Ministry of Home Affairs proposes new regulations on administrative unit classification

Big changes after the arrangement

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, after the merger and rearrangement of administrative units (ADUs), the country has 34 provincial-level ADUs (6 cities and 28 provinces) and 3,321 commune-level ADUs (2,621 communes, 687 wards, 13 special zones). The number and scale of provincial-level ADUs and commune-level ADUs have fluctuated significantly compared to before the rearrangement (before June 2025).

At the provincial level, 29 provincial administrative units have been reduced. The average natural area of ​​each province and city is 9,743 km², an increase of 85.3% compared to before.

Lam Dong province currently has the largest area in the country with 24,243.13 km². The average population size at the provincial level also increased by 85.3%, reaching more than 3.3 million people.

Ho Chi Minh City is the locality with the largest population, with more than 14.6 million people, an increase of nearly 4.7 million compared to before the arrangement. In addition, the formation of "special economic zones" is a completely new type of administrative unit, outside the scope of Resolution No. 1211/2016/UBTVQH13.

These changes make the system of criteria, scales and classification thresholds according to Resolution 1211 no longer suitable. If continued to be applied, it will distort the assessment of the position, role and development level of each locality, directly affecting policy making and resource allocation and organization of the government apparatus.

Affirming the urgency, the Ministry of Home Affairs emphasized that the new decree will be an important legal corridor for localities to classify administrative units, thereby planning socio-economic development policies, attracting investment, improving the quality and living conditions in administrative units and building the organizational apparatus, regimes and policies for local government officials and civil servants suitable for each type of administrative unit.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are special administrative units.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said that the draft decree basically inherits the system of administrative unit types that has been built and applied stably for a long time. Accordingly, except for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which are special administrative units defined in the Law on Organization of Local Government, the remaining administrative units are classified into 3 types (type I, type II, type III), implemented by the scoring method (under 60 points to achieve type III, from 60 to 75 points to achieve type II, over 75 points to achieve type I). However, the content of urban classification for each type of administrative unit is adjusted to suit the viewpoint, principles and practical context.

Specifically, for centrally-run cities: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are special administrative units, centrally-run cities are type I administrative units. Cities such as Hue, Hai Phong, Da Nang, and Can Tho have fully met the highest criteria regarding population, area, socio-economics, infrastructure, finance, and governance. The regulation that these cities are naturally type I ensures stability, transparency, and reduces procedures, while creating a legal basis for specific policies appropriate to the role of these cities.

For provinces, the draft decree stipulates that provinces are divided into 3 types (types I, II, III) based on the total score of 5 groups of standards, specifically: Population size standard: maximum 20 points, minimum 10 points; natural area standard: maximum 20 points, minimum 10 points; number of affiliated administrative units standard: maximum 10 points, minimum 6 points; socio-economic conditions standard (including 11 component criteria): maximum 40 points, minimum 18 points; specific factor standard: maximum 10 points, minimum 0 points.

In which, the component criteria include: State budget revenue and expenditure balance; proportion of industry, construction and services; economic growth rate; non-agricultural labor rate; labor productivity growth rate; average income per capita; social insurance participation rate; poverty rate according to multidimensional poverty standards; rural population rate using clean water meeting standards; household rate with Internet connection; administrative procedure records processed through online public services.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the addition of “dynamic” indicators helps to classify not only population size and area but also assess management capacity, digital transformation, and administrative reform - factors that increasingly determine the quality of local development.

For communes, the draft decree stipulates that communes are divided into 3 types (types I, II, III) based on the total score of 4 groups of standards, specifically: Population size standard: maximum 25 points, minimum 15 points; natural area standard: maximum 25 points, minimum 15 points; socio-economic conditions standard (including 7 component criteria): maximum 40 points, minimum 21 points; specific factor standard: maximum 10 points, minimum 0 points.

For wards, the draft decree stipulates that wards are divided into 3 types (types I, II, III) based on the total score of 4 groups of standards similar to those for communes, but with adjustments to the maximum and minimum levels of each criterion and standard to suit the specific characteristics of population size, natural area and socio-economic development level of the ward.

For special zones, the draft decree stipulates that for special zones classified as urban areas, the ward classification standards will apply, and for other cases, the commune classification standards will apply; at the same time, it stipulates that the score for the special factor of the special zone is 10 points (maximum).

In addition, the draft decree stipulates priority points for administrative units with outstanding scale (provinces and communes with natural areas of 300% or more of the prescribed standards; wards with population sizes of 300% or more of the prescribed standards); administrative units in particularly difficult areas or administrative units identified as having a central position and role in the socio-economic development of the province/city or inter-commune and ward areas. The provision of priority points (maximum 10 points) is a mechanism to ensure that administrative units with outstanding and important characteristics are given attention and allocated resources for investment, development and management.