According to Conclusion 126, the Politburo assigned the Government Party Committee to take the lead, in coordination with the Central Organization Commission, the National Assembly Party Committee, and relevant Party committees and organizations, to study possible ways for continuing to reorganize and abolish the intermediate administrative level (district level).

696 district-level administrative units

After two phases of reorganization and merger of district-level administrative units (2019–2021 and 2023–2025), there are 696 district-level administrative units throughout the country. These include 2 cities under centrally governed cities (Thu Duc City in HCM City, and Thuy Nguyen City in Hai Phong City), 84 cities under provinces, 53 towns, 49 inner city districts and 508 rural districts.

Hanoi currently has the highest number of district-level administrative units (30), followed by Thanh Hoa (26), HCM City (22), Nghe An (20), Quang Nam and Gia Lai (17 each).

Four provinces and cities have 15 district-level administrative units, including Kien Giang, Long An, Hai Phong, and Dak Lak.

Three provinces have 13 district-level administrative units, including Phu Tho, Quang Ngai, and Quang Ninh.

Four provinces have 12 district-level administrative units, including Ha Tinh, Son La, Hai Duong, and Dong Thap.

Eight provinces have 11 district-level administrative units, including An Giang, Binh Dinh, Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai, Ha Giang, Lang Son, Soc Trang, and Tien Giang.

Nine provinces have 10 district-level administrative units, including Quang Tri, Kon Tum, Hung Yen, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Cao Bang, Binh Thuan, Bac Giang, and Lam Dong.

Fourteen provinces and cities have 9 district-level administrative units, including Ben Tre, Binh Duong, Ca Mau, Can Tho, Khanh Hoa, Lao Cai, Phu Yen, Tay Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Thua Thien Hue, Tra Vinh, Vinh Phuc, Yen Bai, and Nam Dinh.

Nine provinces and cities have 8 district-level administrative units, including Vinh Long, Thai Binh, Quang Binh, Lai Chau, Hau Giang, Dak Nong, Da Nang, Bac Ninh, and Bac Kan.

Five provinces have 7 district-level administrative units, Bac Lieu, Ninh Thuan, Tuyen Quang, Ba Ria–Vung Tau, and Ninh Binh.

Ha Nam has the fewest district-level administrative units, with 6.

No district boundaries

Noting that abolishing district-level administrative units is inevitable, former Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Tien Dinh said that under the Politburo’s instruction, Vietnam’s administrative system might eventually consist of only three levels (central, provincial, and commune) instead of the current four.

“This is also a common practice in many countries worldwide, as most of them follow a three-level administrative model,” Mr. Dinh stressed.

The former Deputy Minister of Home Affairs noted that the district level currently serves as an intermediary and has several limitations. Currently, under the four-level system, the central level is responsible for policy making and legal framework design, while the provincial level, besides implementing Party guidelines and state laws, also makes decisions on many local governance matters.

As such, the district level merely acts as an intermediary to pass directives to lower-level agencies, while the commune level directly implements policies and instructions.

According to Dinh, the current model, with one intermediate level, poses certain problems. The implementation of policies through the district level may experience delays due to the additional level.

“Sometimes, it’s not just delays but also obstacles. If the district level fails to implement or implements incorrectly, this may slow down or hinder the policy execution. Therefore, eliminating this intermediate level would ensure a direct flow down to the commune level,” the former Deputy Minister said.

Professor Tran Ngoc Duong, a member of the Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, argued that abolishing the district level would bring many benefits.

Specifically, removing the district level would create a broader space for economic and social development, unrestricted by the boundaries of specific districts or wards, fostering a larger environment to attract potential and resources for growth.

“This is a significant advantage in the context of increasingly expansive economic integration. There would no longer be barriers created by district or ward boundaries,” Duong stressed.

Moreover, abolishing the district level would create favorable conditions to attract greater provincial resources to support projects at the commune or ward level.

Reducing this intermediate tier would also help save money for the state budget, as the operational costs of district-level administrations are currently substantial.

However, Duong said to implement the policy of abolishing district-level administrative units, several conditions must be prepared, from funding and organizational structure to the capacity and qualifications of commune-level cadres and civil servants.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed integrating commune-, district-, and province-level civil servants, which means there would be no distinction between commune-level and provincial-level civil servants. They would all be considered civil servants within the state administrative system.

Thu Hang