Provinces of Vietnam

Provinces and municipalities of Vietnam
Tỉnh và thành phố trực thuộc trung ương Việt Nam (Vietnamese)
CategoryUnitary state
LocationVietnam
Created
  • 2 July 1976
Number28 provinces
6 municipalities (as of 2025)
Populations512,601 (Lai Châu) –14,002,598 (Ho Chi Minh City)
Areas2,514.81 km2 (970.97 sq mi) (Hưng Yên) – 24,233.07 km2 (9,356.44 sq mi) (Lâm Đồng)
Subdivisions
  • Commune

Vietnam is divided into 34 first-level subdivisions, comprising 28 provinces and six municipalities under the command of the central government.

List and statistics

By the end of 2024, the population of Vietnam was 101,343,800.[1] The most populous top-level administrative unit is Hồ Chí Minh City, one of the six centrally governed cities, having 14,002,598 people living within its official boundary. The second most populous administrative unit is Hà Nội with 8,807,523 people. The least populous is Lai Châu, a mountainous province in the northwest with 512,601 people. In land area, the largest province is Lâm Đồng with 24,233.09 km2, the smallest is Hưng Yên (2,514.81 km2), located in the Red River Delta region.

The following is a table of Vietnam's provinces broken down by population and area.[2] Municipalities are written in bold.

Province/city Number
on map 		Administrative
center 		Area (in km2)
 Population
[2] 		Density (/km2) Administrative divisions Region
Communes Wards Special
administrative
regions
Cao Bằng province 10 Thục Phán ward 6,700.39 573,119 85 53 3 0 Northeast
Lạng Sơn province 11 Lương Văn Tri ward 8,310.18 881,384 106 61 4 0
Phú Thọ province 15 Việt Trì ward 9,361.38 4,022,638 429 133 15 0
Quảng Ninh province 17 Hạ Long ward 6,207.95 1,497,477 241 22 30 2
Thái Nguyên province 13 Phan Đình Phùng ward 8,375.21 1,799,489 214 76 15 0
Tuyên Quang province 12 Minh Xuân ward 13,795.50 1,865,270 135 177 7 0
Lào Cai province 9 Yên Bái ward 13,256.92 1,778,785 134 89 10 0 Northwest
Điện Biên province 7 Điện Biên Phủ ward 9,539.93 673,091 70 42 3 0
Lai Châu province 8 Tân Phong ward 9,068.73 512,601 56 36 2 0
Sơn La province 14 Chiềng Cơi ward 14,108.89 1,404,587 99 67 8 0
Bắc Ninh province 16 Tân Tiến ward 3,194.72 3,619,433 1,132 66 33 0 Red River Delta
Hưng Yên province 18 Phố Hiến ward 2,514.81 3,567,943 1,418 93 11 0
Ninh Bình province 19 Hoa Lư ward 3,942.62 4,412,464 1,119 97 32 0
Hanoi 1 Hoàn Kiếm ward 3,359.84 8,807,523 2,621 75 51 0
Haiphong 3 Hồng Bàng ward 3,194.72 4,664,124 1,459 67 45 2
Hà Tĩnh province 22 Thành Sen ward 5,994.45 1,622,901 270 60 9 0 North Central
Nghệ An province 21 Trường Vinh ward 16,486.50 3,831,694 232 119 11 0
Quảng Trị province 23 Đồng Hới ward 12,700 1,870,845 147 69 8 1
Thanh Hóa province 20 Hạc Thành ward 11,114.71 4,324,783 389 147 19 0
Huế 6 Thuận Hóa ward 4,947.11 1,432,986 289 19 21 0
Đắk Lắk province 26 Buôn Ma Thuột ward 18,096.40 3,346,853 184 88 14 0 South Central Coast
and
Central Highlands
Gia Lai province 25 Quy Nhon ward 21,576.93 3,583,693 166 110 25 0
Lâm Đồng province 28 Xuân Hương – Đà Lạt ward 24,233.07 3,872,999 159 103 20 1
Khánh Hòa province 27 Nha Trang ward 8,555.86 2,243,554 262 48 16 1
Quảng Ngãi province 24 Cẩm Thành ward 14,832.55 2,161,755 145 86 9 1
Da Nang 4 Hải Châu ward 11,859.59 3,065,628 258 70 23 1
Đồng Nai province 30 Trấn Biên ward 12,737.18 4,491,408 352 72 23 0 Southeast
Tây Ninh province 29 Long An ward 8,536.44 3,254,170 381 82 14 0
Ho Chi Minh City 2 Saigon ward 6,772.59 14,002,598 2,067 54 113 1
An Giang province 32 Rạch Giá ward 9,888.91 4,952,238 500 85 14 3 Mekong Delta
Cà Mau province 34 Tân Thành ward 7,942.39 2,606,672 328 55 9 0
Đồng Tháp province 31 Mỹ Tho ward 5,938.64 4,370,046 735 82 20 0
Vĩnh Long province 33 Long Châu ward 6,296.20 4,257,581 676 105 19 0
Cần Thơ 5 Ninh Kiều ward 6,360.83 4,199,824 660 72 31 0
See also: Postal codes in Vietnam

Regions

Main article: Regions of Vietnam
See also: Subdivisions of Vietnam

The provinces of Vietnam are sometimes divided into seven regions (sometimes Northeast and Northwest regions are merged into Northern midlands and mountainous region), which are grouped into three macro-regions: Northern, Central and Southern. These regions are not always used, and alternative classifications are possible. The regions include:

Regions of Vietnam
Macro-region Region provinces
included 		Area
(km2) 		Population
[2] 		Population
density
(people /km2) 		Notes
Northern Vietnam
(Bắc Bộ) 		Northwest
(Tây Bắc Bộ) 		45,974.47 4,369,064 95 Contains inland provinces in the west of Vietnam's northern region. Two of them are along Vietnam's border with Laos, and three border China (Điện Biên borders both China and Laos).
Northeast
(Đông Bắc Bộ) 		52,750.61 10,639,377 201 Contains most of the mountainous provinces that lie to north of the highly populated Red River lowlands. Four of them are along Vietnam's border with China.
Red River Delta
(Đồng bằng sông Hồng) 		16,206.71 25,071,487 1,546 Contains the small but populous provinces along the mouth of the Red River. The Red River Delta has the smallest area but highest population and population density of all regions. It is also the only region without any land borders with neighbouring countries.
Central Vietnam
(Trung Bộ) 		North Central
(Bắc Trung Bộ) 		51,242.77 11,212,364 218 Contains the coastal provinces in the northern half of Vietnam's narrow central part. They all stretch from the coast in the east to Laos in the west.
South Central Coast
and Central Highlands
(Duyên Hải Nam Trung Bộ và Tây Nguyên) 		99,154.4 18,274,482 184 Contains the coastal and mountainous provinces in the southern half of Vietnam's central part. There are a significant number of ethnic minorities in the region. Two provinces are along Vietnam's border with Laos, and four border Cambodia (Quảng Ngãi borders both Laos and Cambodia).
Southern Vietnam
(Nam Bộ) 		Southeast
(Đông Nam Bộ) 		28,046.21 21,748,176 775 Contains those parts of lowland southern Vietnam which are north of the Mekong delta. Two provinces border Cambodia.
Mekong River Delta
(Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long) 		36,426.97 20,386,361 559 Vietnam's southernmost region, mostly containing small but populous provinces in the delta of the Mekong. It is sometimes referred to as the Southwest region (Tây Nam Bộ). Two provinces border Cambodia.

^† Municipality (thành phố trực thuộc trung ương)

Historical provinces

  • Ái Châu – existed during the third Chinese domination.
  • An Xuyên – existed from 1956 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu – existed from 1991 until merged with Ho Chi Minh City in 2025.
  • Bạc Liêu – existed from 1997 until merged with Cà Mau province in 2025.
  • Bắc Giang – existed from 1997 until merged with Bắc Ninh province in 2025.
  • Bắc Kạn – existed from 1997 until merged with Thái Nguyên province in 2025.
  • Bắc Thái – administrative grouping of Bắc Kạn and Thái Nguyên provinces between 1965 and 1996.
  • Bến Tre – existed from 1976 until merged with Vĩnh Long province in 2025.
  • Biên Hòa – existed from 1832 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Bình Dương – existed from 1997 until merged with Hồ Chí Minh City province in 2025.
  • Bình Định – existed from 1989 until merged with Gia Lai province in 2025.
  • Bình Phước – existed from 1997 until merged with Đồng Nai province in 2025.
  • Bình Thuận – existed from 1991 until merged with Lâm Đồng province in 2025.
  • Bình Trị Thiên – administrative grouping of Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên – Huế provinces between 1976 and 1992.
  • Bình Tuy – existed from 1956 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Chợ Lớn – existed from 1900 until 1957.
  • Chương Thiện – existed from 1961 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Cửu Long – administrative grouping of Vĩnh Long and Vĩnh Bình provinces between 1976 and 1992.
  • Đắk Nông – existed from 2004 until merged with Lâm Đồng province in 2025.
  • Định Tường – existed from 1832 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Gia Định – existed from 1832, became Hồ Chí Minh City following the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Gia Lai – Kon Tum – administrative grouping of Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces between 1975 and 1991.
  • Gò Công – existed from 1900 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Hà Bắc – administrative grouping of Bắc Giang and Bắc Ninh provinces between 1962 and 1996.
  • Hà Đông – existed from 1904 until 1965.
  • Hà Giang – existed from 1991 until merged with Tuyên Quang province in 2025.
  • Hà Nam – existed from 1991 until merged with Ninh Bình province in 2025.
  • Hà Nam Ninh – administrative grouping of Hà Nam, Nam Định and Ninh Bình provinces between 1975 and 1991.
  • Hà Sơn Bình – administrative grouping of Hà Tây (old) and Hòa Bình provinces between 1975 and 1991.
  • Hà Tây – existed from 1965 to 1975 and 1991 until 2008, when it was merged into Hà Nội.
  • Hà Tuyên – administrative grouping of Hà Giang and Tuyên Quang provinces between 1975 and 1991.
  • Hải Hưng – administrative grouping of Hải Dương and Hưng Yên provinces between 1968 and 1996.
  • Hải Dương – existed from 1997 until merged with Haiphong city in 2025.
  • Hậu Giang – existed from 2004 until merged with Cần Thơ city in 2025.
  • Hậu Nghĩa – existed from 1963 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Hòa Bình – existed from 1991 until merged with Phú Thọ province in 2025.
  • Hoàng Liên Sơn – administrative grouping of Lào Cai and Yên Bái provinces between 1975 and 1991.
  • Hưng Hóa – existed from 1831 until 1903.
  • Kiên Giang – existed from 1976 until merged with An Giang province in 2025.
  • Kiến An – existed from 1888 until merged with Hải Phòng City in 1962.
  • Kon Tum – existed from 1991 until merged with Quảng Ngãi province in 2025.
  • Long An – existed from 1976 until merged with Tây Ninh province in 2025.
  • Long Khánh – existed from 1956, became Đồng Nai province following the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Minh Hải – administrative grouping of Cà Mau and Bạc Liêu provinces between 1976 and 1996.
  • Nam Định – existed from 1991 until merged with Ninh Bình province in 2025.
  • Nghệ Tĩnh – administrative grouping of Nghệ An and Hà Tĩnh provinces between 1976 and 1991.
  • Nghĩa Bình – administrative grouping of Quảng Ngãi and Bình Định provinces between 1975 and 1989.
  • Ninh Thuận – existed from 1992 until merged with Khánh Hòa province in 2025.
  • Phú Bổn – in 1962 split from Pleiku province until 1976.
  • Phú Khánh – administrative grouping of Phú Yên and Khánh Hòa provinces between 1975 and 1989.
  • Phú Yên – existed from 1989 until merged with Đắk Lắk province in 2025.
  • Phúc Yên – existed from 1904 until merged with Vĩnh Yên in 1950.
  • Phước Long – existed from 1956 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Phước Thành – existed from 1959 until 1965.
  • Phước Tuy – existed from 1956 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Quảng Bình – existed from 1989 until merged with Quảng Trị province in 2025.
  • Quảng Đức – existed from 1959 until 1976.
  • Quảng Nam – existed from 1997 until merged with Đà Nẵng city in 2025.
  • Quảng Nam–Đà Nẵng/Quảng Đà – administrative grouping of Quảng Nam provinces and Đà Nẵng city, between 1975 and 1996.
  • Quảng Tín – existed from 1962 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Sa Đéc – existed from 1900 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Sóc Trăng – existed from 1991 until merged with Cần Thơ city in 2025.
  • Sông Bé – administrative grouping of Bình Dương and Bình Phước provinces between 1976 and 1997.
  • Tân An – existed from 1900 until 1956.
  • Thái Bình – existed from 1890 until merged with Hưng Yên province in 2025.
  • Thừa Thiên Huế, the southernmost province of Vietnam's North Central Coast region, existed until 2025 of which the whole province is now direct-controlled as a municipality.
  • Thuận Hải – administrative grouping of Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận provinces between 1975 and 1991.
  • Tiền Giang – existed from 1976 until merged with Đồng Tháp province in 2025.
  • Trà Vinh – existed from 1992 until merged with Vĩnh Long province in 2025.
  • Tuyên Đức – existed from 1958 until 1976.
  • Vĩnh Bình – existed from 1956 until the Vietnamese reunification of 1976.
  • Vĩnh Phú – administrative grouping of Vĩnh Phúc and Phú Thọ provinces between 1968 and 1996.
  • Vĩnh Phúc – existed from 1997 until merged with Phú Thọ province in 2025.
  • Yên Bái – existed from 1991 until merged with Lào Cai province in 2025.

See also

References

  1. ^ "SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION IN THE FOURTH QUARTER AND 2024". www.gso.gov.vn. General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO). 6 January 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Nghị quyết số 202/2025/QH15 về việc sắp xếp đơn vị hành chính cấp tỉnh". Cổng thông tin điện tử Quốc hội Việt Nam. Archived from the original on 12 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
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