Vietnam
Vietnam exhibits low performance across three categories of the Global State of Democracy Framework (Representation, Rights and Rule of Law) and performs at the mid-range level in Participation. Over the past five years, its performance has remained stable, with no notable fluctuations. The transition from a communist command economy to a market economy, termed “Doi Moi,” has transformed Vietnam from one of the poorest countries in the world to one that enjoys some of the fastest growth rates in Asia. The country has a diverse lower-middle income economy, with a buoyant manufacturing sector supplemented by tourism and a vibrant agriculture sector.
Vietnam’s political history includes episodes of colonial dominance by various great powers, including China, Japan, and France. In addition, the country has long had tense relations with China, especially in the era prior to Western and Japanese imperialism. Colonial attempts to dominate the country led to the eventual partition into North and South Vietnam in 1954. From 1954 to 1975, the Southeast Asian nation was mired in a war between the communist government of North Vietnam and the U.S.-allied government of South Vietnam. A victory by the North led to reunification in 1976; to this day, the country officially remains a socialist republic with no opposition parties under the rule of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). Continued disputes with China led to a short but bloody war in 1979. Relations with China were not normalized until 1991 but tension remains. As a result, Vietnam has been increasingly pivoting towards the U.S. in recent years.
Vietnam has a poor human rights record and censorship is pervasive. Activists who organize for increased rights and freedoms are frequently detained or jailed. Given the country’s rapid industrialization, Vietnam is also facing significant environmental and pollution-related issues, and prominent environmental campaigners have been suppressed by the government. Corruption remains a significant issue in Vietnam, prompting the government to intensify its extensive anti-corruption campaign over the past decade. In recent years, this campaign has resulted in the dismissal or resignation of numerous high-ranking public officials.
Gender inequality is pervasive and is noted throughout society, including in education, business, and politics. To reduce the drag this creates on the economy, the government has launched the National Strategy on Gender Equality with the primary goal of boosting women’s entrepreneurship. Ethnic minorities comprise roughly 14 per cent of the population and continue to face discrimination and restrictions on their freedom of religion. LGBTQIA+ issues are also a major subject of debate in the country, and Vietnamese activists have recently won some reforms on this front. Currently, the Vietnamese government remains largely focused on economic development, with a goal of making Vietnam a high-income economy country by 2045.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch Rule of Law and Representation particularly amid the government’s escalating anti-corruption drive. It will also be crucial to monitor CPV’s ongoing economic, institutional and administrative reforms, the most ambitious since the Doi Moi era. These political reforms may impact Representation, potentially reflecting a shift toward CPVs increasingly centralized control and a shakeup of the state apparatus.
Last Updated: June 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
August 2026
New cybersecurity decrees expand powers over online expression
On 19 August, Vietnam issued seven decrees (327–333) operationalizing parts of its new Cybersecurity Law, in force since 1 July. Decree 330 gives commune-level police and officials powers to fine people for online offences and order content removed or corrected. Decree 333 allows accounts to be temporarily blocked after three violations in 30 days, compared with five previously. It also details a six-hour deadline for providers to remove unlawful content in urgent cases involving national security; compared with 24 hours previously. Decree 328, due to take effect on 5 October, will establish a process for authorities to label information as false. Despite an already heavily regulated online environment, digital rights experts warned that the tighter removal deadline could encourage platforms to over-remove lawful content, while the Human Rights Foundation said Decree 330 could further restrict online expression.
Sources: International IDEA, Tech Policy Press, The Vietnamese, Human Rights Foundation, IPSIP Vietnam
April 2026
New decree expands authorities’ power to sanction lawyers
On 1 April, Vietnam adopted Decree 109/2026, expanding the authorities’ power to sanction lawyers, law firms and other legal actors. The decree allows police and commune-level officials to impose fines and suspend or revoke lawyers’ licences for broadly worded offences, including ‘insulting’ officials and ‘obstructing’ state agencies. This gives local authorities new disciplinary powers over lawyers, including those representing clients in cases against those same authorities. Human rights experts warned that the decree’s vague provisions could enable arbitrary enforcement and deter lawyers from representing clients in politically sensitive cases or complaints against officials. Two United Nations Special Rapporteurs also raised concerns that it may violate international standards on lawyers’ independence, effective legal assistance and fair-trial rights. The decree entered into force on 18 May.
Sources: Human Rights Watch, Government of Vietnam, OHCHR
March 2026
Communist Party of Vietnam retains control in legislative elections
On 15 March, Vietnam held its legislative elections for all 500 seats in the National Assembly. The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), the country’s only legal political party, won 482 seats, while 18 seats went to non-party candidates vetted through the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, a CPV-led umbrella organization. According to the National Election Council, voter turnout reached 99.7 per cent, compared to 99.6 per cent in the 2021 election. Women won 150 of 500 seats (30.0 per cent), compared to 151 of 499 (30.3 per cent) in 2021. No opposition parties were permitted to contest, and no major international election observation mission reported on the election. On 7 April, the newly elected Assembly unanimously elected CPV General Secretary Tô Lâm as state president. The two posts have usually been held by different people, making his appointment a departure from the country’s traditional collective leadership. Analysts described it as the country’s greatest concentration of political power in decades.
Sources: IPU Parline, International IDEA, Reuters
June 2025
Parliament narrows scope of death penalty
On 25 June, Vietnam’s National Assembly passed an amendment to its Criminal Code that abolishes the death penalty for eight offences, including embezzlement, espionage and trafficking narcotics. The reform will take effect on 1 July and individuals who previously received death sentences will have their sentences converted to life imprisonment. However, the death penalty will remain in place for 10 other criminal offences, including murder, treason and terrorism. Human rights experts have welcomed the landmark legislation but continue to urge the government to abolish the death penalty completely. Although the country does not disclose how many people are awaiting execution, internal prosecutor reports indicate that thousands have been sentenced and hundreds executed in recent years.
Sources: Devdiscourse, Al Jazeera, The New York Times, Vietnam News Agency
National Assembly approves sweeping administrative reforms to merge localities
On 12 June, Vietnam’s National Assembly approved a resolution to eliminate district-level administrations and reduce the local government from three to two layers–provincial and communal. The planned administrative reforms take effect on 1 July and will also see the number of provinces and city administrations reduced from 63 to 34. The overhaul is part of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s (CPV) General Secretary Tô Lâm’s broader efforts to improve the country’s political system and economic efficiency through eliminating bureaucratic overlaps and enhancing public service delivery. Political analysts remain cautiously optimistic about the reforms, which may serve to tighten oversight, reduce petty corruption and improve service delivery to citizens. Conversely, they also acknowledge that the reforms may consolidate CPV’s centralized control. Moreover, legal experts note that while the changes may create a more predictable and transparent legal environment, gaps remain in defining jurisdiction boundaries and transferring enforcement mechanisms.
Sources: Constitutionnet, The Diplomat, Deutsch Welle, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Tuoi Tre
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