025 of the 11th Conference of the XIII Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country will be divided into 6 key economic regions: Northern Midlands and Mountains, Red River Delta, North-Central and Central Coastal, Western Highlands, Southeast, Mekong River Delta.^[35]

Phase 3

On April 14, 2025, Lê Minh Hưng – Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Organizing Committee and Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Central Steering Committee (Steering Committee) – on the review of Resolution 18–NQ/TW (October 25, 2017 of the Communist Party Central Committee (XII term) some issues on continuing to renovate and organize the streamlined political system. 47–KH/BCD (Plan 47) of the Steering Committee on the arrangement and merger of the provincial and commune-level administrative units and organize the 2-level local government system.^{[clarification needed]}

The project clearly stated the implementation of Resolution 60–NQ/TW, dated 12 April, 2025, of the XIII Communist Party Central Committee on continuing to re-organize the organizational structure of the political system. In order for the implementation to ensure the proposed schedule, achieve the streamlined, performance, effective and effective goals associated with the successful organization of the Party Congress at all levels to the XIV National Party Congress, the Central Steering Committee on the review of Resolution 18 promulgates the Plan to arrange and merge the administrative unit at the provincial and commune authorities.

Plan 47 clearly stated the requirements, the Party committees, party organizations, agencies, units and heads:

1. Sticking to the resolutions and conclusions of the Central Executive Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat. Proactively and actively do well the work of thorough grasping, propagating, mobilizing, ideological and social public orientation, ensuring solidarity, consensus and high unity among officials, party members, civil servants, officials, workers and people of all classes.
2. Focusing on directing and urgently concretizing plans according to functions, tasks and competence ; drastically implement the tasks and assign specific responsibilities in the implementation organization to ensure the completion of the plan. At the same time, ensure agencies, units and organizations before, during and after arranging continuous, smooth, effective, effective and effective operation, not to interrupt work, abandoning tasks, areas, areas and affecting normal activities of agencies, units, organizations and society.
3. Strong application of information technology, digital conversion to reform activities of agencies and units. Urgently digitize documents, comprehensive renovation of administrative procedures, improve the quality of online public services, digital services for people and businesses.
4. Strictly control the situation, ensure security and order in areas, absolutely do not let the situation of many people's complaints or arise hot and complicated spots.
5. Closely, timely, synchronous, effective and proactive coordination, strengthening inspection, inspection and supervision of the implementation of the tasks assigned in this plan. Praise and reward organizations and individuals effectively and strictly handle and promptly handle organizations and individuals that do not comply with or comply with regulations, fail to reach the goal of arranging and merging provincial and commune-level administrative units and organizing a 2-level local government system.
6. From April 16 to October 31, 2025, periodically reporting on the progress of performing tasks and projects on the Steering Committee (via the Central Organizing Committee) before 15:00 every Wednesday, for the Central Organizing Committee to synthesize, report to the Politburo and Secretariat every Friday.

Also according to Plan 47, the Central Organizing Committee shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned committees, agencies and units to help the Steering Committee:

1. Regularly monitor, firmly grasp the situation, participate in opinions (when necessary) in the process of implementing the steps to perform the tasks of the committees, agencies and units to ensure the schedule and policies of the Central Executive Committee, the Ministry of Politics, the Secretariat and the Steering Committee.
2. Timely adjust and supplement the contents, tasks and progress of implementation in the plan to ensure the leadership and direction of the Politburo, the Secretariat and in accordance with the practical situation.

Central party and government apparatus

In early December, Head of the Organisation Commission Lê Minh Hưng announced proposals for restructuring government ministries and other agencies subject to the government, with the goal of reducing at least five ministries and two agencies directly subordinate to the government.^[36] On 8 December, Minister of Home Affairs Phạm Thị Thanh Trà proposed new names for the combined ministries.^[37] On 13 January, the government finalised its proposals, with the restructuring proposals from early December largely retained but with different names for the new ministries, mostly retaining one of the existing ministry names.^[38] The Ministry of Home Affairs also requested that other ministries submit their proposals for internal restructuring (formally ‘mergers and streamlining’) by 15 January.^[39]

The party organisation and the National Assembly were also restructured, with many commissions and committees merged or ended. These proposals were approved by the Central Committee on 23 and 24 January alongside the restructuring of the government.^[40][41]

On 18 February, at the 9th Extraordinary Session, the National Assembly approved resolutions on reorganising its own committee system in accordance with the proposals approved by the Central Committee, reducing the number of committees by 2.^[42]

On the same day, the National Assembly also approved resolutions on the composition of the government for the 2021–26 term, under which the government was to be reduced to 14 ministries and 3 ministry-level agencies. The new names and division of functions reflect the proposal the government confirmed in mid-January.^[43]

• The Ministry of Finance merged with the Ministry of Planning and Instruction, as well as the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMSC), to form the new Ministry of Finance.
• The Ministry of Construction merged with the Ministry of Transportation (except for functions relating to the issuance of driver’s licences, which were transferred to the Ministry of Public Security) to form the new Ministry of Construction.
• The Ministry of Science and Technology merged with the Ministry of Information and Communications (except for functions relating to journalism and publishing, transferred to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) to form the new Ministry of Science and Technology.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs merged with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, including those functions relating to labour issues, workplace safety, social security, and gender equality from, to form the new Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • The Ministry of Education and Training received those functions relating to vocational education from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development merged with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment to form the new Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, which also received functions relating to poverty reduction from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.
• The Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs received those functions relating to religious affairs from the Ministry of Home Affairs and was renamed the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

Eight existing ministries were retained largely unchanged (National Defence; Public Security; Justice; Industry and Trade; Culture, Sports and Tourism; Foreign Affairs; Education and Training; and Health), alongside three ministry-level agencies (the Government Office, the Government Inspectorate, and the State Bank). This new government composition became operative on 1 March.^[44]

Local government apparatus

Sporadic attempts to streamline provincial governments began in December 2024. On 13 January, the government gave guidance to provinces on restructuring their provincial departments along the lines of proposals for central government ministries released on the same day, with mirroring names and responsibilities.^[46]

On 28 February, the government published a decree limiting all provinces and cities to 14 provincial departments, except for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which were allowed 15. Twelve of these were to be established in every province, while four other possible departments could only be established under specific conditions. For example, a Foreign Affairs department can only be established by provinces with an international border crossing, airport, or seaport, or a sufficient number of foreigners resident, or sufficient foreign domestic investment or foreign trade.^[47]

This decree also established analogous limits at the district level, which was abolished during the local government reorganisation. It was replaced on 12 June by a decree establishing limits at the provincial and communal level instead. The provincial limits were unchanged, while communes and wards are restricted to three technical divisions: the People’s Council and People’s Council office, the Economics division (or the Economics, Infrastructure and Urban Development division in urban areas), and the Culture and Social Affairs division.^[48]

Operation of the new local government system

Key positions in the provincial leadership, including the People’s Committee chairs, the provincial party secretaries, and numerous provincial party officials, were publicly announced at ceremonies held simultaneously on 30 June in every province. These ceremonies were held to celebrate the transition to the new local government structure, which came in force the next day. Party and state leaders from the centre were present at most of these ceremonies, including General Secretary Tô Lâm in Hồ Chí Minh City, State President Lương Cường in Hanoi, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính in Haiphong, National Assembly Chair Trần Thanh Mẫn in Thái Nguyên, and Organisation Commission Head Lê Minh Hưng in Ninh Bình.^[49]

The reforms also affected various organisations not directly tied to local government, including central government agencies such as the General Department of Customs,^[50] the State Bank,^[51] and the Military,^[52][53] and front organisations such as the Women's Union^[54] and the General Confederation of Labour,^[55] all of which had to re-align their operational geographies to the new local administrative boundaries.

Local governments faced various obstacles in implementing the new structure. In remote and mountainous areas, the limited number of buildings and facilities of the previous communes often prevented all employees of a commune from working in the same location. Large geographic size, challenging terrain, and limited connectivity severely obstruct the function of local government.^[56][57][58] In October 2025, deputies of the National Assembly and the provincial government of Lâm Đồng both highlighted the issues of building and staff shortages at the communal level, noting that communes received 1065 new tasks from the abolished district level alone.^[59][60]

Technical staff shortages were not limited to remote provinces. Major urban areas in cities and provinces such as Ho Chi Minh City and Đồng Nai, which include many urban wards of large population, reported difficulty handling the volume of paperwork generated by hundreds of thousands of residents while being subjected to similar employee quotas as smaller urban wards in other provinces.^[61][62][63]

On 31 December, the government revised the decree on limits on the size of local government to allow higher quotas for deputy heads of provincial/city departments and communal/ward divisions.^[64]

In Đà Nẵng, the former city of Hội An was divided into three wards and one island commune, which split up the responsibility for various heritage and tourist sites and complicating efforts to manage develop tourism. In April 2026, the province proposed a Coordinating Committee for wards and communes that comprise the former city of Hội An, and similar committees for the former city of Tam Kỳ and the inner part of the pre-merger city of Đà Nẵng.^[65][66][67]

Reapportionment of the National Assembly

In December 2025, the National Election Council reapportioned the 500 seats in the National Assembly to the new 34 provinces and cities. The minimum size of a provincial delegation increased from 6 to 7. Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi continued to send the largest two delegations, although the 38-strong delegation for Ho Chi Minh City is 9 seats smaller than the combined size of the three predecessor delegations.^[68][69]

Revision of provincial level general plans

All provinces and cities, including those who did not undergo provincial-level mergers, were required to revise their general plans to suit the new administrative structure and boundaries. The original deadline set in August 2025 was 31 December 2025.^[70] A directive from the Ministry of Finance in October 2025 reiterated the same deadline.^[71]

However, in practice, few provinces actually submitted their revised general plans in time, and as of early May 2026, at least 10 provinces, mostly in Central Vietnam, had not submitted their plans. These provinces received a letter from the Prime Minister on 1 May demanding they fulfil this obligation by the end of May. ^[72] On 25 May, this deadline was extended to 1 July.^[73]

Revision of local administrative units standards and classification

A new resolution promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly in December 2025 established new standards for local administrative units, but did not apply them retroactively to units established during the 2025 mergers. The standards vary by region and certain socioeconomic conditions. Among other exemptions, a blanket exemption applies when an administrative unit is established, merged, or divided to meet ‘special demands in territorial management, defence of national sovereignty, or socioeconomic development’.^[74] This resolution was passed on the same day as the resolution on urban classification, and a number of its provisions are linked to that resolution, although the two processes are separate. For example, a city must be recognised as a class I urban area, and a province must contain at least one class II urban area. This resolution also officially adopted the simple term ‘thành phố’ (city) for the centrally-administered cities, as the other type of cities no longer exists.^[75]

In November 2025, the government also promulgated a new decree on classification of local government units into four classes, Special, I, II, and III, adapting the criteria after the abolition of the district level and the greater post-merger size of administrative units. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City continued to be automatically classified as special class, and all other cities were automatically classified as class I. At the commune level, the resolution created the new possibility for urban wards to be classified as special.^[76]

All cities and provinces were required to classify themselves and their own wards and communes according to the new criteria by 30 June 2026; units that did not undergo mergers must be classified by 30 April.^[77]

Urban classification