period 1975 - 1997
After April 30, 1975, Saigon citadel, Gia Dinh province and Cu Chi and Phu Hoa districts were merged into an administrative unit called Saigon City - Gia Dinh.
Saigon City - Gia Dinh has 18 districts (First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fourth, Fourth, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Chin, Muoi Mot, Binh Hoa, Thanh My Tay, Hanh Thong, Thong Tay Hoi, Phu Nhuan, Tan Son Nhi, Tan Son Hoa) and 5 districts (Cu Chi, Binh Chanh, Hoc Mon, Nha Be, Thu Duc).
On May 20, 1976, the administrative organization of Saigon City - Gia Dinh was reorganized for the second time, 18 inner-city districts were reorganized into 12 districts (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan, Go Vap, Tan Binh) and kept 5 districts unchanged.
On July 2, 1976, at the first session of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, term VI, a Resolution was issued to rename Saigon City - Gia Dinh City to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).
On September 18, 1976, the Government Council issued Decree No. 164/CP to establish Con Son district in Ho Chi Minh City. However, due to geographical distance and to facilitate work management in the new situation, Ho Chi Minh City proposed to hand over Con Son district to Hau Giang province. Con Son district was later renamed Con Dao and came under Hau Giang province from January 15, 1977. (until 1991, Con Dao became a district of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province).
On December 29, 1978, according to the Resolution of the National Assembly, Duyen Hai district of Dong Nai province was merged into Ho Chi Minh City. On December 18, 1991, Duyen Hai district changed its name to Can Gio district.
On January 6, 1997, the Government issued Decree No. 3-CP on the establishment of Thu Duc District, District 2, District 9 (from the dissolution of Thu Duc District), District 7 (from 5 communes and part of Nha Be Town in Nha Be District) and District 12 (from 5 communes and part of 2 other communes in Hoc Mon District).
At this time, Ho Chi Minh City has 17 districts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Thu Duc and 5 districts: Cu Chi, Binh Chanh, Hoc Mon, Nha Be and Can Gio.
Phase 1997 - 2018
On November 5, 2003, Binh Tan District was established on the basis of the entire area and population of An Lac Town and 3 communes of Binh Hung Hoa, Binh Tri Dong, Tan Tao in Binh Chanh District.
Tan Phu District was established on the basis of the entire area and population of wards 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, part of the area and population of wards 14, 15 in Tan Binh District.
As of 2019, Ho Chi Minh City has 19 districts and 5 towns, 259 wards, 58 communes and 5 towns.
From 2019 to present
On December 9, 2020, the National Assembly Standing Committee passed Resolution 1111 to establish Thu Duc City, under Ho Chi Minh City, on the basis of merging District 2, District 9 and Thu Duc District.
Resolution 1111 also allows the merger of 19 wards of districts 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, Phu Nhuan into 9 wards.
From January 1, 2021, Ho Chi Minh City will have Thu Duc City, 16 districts and 5 towns, 249 wards, 58 communes and 5 towns.
On November 14, 2024, the National Assembly Standing Committee issued Resolution 1278 on the arrangement of commune-level administrative units of Ho Chi Minh City for the period 2023 - 2025.
Ho Chi Minh City rearranges 80 wards of districts 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, Binh Thanh, Go Vap and Phu Nhuan, reducing them to 41 wards. The wards after the arrangement will officially come into operation from January 1, 2025.
