Are provinces with small areas and few populations in the "target" for merger?

Resolution No. 1211/2016 of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on standards of administrative units and classification of administrative units, amended and supplemented by Resolution 27/2022 of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, clearly stipulates the standards of provincial-level administrative units.

Mountainous and highland provinces have a population standard of 900,000 or more and a natural area of 8,000 square kilometers or more. The remaining provinces have a population standard of 1.4 million or more and a natural area of 5,000 square kilometers or more.

The number of district-level administrative units under a province must be 9 or more, including at least one city or one town.

Based on this criterion, many provinces and cities currently do not meet the standards in terms of population size or natural area; many provinces do not meet both criteria.

Bac Ninh province has the smallest area in Vietnam with 822.70km2 but a population of nearly 1.5 million people, ranking 22nd in Vietnam's population rankings (Photo: Kinh Bac People).

In fact, since 2021, when the Ministry of Home Affairs drafted a resolution on administrative unit standards, the 20 provinces and cities with the smallest area and smallest population in Vietnam, which do not meet the above criteria, have been "targeted" for discussion and research on merger options.

Those 20 provinces include Bac Kan, Lai Chau, Cao Bang, Lao Cai, Dien Bien, Quang Tri, Kon Tum, Dak Nong, Ninh Thuan, Hau Giang (population lower than standard); Bac Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Hung Yen, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Ninh Binh, Da Nang City, Can Tho City, Vinh Long (area smaller than standard).

The latest data from the General Statistics Office shows that Vietnam has an area of 331,690 km2, ranking 65th in the world. Of which, Nghe An province has the largest area with 16,493.70 km2, followed by Gia Lai province (15,510.80 km2), Son La (14,123.50 km2), Dak Lak (13,030.50 km2) and Thanh Hoa (11,114.70 km2).

Bac Ninh province has the smallest area with 822.70km2; followed by Ha Nam province (860.90km2), Hung Yen (930.20km2), Vinh Phuc (1,235.20km2), Da Nang (1,284.90km2)...

However, Bac Ninh is not the province with the lowest population in Vietnam. Statistics in 2022 show that this province has a population of nearly 1.5 million people, ranking 22nd in the Vietnam population rankings.

Bac Ninh is also a dynamic province with a high economic growth rate. According to the planning approved by the Prime Minister, by 2030 this province strives to have 4 cities: Bac Ninh, Tu Son, Tien Du, Yen Phong (currently there are 2 cities: Bac Ninh and Tu Son).

Administrative map of Bac Ninh province, the smallest locality in Vietnam. Bac Ninh borders Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang provinces and Hanoi. (Photo: Bac Ninh Portal).

If we do a broader survey, we will see that many provinces have a population below the minimum requirement for a provincial administrative unit of 900,000 people, including: Cao Bang, Lai Chau, Bac Kan, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Hoa Binh, Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Ha Nam, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Phu Yen, Dak Nong, Kon Tum, Ninh Thuan, Hau Giang.

Provinces with an area below the minimum prescribed level for a provincial-level administrative unit (5,000km2) include: Hoa Binh, Phu Tho, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Ha Nam, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Vinh Phuc, Ninh Binh, Quang Tri, Ninh Thuan, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, An Giang, Bac Lieu, Ben Tre, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, Long An, Soc Trang, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long.

20 provinces with the smallest area in Vietnam, unit km2 (Source: Statistics).

There are 13 provinces that do not meet both criteria on area and population according to the above-mentioned administrative unit standards, including: Vinh Phuc, Hung Yen, Ha Nam, Ninh Binh, Quang Tri, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Tay Ninh, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Hau Giang.

In addition, some provinces do not meet the requirement of having 9 or more district-level administrative units, such as: Lai Chau, Tuyen Quang, Bac Kan, Bac Ninh, Ha Nam, Thai Binh, Quang Binh, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ninh Thuan, Dak Nong, Bac Lieu, Hau Giang, Vinh Long...

20 localities with the lowest population today (Source: Statistics).

Speaking to Dan Tri reporter, Mr. Nguyen Tien Dinh, former Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, said that the study of merging adjacent provinces will have to consider the criteria on population and area first according to regulations.

After that, according to Mr. Dinh, other factors such as cultural traditions, natural conditions, customs, etc. will be considered, as was done when arranging and merging districts.

"I think that the research on merging at the provincial level must be done synchronously and immediately, because if we proceed to eliminate the district level, we must also do it at the provincial level, otherwise it will not be consistent, unified, or synchronous," Mr. Dinh stated his opinion.

Professor Tran Ngoc Duong, former Deputy Head of the National Assembly Office, emphasized that the study of eliminating district level and merging provinces is consistent with the development model in the world.

Developed countries in the world mainly organize local government according to a two-level model: provincial level and commune level. Intermediate government (district level) is brought by the provincial government to a certain area or region belonging to a few communes and wards for representation.

Vietnam currently has 63 provinces and cities (57 provinces and 6 centrally-run cities: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Can Tho and Hue).

By the end of 2024, according to the report of the Ministry of Home Affairs, after the arrangement, the number of district-level units nationwide has decreased from 705 units to 696 units (a decrease of 9 units).

Conclusion No. 126 on some contents of continuing to arrange and streamline the organization of the political system in 2025, which has just been signed and issued by the Standing Secretary of the Secretariat Tran Cam Tu, stated that the Politburo and the Secretariat require agencies to propose policies to amend and supplement legal regulations and Party regulations related to provincial mergers, and report to the Politburo in the third quarter of this year.

Graphics: Thuy Tien