Hanoi (VNA) – Since 1975, Vietnam has undergone numerous major re-organisations at the provincial level. At one point, the number of provinces and centrally-run cities was reduced from 72 to just 38.
Since 2008, Vietnam has maintained 63 provincial-level administrative units, including 57 provinces and six centrally-run cities.
According to a draft proposal on administrative re-organisation and the introduction of a two-level local administrative system, Vietnam plans to restructure its administrative apparatus into two levels - provincial and grassroots. Following the re-organisation, the number of provincial-level units could be cut by nearly 50%, and grassroots-level units by over 70%.
Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra said that after receiving the Politburo’s approval in principle for the reorganisation policy, the Government’s Party Committee has collected feedback from ministries, sectors, and localities. A consolidated proposal is expected to be submitted to the Party Central Committee by mid-April 2025. A national conference will be held following the Party Central Committee's meeting to implement the restructuring plan.
Historical overview
Vietnam’s administrative boundaries have changed significantly over time. During feudal times, territorial units such as “chau, quan, dao, lo, phu, thua tuyen, dinh, tinh, tong, and xa” were used, with names and scales varying between dynasties.
The most comprehensive reform came under Emperor Minh Mang (reigned 1820–1840). In 1831–1832, he abolished large regional commands like Bac Thanh and Gia Dinh Thanh and divided the entire country into standardised provincial units (tinh) across three regions - Bac Ky (Northern Region), Trung Ky (Central Region), and Nam Ky (Southern Region).
Specifically, Bac Ky comprised 13 localities from Cao Bang to Ninh Binh, while Trung Ky covered the imperial city of Thua Thien and 11 other provinces from Thanh Hoa to Binh Thuan, and Nam Ky had six provinces, later referred to as Nam Ky Luc Tinh, including Gia Dinh, Bien Hoa, and Ha Tien.
These administrative structures largely remained until the French colonial period.
After the 1945 August Revolution, Vietnam initially had 65 provinces under the new Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Before reunification in 1975, North Vietnam had 28 provinces, cities, and special zones, while South Vietnam had 44.
Following reunification, a sweeping wave of mergers took place in 1975–1976, reducing the total number of provincial-level units to 38.
By 1976, Vietnam had 35 provinces and 3 centrally-governed cities: Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
In 1978, the National Assembly approved the expansion of Hanoi’s administrative boundaries, incorporating five additional districts into the capital. In the same year, Cao Lang province was split into two separate provinces - Cao Bang and Lang Son, raising the total number of provinces and centrally-run cities to 39.
Some mergers were later reversed due to administrative inefficiencies and regional identity considerations.
In 2008, Ha Tay merged into Hanoi, along with Me Linh district (from Vinh Phuc) and parts of Luong Son district (Hoa Binh province). Since then, Vietnam has maintained 63 provincial-level units.
Currently, the restructuring of administrative units, in tandem with the streamlining of the organisational apparatus to ensure compactness, strength, efficiency, effectiveness, and high performance, is being prioritised by the Party and State, and has received broad consensus.
The re-organisation of administrative units aims to create space for development, unlocking the potential, opportunities, and competitive advantages of localities in line with current development conditions, and promoting the autonomy, self-reliance, and resilience of all levels of local government. Above all, it seeks to bring the government closer to the people, ensuring that public services are delivered more promptly, conveniently, and effectively — thereby contributing to greater happiness and prosperity for the people./.
