Overview: Why Did Ho Chi Minh City's Wards Change?
In 2025, the Vietnamese government enacted Resolution 202/2025/QH15, the most sweeping administrative restructuring since reunification in 1975. The goal was to reduce the total number of administrative units nationwide by approximately 70%, streamlining governance and reducing administrative overhead.
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), as Vietnam's largest city and economic engine, was at the center of this reform. The city merged hundreds of wards (phường), communes (xã), and townships (thị trấn) into a smaller number of larger administrative units.
What Changed in Ho Chi Minh City
Before the 2025 reform, Ho Chi Minh City had 312 ward-level administrative units across 22 districts and Thu Duc City. The reform reduced this significantly:
- Districts 1–12 retained their district-level status but saw ward mergers within each district.
- Thu Duc City (formerly three eastern districts merged in 2021) continued as a city-within-a-city with consolidated ward administration.
- Outer districts (Binh Chanh, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi, Can Gio, Nha Be) saw significant rural commune mergers.
Key Ward Changes by District
District 1 (Quận 1) — City Centre
District 1, the historic heart of Saigon, retained its premium central wards around Ben Thanh Market, Nguyen Hue Boulevard, and the waterfront. The district consolidated from 10 wards to a smaller number of enlarged wards, with Pham Ngu Lao and Ben Nghe remaining landmark administrative centers.
Binh Thanh District
Binh Thanh, a densely populated inner district, saw significant consolidation. The wards around Binh Quoi peninsula and the upmarket Thao Dien-adjacent areas were restructured for more efficient service delivery.
Thu Duc City (TP. Thủ Đức)
Thu Duc City — created in 2021 from the merger of Districts 2, 9, and 12 — underwent its own internal ward restructuring in 2025. This innovation hub is home to Saigon Hi-Tech Park and the Vietnam National University campuses. Its wards were reorganized to better serve the eastern expansion corridor.
District 7 (Phú Mỹ Hưng area)
The upmarket Phu My Hung area in District 7, popular with expatriates and Korean business communities, saw ward boundaries redefined. The area around Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard remains the commercial spine.
How to Find Your Ward Under the New System
If you're unsure which new ward your address falls under, VNDatabase provides a searchable directory of all current Ho Chi Minh City wards. Each ward page includes:
- Current official ward name (Vietnamese and English)
- Parent district
- Geographic map with boundaries
- Nearby wards for context
- Business directory for the ward
Practical Impact: Businesses and Residents
The ward restructuring has practical implications for businesses operating in HCMC:
- Business registration: Companies registered at a ward-level address may need to update their business registration certificates if their administrative unit name changed.
- Postal addresses: Vietnam Post updated address formats to reflect new ward names. Use the official ward name when shipping.
- Tax registration: Tax authorities updated taxpayer ward codes. Cross-check your tax registration if your old ward was merged.
- Property documents: Land use right certificates (Sổ đỏ) retain validity but the administrative unit on record may differ from the current ward name.
International Perspective: Why This Matters for Foreign Investors
For international businesses and investors operating in HCMC, the 2025 ward restructuring simplifies some administrative interactions while requiring address updates. The consolidation is intended to reduce the number of government touchpoints, with ward-level People's Committees now covering larger areas.
Key investment zones — including the HCMC Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks, and Saigon Hi-Tech Park — maintain their operational continuity regardless of ward boundary changes.
Looking Forward
The 2025 administrative reform is not a one-time event. Vietnamese authorities have indicated ongoing optimization as the new boundaries bed in. Businesses and residents should monitor the official HCMC Department of Home Affairs (Sở Nội vụ TP.HCM) for updates.
VNDatabase will continue to update its province and ward database as official changes are published.