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Vietnam

Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Socialist civil lawSocialist one-party republicReviewed· 2026-08-03
Capital
Hanoi
Population
100,300,000
Languages
Vietnamese
Currency
VND

Vietnam · Constitution

Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

The fifth constitution, adopted in November 2013, replacing the 1992 text. It retains Article 4's declaration of the Communist Party's leading role while expanding the human rights chapter, which was moved forward to Chapter II and drafted with reference to international instruments. It recognises a socialist-oriented market economy with multiple forms of ownership, but confirms that land belongs to the entire people with the state as representative owner — the provision that makes land use rights, rather than ownership, the tradeable interest.

The constitutional text

The fifth constitution, adopted in November 2013, replacing the 1992 text. It retains Article 4's declaration of the Communist Party's leading role while expanding the human rights chapter, which was moved forward to Chapter II and drafted with reference to international instruments. It recognises a socialist-oriented market economy with multiple forms of ownership, but confirms that land belongs to the entire people with the state as representative owner — the provision that makes land use rights, rather than ownership, the tradeable interest.

Separation of powers

Unitary. 63 provinces and municipalities have People's Councils and People's Committees which administer within a centralised framework, and Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and several others have special statutes granting limited additional autonomy. There is no constitutional division of legislative competence.

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