Đồng Nai is a municipality in the Southeast region of Vietnam, located northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. In June 2025, it was merged with Bình Phước province, forming the new Đồng Nai Province with an area of 12.737,18 km<sup>2</sup> and a population of 4,836,798 people. On 24 April 2026, the National Assembly passed a resolution establishing Đồng Nai Municipality since 30 April 2026.
History
The earliest settlements in Đồng Nai were founded between 700 thousand and 500 thousand BCE, during the Stone Age.
In 1621, Lord Sãi (Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên) sent envoys to King Chey Chetta II of Champa, requesting permission for Vietnamese people to settle and trade in Đồng Nai.
On December 23, 1978, Hố Nai 1 and Hố Nai 2 communes from Thống Nhất District were merged into Biên Hòa city. On December 29, 1978, Duyên Hải District was transferred to Ho Chi Minh City following the 4th session of the 6th National Assembly. On May 30, 1979, territory was reallocated from Vũng Tàu town and Long Sơn commune (Châu Thành District) to establish the Vũng Tàu–Côn Đảo special zone.
On December 23, 1985, Vĩnh Cửu District was upgraded to Vĩnh An town. On April 10, 1991, parts of Xuân Lộc District were reorganized to form Long Khánh District, and parts of Tân Phú District were used to establish Định Quán District.
On August 12, 1991, the National Assembly’s 9th session passed a resolution merging the districts of Châu Thành, Long Đất, and Xuyên Mộc into the Vũng Tàu–Côn Đảo special zone, forming Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province.
In 1993, Biên Hòa City was designated a Class-II urban area under provincial jurisdiction. On June 23, 1994, part of Long Thành District was carved out to form Nhơn Trạch District. On August 29, 1994, Vĩnh An town was dissolved to reestablish Vĩnh Cửu District.
On August 21, 2003, per Government Decree No. 97/2003/NĐ-CP, Long Khánh District was split to create Long Khánh town and Cẩm Mỹ District, and part of Thống Nhất District was reorganized to form Trảng Bom District.
On December 30, 2015, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 2488/QĐ-TTg, upgrading Biên Hòa City to a Class-I urban area under provincial jurisdiction. On June 1, 2019, Long Khánh town was elevated to Long Khánh City. At that point, Đồng Nai comprised two cities and nine districts.
On June 12, 2025, the National Assembly passed Resolution No. 202/2025/QH15, effective that same day, merging Bình Phước Province into Đồng Nai.
On 14 April 2026, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 237/NQ-UBTVQH16, establishing ten wards in Đồng Nai Province by converting the communes of Dầu Giây, Đồng Phú, Long Thành, Lộc Ninh, Nhơn Trạch, Tân Khai, Tân Phú, Trảng Bom, Trị An, and Xuân Lộc, while retaining their existing area and population.
The draft resolution establishing Dong Nai city as a centrally-governed city is expected to be approved by the National Assembly at the end of April 2026, with a proposed effective date of April 30, 2026. This is a step towards realizing the plan to transform Dong Nai into a modern economic and urban center of the Southeast region.
Demographics
Đồng Nai has a population of 4,836,798 in 2025
According to the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Đồng Nai Province (now the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Đồng Nai City), in 2025 the province had approximately 2.65 million adherents of 11 religions and 43 active religious organizations. Đồng Nai was reported to have the largest number of religious adherents among Vietnam's provinces and municipalities. Specifically, there were more than 1.31 million Catholics, over 1 million Buddhists, and more than 80,000 Protestants.
Transportation
border|thumb|Hồ Chí Minh City - Long Thành - Dầu Giây Expressway.
Under scheme in the near future, highways to and Ho Chi Minh City, a railway connecting Biên Hòa to Vũng Tàu, upgrading provincial road No. 726 and connecting National Highway No. 20 and No. 1 with National Highway No. 51 will create a complete system, promoting socioeconomic development in the province and region.
left|thumb|291x291px|[[Long Thanh International Airport is under construction.]]
Administrative subdivisions
Following the provincial and municipal merger program in Vietnam in 2025, Đồng Nai and Bình Phước were consolidated into a single administrative unit, officially designated as the new Đồng Nai Province.
Đồng Nai Province was reformed into a municipality called as Đồng Nai Municipality in April 2026. Đồng Nai is subdivided into 33 wards and 62 communes.
Agriculture
Agricultural land accounts for 47% of the province's area as of 2011, a total of 277,600 ha. The government reserved 15,000 ha for livestock farming in 2012, mostly for poultry and pigs. In 2011 there were 1.33 million pigs and 10.655 million poultry. a Toshiba motor plant, a PepsiCo beverage factory, a Posco steel plant, and a Nestlé coffee factory.
In 2025, Đồng Nai's Industrial Production Index (IIP) increased by 15.22% compared to 2024. Đồng Nai ranks among the leading provinces in Vietnam in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). As of the end of 2025, the province had more than 2,200 active FDI projects with a total registered capital exceeding US$42 billion from 51 countries and territories. Among them, South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore were the leading investors in terms of both the number of projects and total investment capital.
Business environment
On Vietnam's Provincial Competitiveness Index 2023, a key tool for evaluating the business environment in Vietnam’s provinces, Dong Nai received a score of 66.28. This was an improvement from 2022 in which the province received a score of 65.67. In 2023, the province received its highest scores on the 'Time Costs' and 'Business Support Policy' criterion and lowest on 'Policy Bias' and 'Labour Policy'.
References
External links
- Đồng Nai Provincial People's Council & People's Committee
- Đồng Nai Provincial People's Council & People's Committee
- Đồng Nai Industrial Service, a provincial department of the Ministry of Industry