1. The period of establishment of Central Statistical Office

Just at the beginning time after the victory of revolution with many difficulties of the period of combating internal and external enemies, on May 6, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh, President of the Provisional Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam signed the Edict No. 61/SL stipulating the organizational structure of the Ministry of National Economy (MNE) with its divisions, departments and bureaus, including the Vietnam Statistics Bureau. In order to deeply remember the great Uncle Ho's merits for the process of building and development of the statistics industry, in accordance with the historical reality, and with the consent of the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, May 6, 1946 was taken as the founding day of Vietnam Statistics.

According to the Edict No. 61/SL dated May 6, 1946, the Minister of National Economy signed the Decree on May 28, 1946 on the organization structure of Vietnam Statistics Bureau with main contents as follow:

Article 1: Organizing a Vietnam Statistics Bureau (VSB) depending on the MNE and under the control of the Director appointed by the decree at the proposal of the MNE Minister.

Article 2: Main duties of the VSB:

1. Collecting and gathering documents and numbers related to socio-economic or cultural events.

2. Publishing the statistics books.

3. Supervising Vietnamese or foreign insurance companies.

Article 3: VSB may directly contact with statistics departments of other ministries, provinces or agencies to collect necessary documents.

Article 4: VSB consists of 3 divisions with the duties as follows:

1. The first division (Administrative Division) manages the staff, accounting, materials, storing documents, publishing.

2. The second division takes charge of statistics on population, culture and politics.

3. The third division is responsible for economic and financial statistics.

On June 7, 1946, at the proposal of MNE Minister, President Ho Chi Minh signed the Edict No. 98/SL appointing Mr. Nguyen Thieu Lau as Director of VSB.

Figure 1: Organizational chart at the period when the Central Statistics Office was established

On April 25, 1949, President Ho Chi Minh signed the following two Edicts:

• Edict No. 33/SL merging VSB into the President Palace
• Edict No. 34/SL appointing Mr. Nguyen Thieu Lau as Director of Statistics Bureau in the President Palace.

On July 01, 1950, President Ho Chi Minh signed the Edict No. 124/SL abolishing Edict No. 33/SL dated April 25, 1949 and Edict No. 34/SL dated April 25, 1949, deciding “A temporary organization to manage statistics shall be decided by the Prime Minister's Decree”.

On August 9, 1950, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Van Dong, on be haft of the Prime Minister signed Decree No. 38/TTg establishing the Statistics Division in the Prime Minister’s Office, led by Mr. Luong Duyen Lac. The responsibilities of the Statistics Division were as follow: (1) Collecting and ordering statistical documents of Ministries and local resistance committees; (2) Assisting the ministries and resistance administrative committees to organize and guide the monitoring of statistics.

2. The period of formation of the system of local statistical offices

On February 20, 1956, the Prime Minister issued Regulation No. 695/TTg on the organization of the Central Statistics Office, local statistical offices and statistical organizations of the Ministries of Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Regulation No. 695/TTg wrote: “Founding the Central Statistics Office in the State Planning Committee of Democratic Republic Of Vietnam, local statistical offices and statistical organizations of Ministries, agencies and enterprises”.

The Central Statistics Office and local statistical offices were a united and concentrated system.

The Central Statistics Office in the State Planning Committee, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, was a state office performing the functions of unitedly and centrally controlling and managing all the statistical work and accounting work in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

The main duties of the Central Statistics Office were to collect, gather, research and submit to the Government accurate statistical data and scientific analysis to highlight the process of implementing the State’s plan, the domestic economic and cultural development, natural resources and the use of them, the growth rate of economic and cultural sectors, and the level of development of each industry. 

Figure 2: Organizational chart at the period of formation of the local statistics office system

3. The period of adjustment on functions and duties of statistical offices at all levels and sectors

On April 8, 1957, the Prime Minister promulgated Decree No. 142-TTg re-defining the organizational structure, tasks of statistical offices at all levels, abolishing the Regulation No. 695-TTg on February 20, 1956.

Central Statistics Office was a state office to take charge of and direct in a united and centralized way all statistics on economy, finance, culture and society.

The main tasks of the Central Statistics Office were to collect, process, research, and analyze the data of basic statistical surveys on national economic industries, culture, society, then submit them to the National Planning Committee and the Government as a basis or reference documents to make policies, plans and inspect plans.

Figure 3: Organizational chart at the period of adjustment on functions and duties of statistical offices at all levels and sectors

 4. The period when the General Statistics Office was an independent agency directly under the Government

On December 21, 1960, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly issued Decision No. 15-NQ/TVQH on separating the Central Statistics Office from the National Planning Committee, establishing the General Statistics Office.

On September 29, 1961, the Government Council issued Decree No. 131-CP defining the tasks, powers and organizational structure of the General Statistics Office (GSO). According to this Decree, GSO was an agency directly under the Government Council with the functions of unitedly and concentratedly directing all statistical surveys in accordance with the Party and State's guidelines and policies; ensuring the completion of collecting, adjusting, analyzing statistical data with scientific bases on economy, culture, society in order to serve the State management, leading and direction of the national economic planning. The organizational structure of GSO consisted of 7 specialized units and Administration Department.

In 1968, performing the Government's Resolution 02-CP on reorganizing the statistical information system, the Government Council decided to establish the Computational Technology Department, Personnel Department, Statistical Methodology Department and Balance Department.

On April 5, 1974, the Government Council issued Decree No. 72-CP promulgating the regulation on organizational structure and operation of the GSO, replacing Decree No. 131-CP dated September 29, 1961 of the Government Council. The GSO is a Central agency under the Government Council, performing the tasks of organizing and managing the accounting and statistical work in a united way. The GSO implemented its duties on the basis of policies, Directions and Resolutions of the Party and the State. The GSO consisted of 17 specialized units, Administration Department and 2 public non-business units.

Performing Direction No. 45/TW of the Central Committee of Secretariat on the organizational apparatus and staff streamlining, on June 2, 1979, the Government Council promulgated Decision No. 207/CP on re-organizing the organizational apparatus of the GSO with 15 units including specialized units, Institute, Administration Department and Inspection Department.

Realizing Notice No. 46/TB-TW of the Central Committee of Secretariat and the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers on re-organizing the organizational apparatus of the Party’s and the State’s agencies and organizations/unions, on May 11, 1988, the Council of Ministers signed to issue Decision No. 81/HDBT re-stipulating the number of units directly under the GSO down to 10 specialized units and Administration Department. In addition, there were 3 affiliated divisions, 2 public non-business units, and 2 enterprises.

On March 23, 1994, the Government issued Decree No. 23/CP stipulating the functions, duties, powers and organizational structure of the GSO, replacing Decree No. 72/CP dated April 5, 1974 of the Government Council.

Figure 4: Organizational chart at the period when the General Statistics Office was an independent agency directly under the Government

5. The period when the General Statistics Office was an agency directly under the Ministry of Planning and Investment

On September 3, 2003, the Government issued Decree No. 101/2003/ND-CP stipulating the functions, duties, powers and organizational structure of the GSO, replacing Decree No. 23/CP dated March 23, 1994 of the Government.

Regarding the position and functions, the GSO was an agency directly under the Government, performing the duties and powers of state management of statistics, organizing the implementation of statistical activities and providing socio-economic statistical information for agencies, organizations and individuals as prescribed by law; implementing state management of public services and other specific tasks and powers on the representation of the owner of the State's share of capital in State-owned enterprises under the GSO according to the provisions of law.

Regarding the duties and powers, the GSO was responsible for performing the duties and powers of an agency under the Government with the function of state management of sectors and fields according to the provisions of Decree No. 30/2003/ND-CP date April 1, 2003 of the Government stipulating the functions, duties, powers and organizational structure of the agencies under the Government.

The Prime Minister signed Decision No. 54/2010/QD-TTg on August 24, 2010 stipulating the functions, powers and organizational structure of the GSO directly under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and Decision No. 65/2013/QD-TTg on November 11, 2013 amending and supplementing Point a, Clause 1, Article 3 of the Decision No. 54/2010/QD-TTg. Accordingly, the GSO was an agency directly under MPI, performing the advisory function to help the Minister of MPI in state management of statistics; organizing statistical activities and providing socio-economic statistical information for agencies, organizations and individuals in accordance with the law.

Figure 5: Organizational chart at the period when the General Statistics Office was an agency directly under the Ministry of Planning and Investment

6. The period when the GSO made changes in line with the country's administrative reform process

Within the framework of the national administrative reform program, the Prime Minister signed to issue the Decision No. 10/2020/QD-TTg on 18 March, 2020 specifying the functions, duties, powers and organizational structure of the GSO.

The GSO is an institution directly under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), performing the advisory function to help the Minister of MPI in state management of statistics; coordinating and organizing statistical activities, and providing socio-economic statistical information for agencies, organizations and individuals in accordance with the law.

The GSO is organized into a hierarchical system from the central to local levels, ensuring the principle of centralization and unity.

Figure 6: Organizational chart at the period when the GSO made changes in line with the country's administrative reform process