Hanoi City is a special provincial-level administrative unit.
After the 2025 administrative unit merger and arrangement, the size of the area and population of many localities have changed fundamentally, far exceeding the old classification standards. Therefore, the Government issued Decree No. 307/2025/ND-CP with new regulations on the classification of administrative units.
Type of administrative unit
According to the new regulations, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are special provincial-level administrative units; the remaining centrally-run cities are type I provincial-level administrative units.
Provinces are divided into three types: type I, type II and type III.
Communes are divided into three types: type I, type II and type III.
Wards and special zones are divided into four types: special type, type I, type II and type III.
4 criteria for classifying administrative units
The Decree stipulates that the classification of administrative units is carried out by the scoring method. The administrative unit classification score is the total score achieved for the administrative unit classification criteria, up to a maximum of 100 points, and priority points (if any). The score of each criterion is rounded to two decimal places.
Criteria for classifying administrative units include: Criteria on population size; criteria on natural area; criteria on socio-economic development conditions; and specific criteria.
The Decree clearly states that in case a criterion is achieved at a level that is eligible for additional points, the additional points will be calculated as a percentage of the difference compared to the level that is eligible for additional points for that criterion.
Wards and special zones are classified as special when they have a total score of 90 points or more (excluding priority points), have a large population and natural area, and meet the priority criteria according to regulations.
An administrative unit is classified as Type I when its total score is 75 points or more, except for wards and special zones that are classified as special.
An administrative unit is classified as type II when its total score is from 60 points to less than 75 points.
Administrative units scoring below 60 points are classified as category III.
Classification criteria and scoring method for administrative unit classification
The Decree clearly stipulates the classification criteria and how to calculate the classification score of administrative units of provinces, communes, wards and special zones.
Specifically for provincial administrative units, the Decree stipulates the classification criteria and how to calculate classification scores as follows:
1- Population size:
a) Provinces with 2,000,000 people or less are given 10 points; for provinces with over 2,000,000 people, for every additional 60,000 people, an additional 0.5 point is given, but not more than 25 points;
b) Mountainous provinces apply the 75% rate specified in point a.
2- Natural area from 8,000 km2 or less is counted as 10 points, over 8,000 km2 , for every additional 200 km2 , 0.5 points are counted, but not more than 25 points.
3- Conditions for socio-economic development:
a) The rate of regulating revenue divided into the central budget is 10% or less, which is calculated as 8 points; above 10%, each additional 1% is calculated as an additional 0.25 point, but not exceeding 10 points.
In case there is no ratio regulating the revenue divided to the central budget, if the local budget revenue enjoyed according to decentralization compared to the total local budget balance expenditure is 50% or less, 3 points will be counted; above 50%, for every additional 5%, 0.5 points will be counted, but not more than 8 points.
b) The proportion of industry, construction and services in the economic structure of 70% or less is counted as 1 point; above 70%, for every additional 5%, 0.5 point is counted, but not more than 3 points;
c) Economic growth rate of 7% or less is counted as 1 point; above 7%, every additional 0.5% is counted as 0.25 point, but not more than 3 points;
d) The non-agricultural labor rate of 60% or less is counted as 1 point; above 60%, for every additional 5%, 0.5 point is counted, but not more than 3 points;
d) The average labor productivity growth rate of the province from 5% or less is counted as 1 point; above 5%, for every additional 0.5%, the number of points is counted as 0.5, but not more than 3 points;
e) Per capita income from the national average level down is counted as 2 points; above the national average level, for every additional 5%, an additional 0.25 point is counted, but not more than 3 points;
g) The rate of the labor force of social insurance age below the national average rate is counted as 2 points; above the national average rate, for every additional 5%, 0.5 points are counted, but not more than 3 points;
h) The rate of poor households according to the multidimensional poverty standard from the national average level or higher is calculated as 2 points; below the national average level, for every 0.5% decrease, an additional 0.25 point is calculated, but not more than 3 points;
i) The rate of population using clean water that meets standards in the province from the national average level or higher is counted as 2 points; for every 1% above the national average, an additional 0.5 point is counted, but not more than 3 points;
k) Having a People's Satisfaction Index with the service of provincial-level state agencies in the year immediately preceding the reporting year in the list of the 10 highest provinces and centrally-run cities in the country announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs is counted as 3 points; being in the list of the next 10 provinces and cities is counted as 2 points; the remaining provinces are counted as 1 point.
l) The rate of administrative procedure records processed through online public services at the national average level or lower is counted as 2 points; above the national average, for every additional 2%, an additional 0.25 point is counted, but not more than 3 points.
4- Specific factors:
a) If 20% to 30% of the population are ethnic minorities, 1 point is counted; if over 30%, every additional 5% is counted, 0.25 point is counted, but not more than 2 points;
b) 10% to 20% of commune-level administrative units directly under the direct control of the national border on land are counted as 1 point; for more than 20%, for every additional 10%, 0.5 point is counted, but not more than 2 points.
c) Having a special national monument or a heritage recognized by UNESCO, being listed is counted as 1 point.
d) 80 commune-level administrative units or less are counted as 2 points; for every 5 additional commune-level administrative units, 0.25 points are counted as more, but not more than 5 points.
Authority to decide on administrative unit classification
The Decree clearly states that the Minister of Home Affairs decides to recognize the classification of provincial and ward-level administrative units and special-type special zones.
The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee decides to classify commune-level administrative units, except for the cases specified above.
The Decree takes effect from November 27, 2025.
Source: https://dangcongsan.org.vn/van-de-quan-tam/quy-dinh-moi-ve-tieu-chuan-phan-loai-don-vi-hanh-chinh.html
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