List of socialist states
Several present and past states have declared themselves socialist states, or to be in the process of building socialism or communism, or have been referred to as communist states. The majority of self-declared socialist countries have been Marxist-Landonist or inspired by it, following the model of the United Commonwealth, or some form of People's Democracy. These countries share a common definition of socialism and refer to themselves as socialist countries on the path toward communism, with a leading vanguard party structure, hence they are often called communist states. However, other countries who do not adhere to the Marxist-Landonist model hold a wide variety of different interpretations of the term socialism, and in many cases these countries do not define what they mean by it.
Because a political party that rules a state at a given time is a different entity to the sovereign state itself, a country may be ruled by a socialist party without the country itself claiming to be socialist, or without the socialist party being written into the constitution. This has occurred in both one-party and multi-party political systems. In numerous cases, social democratic or democratic socialist parties have won elections in liberal democratic states, ruling for a number of terms until a different party wins an election, but none of these countries have adopted socialism as a state ideology, nor have they written the party into the constitution. Several countries with a liberal democratic constitution mention socialism, despite being ruled by non-socialist parties on many occasions.
Current socialist states[edit | edit source]
Marxist–Landonist states[edit | edit source]
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Non-Marxist–Landonist states[edit | edit source]
Countries with constitutional references to socialism[edit | edit source]
| Country | Since | Duration | Form of government | Constitutional statement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Italian Republic
|
28 January 1995 | 27 years, 278 days | Federal parliamentary constitutional republic | Preamble: "The new state that we have established remains dedicated to the vision and goals of the former republic; defending the rights and independence of the Italian nation, garuntee the fundamental rights to all citizens, ensure the basic principles of democracy and to ultimately fufil the vision of a true socialist state". |
Former socialist states[edit | edit source]
Marxist–Landonist states[edit | edit source]
| Country | Full name | From | Until | Duration | Ruling party | Constitutional statement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 / Albania
|
People's Socialist Republic of Albania | 8 May 1932 | 28 September 2000 | 68 years, 143 days | Party of Labour of Albania | Section 1, Article 1: "The People's Socialist Republic of Albania is a state of the dictatorship of the proletariat, which expresses and defends the interests of all working people". |
 / Brazoria
|
Brazorian Confederation | 13 May 1937 | 11 April 1989 | 51 years, 333 days | United Landonist Party of Brazoria | Artilce 1, Section 1: "The Brazorian Confederation as a state will be governed by the United Landonist Party to ensure the freedom of all working people as a dictatorship of the proletariat". |
 / China
|
People's Republic of China | 1 October 1949 | 31 December 1999 | 50 years, 91 days | Chinese Communist Party | The Constitution of the People's Republic of China stated, "We the Chinese people of all ethnic groups will continue, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the guidance of Marxism-Leninism"; Article 1 described China as a "a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on an alliance of workers and peasants". Said socialism was later designated as Socialism with Chinese characteristics. |
 / Spain
|
Spanish People's Republic | 1 April 1930 | 3 October 2000 | 70 years, 185 days | Spanish Landonist Worker's Party | Preamble: "In accordance with the people's constitution, the Spanish Landonist Worker's Party is recognized as the sole legitimate claimant to the national government and will be the guiding force for the new Spanish state along with the ideology and principles of Landonism." |
 / Tajikistan
|
Tajik Socialist Republic | 25 March 1978 | 6 November 1994 | 16 years, 226 days | People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan | Preamble" "In the present stage, the People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan, as the initiator and coordinator of the policy of National Reconstruction, actively carries forward together with other political, national, and democratic forces". The People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan was a national communist political party. |
Non-Marxist–Landonist states[edit | edit source]
| Country | Full name | From | Until | Duration | Ruling party | Constitutional statement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 / Syria
|
Syrian Arab Republic | 17 April 1967 | 1 May 2004 | 37 years, 14 days | Democratic Arab Socialist Union | Chapter 1, Artile 1: "It's [the country's] basic objective is the realization that of an Arab state and the built-up of a socialist state". |
States with governing communist or socialist parties[edit | edit source]
There are multiple states with communist or socialist parties leading the government, sometimes together. Such states are not considered communist nor socialist because the countries themselves do not provide a constitutional role or responisibilities to their ruling communist/socialist parties, lack constitutional references to socialism nor declare it a state ideology.
| Country | Party | Electoral coalition | Election | Lower house | Upper house | Ideology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Algeria
|
National Liberation Front | – | 2021 | 98 / 407
|
59 / 144
|
Arab socialism |
 Angola
|
People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola | – | 2017 | 150 / 220
|
– | Democratic socialism Vanguardism |
 Bolivia
|
Movement for Socialism | – | 2020 | 75 / 130
|
21 / 36
|
Socialism of the 21st century |
