Share of full-time National Assembly deputies reaches a record high

A summary report presented by Vice Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Thanh, a member of the National Election Council, said the election of deputies to the XVI National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term is the largest in history, with more than 76 million voters participating at around 72,000 polling stations.

Turnout and early completion across localities

The report said many localities recorded very high turnout and completed voting early, including Vĩnh Long (99.999%), Lào Cai (99.998%), Huế City (99.996%), and Tuyên Quang and Hà Tĩnh (99.99%). In major urban areas such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, participation remained above 99% despite large voter numbers and complex demographic changes.

National Assembly results: 500 deputies elected

Voters nationwide elected all 500 deputies to the XVI National Assembly from 863 candidates. Of the elected deputies, 214 were from central introductions and 286 from local introductions; no self-nominated candidates were elected. A total of 145 deputies were elected to serve as full-time at the central level.

Deputy composition and professional qualifications

The report outlined the composition of the XVI National Assembly as follows: 150 women (30%); 76 deputies from ethnic minority groups (15.20%); 18 non-Party members (3.6%); and 33 deputies under 40 years old (6.6%).

It also said 247 deputies were re-elected or had previously served as deputies (49.40%), while first-time deputies accounted for 50.60%.

On qualifications, 418 deputies hold qualifications above university level (83.60%), and 80 deputies hold university degrees (16.0%). The report noted that the share of full-time deputies reached 40%, the highest to date, with the overall structure continuing to move toward reducing concurrent duties and increasing full-time deputies.

For the first time, the National Assembly has a representative from the Ê Đu ethnic group.

People’s Councils at provincial and commune levels

The nationwide electorate also elected 2,552 deputies to the provincial People’s Councils and 72,440 deputies to the commune-level People’s Councils. Voter participation was 99.70%, the highest across terms, which the report said reflects thorough personnel preparation and broad social consensus.

Eligibility review and complaint handling

The report on the eligibility of XVI National Assembly deputies, prepared by the National Election Council, said the election was conducted in accordance with the principles of universality, equality, directness and secret ballot. It added that consultation, candidate nomination, voter list compilation and publication were carried out in line with legal procedures and timing.

Voters elected all 500 National Assembly deputies across 182 electoral units. As of 25 March 2026, 498 had won without complaints. Two cases involving petitions were reviewed by competent agencies in accordance with regulations, and the conclusions found no grounds.

Resolution confirming eligibility

Based on careful vetting, the assisting subcommittees of the National Election Council unanimously affirmed that the above cases meet the standards and are eligible to be deputies of the XVI National Assembly. With broad consensus, the National Election Council passed Resolution No. 238/NQ-HĐBCQG on 27 March 2026 confirming 500 elected deputies with full eligibility.

Proposed next steps for election law and regulations

The National Election Council also proposed continuing to study and refine the law on elections of deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils. It said it will review regulations on voter lists, consultations, candidacy, voting and vote counting, and adjust the structure and number of provincial and district-level councils to reflect population size and local conditions for subsequent terms.