According to statistics from the Ministry of Home Affairs, there are currently 89,574 villages and residential groups nationwide. This is the figure obtained after reducing 47,250 villages and residential groups in 10 years of implementing Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW and current legal regulations.
After implementing the arrangement of provincial and commune-level units in 2025, the average number of villages and residential groups per commune-level unit has increased significantly. From about 9 villages and residential groups/1 commune level to about 27 villages and residential groups/1 commune level (3 times). This increases the number of focal points, creating great management pressure on the commune-level government.
The implementation of arranging villages and residential groups in accordance with the 2-level local government model is a step to consolidate the organization of the political system at the grassroots level. The arrangement will be completed before June 30th. Below are some important milestones for arranging and reorganizing villages and residential groups:
Before May 25, the Ministry of Public Security coordinated with the Ministry of Home Affairs and localities to guide the review, consolidation, and arrangement of forces to participate in protecting security and order at the grassroots level in accordance with the arrangement of villages and residential groups.
Before May 26, the Ministry of Home Affairs advised the Government to issue a Decree regulating the organization and operation of villages and residential groups and some regimes and policies for non-specialized workers in villages and residential groups.
Before June 10, the People's Committees of provinces and cities review all villages and residential groups in the area; develop a master plan for arranging and reorganizing villages and residential groups; report to the Party committees at the same level before promulgation.
Before June 30, the People's Committees of provinces and cities direct the People's Committees of communes to develop a project to arrange villages and residential groups; organize to collect people's opinions in accordance with the law; submit the project to the People's Council of communes for approval to ensure publicity, transparency and create consensus in the implementation process.
Currently, the Ministry of Justice is appraising the draft Decree regulating the organization and operation of villages and residential groups and regimes and policies for non-specialized workers in villages and residential groups. The Ministry of Home Affairs is the agency in charge of drafting the Decree.
Regarding the principles of establishing, arranging, reorganizing, dissolving and naming, renaming villages and residential groups, the draft decree basically inherits current regulations, and at the same time amends and supplements principles to suit the 2-level local government organization model and management requirements of commune-level governments.
Accordingly, the establishment, arrangement, reorganization, dissolution and naming, renaming of villages and residential groups must ensure compliance with the provisions of law, democracy, publicity, transparency; in accordance with natural conditions, socio-economics, population characteristics, customs, habits and aspirations of the residential community.
The draft clearly states that the arrangement and reorganization of villages and residential groups that do not meet the criteria to streamline focal points and improve the operational efficiency of grassroots governments.
Regarding the criteria for establishing villages and residential groups, the draft decree specifically stipulates the criteria for the scale of households for villages and residential groups according to each region.
This scale is built on the basis of reviewing current regulations, assessing the level of population concentration and management requirements after implementing the arrangement of administrative units and local government organizations at 2 levels.
This is a unified basis for localities to implement the arrangement and reorganization of villages and residential groups throughout the country.
