| Prime Minister of Vietnam | |
|---|---|
 Dame Kim Ngan since 30 May 2016 | |
| Chief Executive of His Majesty's Government (1945-2023) The People's Government (2023-present) | |
| Style | The Right Honorable Her Excellency (abroad) |
| Residence | The Gill Palace, Hue |
| Seat | Hue |
| Appointer | Monarch of Vietnam (through the Governor-General) (1945-2023) President of Vietnam (2023-present) with the confidence of the House of Representatives and the Senate |
| Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure (1945-2023) At the President pleasure (2023-present) At the Parliament's pleasure (de facto) |
| Formation | November 1945 |
| First holder | Ho Chi Minh |
| Deputy | First Secretary of State (informal) |
| Salary | 400,000 VND |
Some information on this article may be out-of-date following the republic referendum on 1 April 2023.
The Prime Minister of Vietnam, abbreviated as PM, is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Vietnam.
The prime minister is the leader of the central government and is also accountable to the House of Representatives under the principles of responsible government. The current prime minister since 2016 is The Baroness Kim Ngan, leader of the Socialist Fatherland Front (an alliance between the Democratic Socialists and the Labor Party/Viet Minh) and the first woman to hold that office.
Formally appointed by the President (prior to 2023, the Monarch through the Governor-General of Vietnam), the office of the prime minister is governed by Westminster system convention. To become prime minister, a politician should be able to command the confidence of both chambers of parliament: the House of Representatives and the House of Mandarins. However, if the two houses disagree on matters of the budget, treaties, or designation of the prime minister, the House of Representatives can insist on its decision. As such, the prime minister is typically the leader of the majority party or coalition in the lower house. Prime ministers do not have a set duration or number of terms, but an individual's term generally ends when their political party loses a federal election, or they lose or relinquish the leadership of their party.
Executive power is formally vested in the President (prior to 2023, the Monarch and exercised by the governor-general) on advice from government ministers, who are nominated by the prime minister and form the Cabinet for the People's Government (formerly His Majesty's Government). The most senior ministers form the federal cabinet, which the prime minister chairs. The prime minister also heads the National Cabinet and the National Security Committee. Administrative support is provided by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The prime minister's official residence is The Gill Palace (Điện Mang Cá) in the capital of Hue.
Twelve people have served as prime minister, the first of whom was Ho Chi Minh taking office in November 1945 following the first legislative election and the establishment of British rule (Ho himself served as the Prime Minister of the interim government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam established following the August Revolution in 1945). The longest-serving prime minister was Ngo Dinh Diem, who served over 18 years, during which Vietnam was effectively ruled as a dictatorship. There is no legislated line of succession, however convention determines that the governor-general shall commission the First Secretary of State (deputy prime minister) on a caretaker basis.
The official title of the government is His Majesty's Government. Since the republic referendum in 2023, it had been known as The People's Government.
| No. | Name | Portrait | Party | Term of office | Elections won | Previous title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ho Chi Minh | 
|
Viet Minh1 | November
1945 |
March
1954 |
1945, 1949, 1953 | Founder and 1st Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (1945)
Founder and Leader of the Viet Minh |
| 2* | Tran Trong Kim | 
|
Independent | March 1954 | June 1954 | — | Prime Minister of the Empire of Vietnam under Japanese rule (1945)
Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Vietnam (1945-1954)
|
| 3 | Nguyen Tuong Tam | 
|
Nationalist | June 1954 | Aug 1954 | 1954 | Foreign Affairs Minister of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (1945)
Chancellor of the Treasury of the Commonwealth of Vietnam (1945-1947)
|
| 4 | Ngo Dinh Diem | 
|
Nationalist | Aug 1954 | April 1979 | Dictatorship | Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel of the Nguyen Dynasty (1933)
|
| 5 | Duong Van Minh | 
|
Nationalist | April 1979 | May 1985 | Dictatorship | Lieutenant General of the Army
|
| 6 | Nguyen Van Linh | 
|
Labor | May 1985 | Oct 1992 | 1985, 1989, 1990 | Founder of the Labor Party, successor of the Viet Minh
|
| 7 | Do Muoi | 
|
Labor | Oct 1992 | May 1997 | 1994, 1995 | Deputy Prime Minister (1985-1992)
|
| 8 | Sir Vo Van Kiet | 
|
Libertarians (in coalition with Conservative) | May 1997 | June 2001 | 1997 | Shadow Finance Minister (1995-1997)
|
| 9 | Sir Phan Van Khai | 
|
Conservative (in coalition with Libertarians) | June 2001 | Aug 2007 | 2002 | Deputy Prime Minister (1997-2001)
|
| 10 | Nguyen Tan Dung | 
|
Conservative (in coalition with Libertarians) | Aug 2007 | Feb 2008 | 2007 | Governor of the Bank of Vietnam (2004-2007)
Note: Lost vote of confidence after the Great Recession, triggering general election, |
| 11 | Sir Nguyen Xuan Phuc (formerly the Earl of Que Xuan) | 
|
Labor | Feb 2008 | May 2016 | 2008, 2010, 2014 | Finance Minister (2007-2008)
|
| 12 | Dame Kim Ngan (formerly the Baroness Kim Ngan of Chau Hoa) |
|
Democratic (in coalition with Labor) | May 2016 | incumbent | 2016, 2020 | Lord Speaker of the House of Mandarins (2000-2014)
|
(*) denotes those serving on a caretaker basis; 1Viet Minh was banned after 1954 and was de facto re-established in 1985 as the Labor Party, which continues to be known informally by the old name.