# List of communist states

The following are lists of current and former states that claimed to be communist states.

## Current communist states

The following countries are one-party states in which the institutions of the ruling communist party and the state have become intertwined. They are adherents of Marxism–Leninism. They are listed here together with the year of their founding and their respective ruling parties.
Overview of current states espousing Marxism–Leninism :
| Country | Local name | Since | Ruling party | Ideology |
| People's Republic of China | Chinese: 中华人民共和国 Pinyin: Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó | 1 October 1949 (1949-10-1) | Communist Party of China | Socialism with Chinese characteristics |
| Republic of Cuba | Spanish: República de Cuba | 1 January 1959 (1959-1-1) 24 February 1976 (1976-2-24) (communist constitution adopted) | Communist Party of Cuba | CastroismGuevarism |
| Lao People's Democratic Republic | Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Lao romanisation: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao | 2 December 1975 (1975-12-2) | Lao People's Revolutionary Party | Kaysone Phomvihane Thought |
| Socialist Republic of Vietnam | Vietnamese: Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam | 2 September 1945 (North Vietnam) 30 April 1975 (South Vietnam) 2 July 1976 (unified) | Communist Party of Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh Thought |

### Disputed

Although founded as a Marxist–Leninist state, North Korea began moving away from orthodox Marxism–Leninism and replaced all references to Marxism–Leninism in the Constitution of North Korea with Juche in 1992. In 2009, the constitution was quietly amended so that not only did it remove all Marxist–Leninist references present in the first draft, but it also dropped all reference to communism. The government's official ideology is now the Juche part of Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism policy of Kim Il Sung as opposed to orthodox Marxism–Leninism. The ruling Workers' Party of Korea reinstated its goal towards communism in 2021. Some communists, especially the anti revisionists, call the DPRK a non marxist socialist state.
| Country | Local name | Since | Ruling party | Ideology |
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea | Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국 MR: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk | 9 September 1948 (1948-9-9) | Workers' Party of Korea | Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism |

## Multi-party democratic states with governing communist parties

There are multi-party states with communist parties leading the government. Such states are not considered to be communist states because the countries themselves allow for multiple parties and do not provide a constitutional role for their communist parties. Nepal was previously ruled by the Nepal Communist Party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), and the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) between 1994 and 1998 and then again between 2008 and 2018 while states formerly ruled by one or more communist parties include San Marino (1945–1957 and 1978-1990), Moldova (2001–2009), Cyprus (2008–2013), and Guyana (1992–2015).
Nicaragua has been ruled by a socialist party from 1979–1990, and from 2007 on by Daniel Ortega, who is a Sandinista.
Venezuela is currently ruled by Nicolás Maduro, who has been President since 2013 (disputed since 2019). Maduro is the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), which is considered far-left and Marxist.
During the socialist Free Peru party's rule over Peru, many international observers described the party as being somewhat Marxist or even Marxist–Leninist.
In 2024, Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Marxist-Leninist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was elected President of Sri Lanka, and the JVP's broader coalition, National People's Power won a landslide in parliamentary elections shortly thereafter. This represents the first time a communist party has been the ruling party of Sri Lanka.

## Former communist states

Officially ruling parties in communist states      Communist parties as ruling parties or part of a governing coalition in multi-party states      Formerly ruling in a one-party system      Formerly ruling in a parliamentary majority or minority government      Formerly ruling as a coalition partner or supporter :
The following communist states were socialist states committed to communism. Some were short-lived and preceded the widespread adoption of Marxism–Leninism by most communist states.
* Russia
** Chita Republic (1905–1906)
** Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1917–1991)
*** Amur Socialist Soviet Republic (1918)
*** Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1918–1924)
*** Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1918–1941)
*** Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1919–1991)
*** Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1920–1990)
*** Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1920–1925)
*** Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1921–1924)
*** Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1921–1991)
*** Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1921–1941; 1944–1945)
*** Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1922–1991)
*** Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1923–1990)
*** Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1923–1940; 1956–1991)
*** Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1925–1936)
*** Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1926–1936)
*** Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1934–1990)
*** Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1934–1990)
*** Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1935–1943; 1957–1991)
*** Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1944; 1957–1991)
*** Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1944; 1957–1991)
*** Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1991)
*** Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1991)
*** North Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1993)
*** Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic (1940–1956)
*** Kabardin Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1944–1957)
*** Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1961–1992)
*** Gorno-Altai Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1990–1991)
** Soviet Republic of Soldiers and Fortress-Builders of Naissaar (1917–1918)
** Donetsk–Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic (1918)
** Crimean Socialist Soviet Republic (1919)
** Far Eastern Republic (1920–1922)
** Tuvan People's Republic (1921–1944)
** Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922–1991)
* Ukraine
** Ukrainian People's Republic of Soviets (1917–1918)
** Odessa Soviet Republic (1918)
** Donetsk–Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic (1918)
** Crimean Socialist Soviet Republic (1919)
** Galician Soviet Socialist Republic (1920)
** Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922–1991)
*** Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1919–1991)
**** Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1924–1940)
**** Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1991–1992)
* Finland
** Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (1918)
** Finnish Democratic Republic (1939–1940).
** Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic (1940–1956)
* Germany
** Münster rebellion (1534–1535)
** Free Socialist Republic of Germany (1918–1919)
*** Mainz Workers' and Soldiers' Council (1918)
*** Bremen Soviet Republic (1919)
*** Bavarian Soviet Republic (1919)
*** Würzburg Soviet Republic (1919)
*** People's State of Bavaria (1918–1919)
** Ruhr Council Republic (1920)
** Soviet Republic of Stormam (1923)
** Soviet occupation of Germany (1945–1949)
*** Soviet occupation of Berlin (1945–1949)
** German Democratic Republic (1949–1990)
*** East Berlin (1949–1990)
* France
** June Rebellion (1832)
** Communard France (1870–1871)
*** Second Paris Commune (1870)
*** Lyon Commune (1870–1871)
*** Third Paris Commune (1871)
** Alsace-Lorraine Soviet Republic (1918)
* Estonia
** Commune of the Working People of Estonia (1918–1919)
** First Soviet occupation of Estonia (1940–1941)
** Second Soviet occupation of Estonia (1944–1991)
* Latvia
** Executive Committee of the Soviet of Workers, Soldiers, and the Landless in Latvia (1917–1918)
** Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic (1918–1920)
** First Soviet occupation of Latvia (1940–1941)
** Second Soviet occupation of Latvia (1944–1991)
* Lithuania
** Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (1918–1919)
** Lithuanian–Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (1919)
** First Soviet occupation of Lithuania (1940–1941)
** Second Soviet occupation of Lithuania (1944–1991)
* Belarus
** Lithuanian–Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (1919)
** Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (1922–1991)
* Hungary
** Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919)
** Serbian–Hungarian Baranya–Baja Republic (1921)
** Soviet occupation of Hungary (1944–1946)
** Second Hungarian Republic (1946–1949)
** Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989)
** Revolutionary Workers'-Peasants' Government of Hungary (1956)
* Azerbaijan
** Baku Commune (1918)
** Mughan Soviet Republic (1919)
** Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1920–1991)
*** Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1921–1990)
** Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (1922–1936)
* Czechoslovakia
** Slovak Soviet Republic (1919)
** Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia (1944–1948)
** Fourth Czechoslovak Republic (1948–1960)
** Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1960–1990)
*** Czech Socialist Republic (1969–1990)
*** Slovak Socialist Republic (1969–1990)
* Tajikistan
** Bukharan People's Soviet Republic (1920–1924)
** Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (1929–1991)
* Turkmenistan
** Khorezm People's Soviet Republic (1920–1925)
** Bukharan People's Soviet Republic (1920–1924)
** Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (1925–1991)
* Uzbekistan
** Khorezm People's Soviet Republic (1920–1924)
** Bukharan People's Soviet Republic (1920–1924)
** Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (1924–1991)
*** Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1924–1929)
*** Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1932–1991)
* Iran
** Persian Socialist Soviet Republic (1920–1921)
** Soviet occupation of Iran (1941–1946)
** Azerbaijan People's Government (1945–1946)
** Republic of Mahabad (1946–1947)
* Poland
** Provisional Polish Revolutionary Committee
** Galician Soviet Socialist Republic (1920)
** Provisional Government of National Unity (1945–1947)
** Polish People's Republic (1947–1989)
* Armenia
** Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1920–1991)
** Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (1922–1936)
* Georgia
** Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (1921–1991)
*** Adjar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1921–1990)
*** Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1931–1996)
** Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (1922–1936)
* Mongolia
** Provisional People's Government of Mongolia (1921–1924)
** Mongolian People's Republic (1924–1992)
* China
** Hailufeng Soviet (1927)
** Shanghai Commune (1927)
** Hunan Soviet (1927)
** Guangzhou Commune (1927)
** Soviet Zone of China (1927–1949)
*** Chinese Soviet Republic (1931–1937)
**** Jiangxi–Fujian Soviet (1931–1934)
** People's Revolutionary Government of the Republic of China (1933–1934)
** Northwest Chinese Soviet Federation (1935–1936)
** Tibetan People's Republic (1936)
** Second East Turkestan Republic (1944–1949)
** Inner Mongolian People's Republic (1945)
** Soviet occupation of Manchuria (1945–1946)
** Sinkiang (1934-1941)
* Spain
** Cantonalists (1873-1874)
*** Canton of Cartagena (1873-1874)
*** Canton of Málaga (1873)
*** Valencian Canton (1873)
*** Canton of Alicante (1873)
** Red Spain (1909)
** Asturian Socialist Republic (1934)
** Sovereign Council of Asturias and León (1936-1937)
** Revolutionary Catalonia (1936–1937)
** Regional Defence Council of Aragon (1936–1937)
* Kazakhstan
** Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1991)
* Kyrgyzstan
** Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1991)
* Romania
** Tatarbunary Revolutionary Committee (1924)
** Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina (1940)
** Soviet occupation of Romania (1944–1947)
** Romanian People's Republic (1947–1965)
** Socialist Republic of Romania (1965–1989)
* Moldova
** Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (1940–1991)
** Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (1990–1991)
* Greece
** Political Committee of National Liberation (1944–1949)
** Provisional Democratic Government (1947–1949)
* Albania
** Democratic Government of Albania (1944–1946)
** People's Republic of Albania (1946–1976)
** People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1976–1992)
* Bulgaria
** Strandzha Commune (1903)
** Soviet occupation of Bulgaria (1944–1946)
** People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990)
* Norway
** Soviet occupation of Northern Norway (1944–1946)
* Denmark
** Soviet occupation of Bornholm (1945–1946)
* Japan
** Soviet occupation of the Kuril Islands (1945)
* Korea
** Soviet Civil Administration (1945–1946)
** Provisional People's Committee of North Korea (1946–1947)
** People's Committee of North Korea (1947–1948)
** Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1948–1992/2009)
* Yugoslavia
** Republic of Užice (1941)
** Bihać Republic (1941-1942)
** Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–1963)
** Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1963–1992)
*** Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1945–1992)
*** Socialist Republic of Croatia (1945–1991)
*** Socialist Republic of Macedonia (1945–1991)
*** Socialist Republic of Montenegro (1945–1992)
*** Socialist Republic of Serbia (1945–1992)
*** Socialist Republic of Slovenia (1945–1991)
* Colombia
** Marquetalia Republic (1948–1958)
* Vietnam
** Workers' Republic of Vietnam (1945)
*** Saigon Commune (1945)
*** Hòn Gai-Cẩm Phả Commune (1945)
** Nghệ-Tĩnh Soviet (1930–1931)
** Democratic Republic of Vietnam (1954–1975)
** Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (1969–1976)
* Yemen
** People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1970–1990)
** Democratic Republic of Yemen (1994)
* Somalia
** Somali Democratic Republic (1969–1991)
* Republic of the Congo
** People's Republic of the Congo (1969–1992)
* Ethiopia
** Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia (1974–1987)
** People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1987–1991)
* Mozambique
** People's Republic of Mozambique (1975–1990)
* Angola
** People's Republic of Angola (1975–1992)
* Benin
** People's Republic of Benin (1975–1990)
* Cambodia
** Democratic Kampuchea (1975–1979)
** People's Republic of Kampuchea (1979–1989)
** State of Cambodia (1989–1992)
** Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea (1982–1992)
** Provisional Government of National Union and National Salvation of Cambodia (1994–1998)
* Afghanistan
** Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1987)
** Republic of Afghanistan (1987–1992)
* Grenada
** People's Revolutionary Government of Grenada (1979–1983)
* Burkina Faso
** National Council for the Revolution (1984–1987)
* Turkey
** Strandzha Commune (1903)
* Canada
** Canadian Commune (1918-1925)
* Chile
** Socialist Republic of Chile (1932)
* Brazil
** Socialist Republic of Brazil (1935)
* Argentina
** Red Argentina (1919)
** Socialist Republic of Argentina (1920-1922)
* Madagascar
** Democratic Republic of Madagascar (1975–1992)
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
** Simba rebellion (1963-1965)
** Kwilu rebellion (1963-1965)
** Maquis of Fizi (1967-1986)
* Ireland
** Irish soviets (1919-1923)
* Italy
** Labin Republic (1921)
** Republic of Alto Monferrato (1944)
** Republic of Torriglia [it] (1944-1945)
** Republic of Montefiorino [it] (1944-1945)
** Republic of Corniolo [it] (1944)
** Red Republic of Caulonia (1945)
* India
** Gram Rajyams of Telangana (1946-1951)
** Punnapra-Vayalar (1946)
** Naxalbari (1967)
** Naxalite Srikakulam (1967–1970)
** Naxalite Bhojpur (1970-2002)
* Belgium
** Brussels Soldiers' Council (1918)
* Mexico
** Morelos Commune (1911–1920)
** Rebel Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities (1994–2023)
* Philippines
** People's Government of the Philippines (1942-1951)
** Diliman Commune (1971)
* Comoros
** State of the Comoros (1975-1978)
* Gambia
** National Revolutionary Council (1981)