The scale of villages and residential groups still has many disparities
According to statistics from the Ministry of Home Affairs, by 2025, there will be 89,574 villages and residential groups nationwide. This is the result after the arrangement process, reducing 47,250 units in 10 years of implementing Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW and current regulations.
However, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that in reality, the scale of villages and residential groups between regions is still very different. Currently, there are 21,199 villages in the northern mountainous region with fewer than 150 households, while in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, many residential groups have over 1,000 households.
Previously, the national average was about 9 villages/communes, but after the provincial and commune-level arrangement in 2025, this number increased to about 27 villages and residential groups/commune. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, this increases management focal points and creates great pressure on commune-level authorities, while current regulations are not really suitable for new practices.
In Directive No. 21/CT-TTg dated May 20, 2026, the Prime Minister requested the People's Committees of provinces and cities to review all villages and residential groups in the area; develop a master plan for arrangement and reorganization and complete it before June 10, 2026. Commune-level People's Committees must develop specific projects, organize to collect people's opinions, and submit them to the Commune-level People's Council for approval before June 30, 2026 to ensure publicity, transparency and create consensus in the implementation process.
In Hai Phong, the locality currently has more than 3,000 villages and residential groups belonging to 114 communes, wards, and special zones. The City People's Committee has requested localities to review the population size, develop arrangement plans and send them to the Department of Home Affairs no later than May 23.
Communes, wards, and special zones in Hai Phong are also assigned to study and contribute opinions to the draft decree regulating the organization and operation of villages and residential groups and policies for non-specialized workers.
Encourage the team of full-time officials to feel secure in their work
At the age of 53, Mr. Pham Van Hoa - Secretary of the Party Cell cum Head of Phu My residential group (Chuong My ward, Hanoi) - has been attached to work in the residential area for nearly 15 years. According to Mr. Hoa, residential group officials currently not only perform administrative tasks but also directly solve many daily problems arising in the area.
Working at the grassroots level, the phone must always be on 24/24, whenever there is work in the area or people need it, I must be present immediately, regardless of time. Income is called a allowance, but responsibility must always be placed at the highest level" - Mr. Hoa shared.
Currently, the total allowance for the two positions of Secretary of the Party Cell and Head of the residential group of Mr. Hoa is about 7.5 million VND/month. According to him, as the scale of the area is increasing, grassroots officials also hope for a more appropriate mechanism to be assured of long-term commitment.
According to the draft Decree regulating the organization and operation of villages and residential groups being consulted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the criteria for household size will be regulated by region. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, villages must have 500 households or more, residential groups from 700 households or more. In the Red River Delta region, the minimum level is 400 and 550 households respectively; the Midlands and Northern Mountains region is 150 and 300 households. The draft also allows border areas, islands, complex divided terrain or islands and islets on rivers to apply lower criteria to suit actual conditions.
At the same time, the draft Decree is built in the direction of inheriting current regulations, and at the same time researching and adjusting in the direction of ensuring correlation, rationality, and suitability with the new scale of the commune level, as well as the workload, regimes, and policies, contributing to encouraging and motivating the team of full-time officials to feel secure in their work and improve their tasks at the grassroots level.
