2025 Vietnam Administrative Reform: Complete Guide
Everything you need to know about Vietnam's historic 2025 administrative reform that merged 63 provinces into 34.
Overview
On July 1, 2025, Vietnam implemented its most extensive administrative reform in decades, merging 63 provinces and cities down to 34 first-level subdivisions and eliminating the district level entirely. This historic change, part of broader institutional reforms in 2024 and 2025, was announced by the Communist Party and Government as the "Plan to Arrange and Merge Administrative Units" (Phương án sắp xếp và sáp nhập đơn vị hành chính).
The reform aims to create a more efficient government structure by removing overlapping areas of responsibility between different agencies and levels of government. As part of the re-organisation, the district level of units is being eliminated entirely, while the number of local government units at provincial and communal levels will be reduced by approximately 50%.
Background
Beginning on November 5, 2024, state media began announcing major structural reforms of the bureaucracy. General Secretary Tô Lâm proclaimed the general strategic direction in an article titled "Tinh – Gọn – Mạnh – Hiệu năng – Hiệu lực – Hiệu quả" (Sharp, compact, strong; High-performance, effective, efficient).
Billed as "a revolution in streamlining the apparatus of the political system" (Cách mạng về tinh gọn tổ chức bộ máy của hệ thống chính trị), the reform aims to remove overlapping areas of responsibility between different agencies and levels of government. The slogan "Locals decide, locals do, locals take responsibility" (Địa phương quyết, địa phương làm, địa phương chịu trách nhiệm) became central to the reform's messaging.
In December 2024, plans were announced to merge several ministries and ministry-level agencies, with provinces following suit in merging their corresponding provincial-level departments. These reforms were enacted into law by the National Assembly in February 2025 and came into force in March of the same year.
Three-Phase Implementation
The administrative reform was implemented in three main phases:
Phase 1 (February 2025): The Ministry of Home Affairs issued Decision 73/QĐ–BNV regarding the program of practicing thrift and combating wastefulness. The campaign began with the merger or dissolution of a series of state agencies considered inefficient and wasteful of budget funds, leading to the dismissal of thousands of government employees who failed to meet work performance standards.
Phase 2 (February - March 2025): After the Lunar New Year, the Politburo and Central Secretariat announced proposals for merging administrative units. On February 28, the policy of eliminating rural districts (huyện), merging communes (xã), and finally merging provinces (tỉnh) was officially announced. Localities were required to suspend all elections and not build new government buildings to save budgets.
Phase 3 (April 2025 onwards): Plan 47 was established to continue the implementation of Resolution 60–NQ/TW, dated April 12, 2025, of the XIII Communist Party Central Committee. The implementation period runs from April 16 to October 31, 2025, with weekly progress reports required.
The 34 New Provinces
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, 11 localities were preserved unchanged: Hà Nội, Huế, Lai Châu, Điện Biên, Sơn La, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn, Quảng Ninh, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, and Hà Tĩnh.
The remaining 52 localities were arranged into 23 new provinces, resulting in a total of 34 first-level subdivisions. The new structure divides Vietnam into 6 key economic regions: Northern Midlands and Mountains, Red River Delta, North-Central and Central Coastal, Western Highlands, Southeast, and Mekong River Delta.
Additionally, 13 island districts were transformed into special zones under their respective provinces: Bạch Long Vĩ, Cát Hải, Cồn Cỏ, Côn Đảng, Cô Tô, Hoàng Sa, Lý Sơn, Kiên Hải, Phú Quốc, Phú Quý, Thổ Châu, Trường Sa, and Vân Đồn.
Key Statistics
The scale of the reform is unprecedented: - Provinces reduced from 63 to 34 (46% reduction) - District level eliminated entirely - Communes reduced by approximately 50% - Thousands of government employees affected - Constitutional amendment required for district-level elimination - New structure effective July 1, 2025
Impact and Criticism
The reform has received mixed reactions. Proponents argue that it will improve administrative efficiency, reduce bureaucracy, and save budget funds. The National Assembly Chairman stated that "the re-arrangement will improve the balance and harmony in population distribution, create a lean apparatus of the political system, and promote civil servants and public employees' performance and sense of responsibility to better serve people and enterprises."
However, the reform has also faced criticism for its lack of transparency. International media outlets including BBC, RFA, RFI, and VOA have noted concerns about the speed of implementation and the limited public consultation. The Home Affairs Minister announced an August 30 deadline for the reforms, with new administrative units taking effect by September 1, 2025.