In recent years, the arrangement of villages, hamlets, villages, hamlets, residential groups... nationwide has achieved important results, the number of villages and residential groups has gradually decreased; many villages and residential groups have met the criteria for household size according to current regulations.
However, up to now, there are still many villages and residential groups that do not meet the criteria according to regulations. After implementing the arrangement of provincial-level and commune-level administrative units in 2025, the average number of villages and residential groups per commune-level administrative unit has increased significantly, creating great management pressure on local authorities at the grassroots level.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the arrangement of villages and residential groups in the past time has achieved important results, reducing from 136,824 units in 2015 to 89,574 in 2025 (a decrease of 47,250 villages and residential groups, equivalent to 34.53%).
Statistics show that there are 21,199 villages concentrated in the northern mountainous region with less than 150 households. Meanwhile, in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, there are many large-scale residential groups, over 1,000 households.
In Directive No. 21/CT-TTg dated May 20, 2026, the Prime Minister requested the People's Committees of provinces and cities to urgently organize a review of all villages and residential groups in the area; develop an overall plan to arrange and reorganize villages and residential groups, and report to the Party committees at the same level before promulgation; complete before June 10, 2026.
Direct the commune-level People's Committee to develop a project to arrange villages and residential groups; organize to collect people's opinions in accordance with the law and submit the project to the commune-level People's Council for approval to ensure publicity, transparency and create consensus in the implementation process; complete before June 30, 2026.
In Hai Phong City, this locality currently has 114 communes, wards, and special zones with more than 3,000 villages and residential groups. Hai Phong City People's Committee has assigned the People's Committees of communes, wards, and special zones to study and contribute opinions to the draft Decree on the organization of activities of villages and residential groups and regimes and policies for non-specialized workers in villages and residential groups.
Based on the criteria of villages and residential groups specified in the draft decree, the City People's Committee requests the People's Committees of communes, wards, and special zones to review and report on the scale and number of households in the area, and send it to the Department of Home Affairs.
Hai Phong City People's Committee requests the People's Committees of communes, wards, and special zones to base on the regulations in the draft decree, propose plans for arranging villages and residential groups in the area, and send them to the Department of Home Affairs no later than May 23.
In Da Nang, the City Department of Home Affairs has also issued a plan to implement the arrangement and consolidation of the organization and operation of villages and residential groups in the area. Accordingly, in May 2026, the city will focus on completing the preparation and building a framework plan.
Before May 26, the Department of Home Affairs of Da Nang City will complete the draft model project and overall project; summarize expected plans from communes and wards associated with reports on the current status of community activity houses. The entire project and submission will be submitted to the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee for consideration and approval immediately in May.
It is expected that before June 30, Da Nang will complete the construction of a map simulating the boundaries of villages and residential groups before and after the merger in all 93 communes and wards on the existing map.
Similarly, localities such as Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Lam Dong, Da Nang, Lang Son, Nghe An... urgently review and prepare good conditions for deploying the arrangement of villages, hamlets, and residential groups.
