THE 31 MOST REPRESENTATIVE COMMUNIST COUNTRIES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The communist countries took center stage in the 20th century with the USSR, Yugoslavia, Cuba or Czechoslovakia at the head. However, there are many more who took this political, social and philosophical doctrine as a method of government within their territories.

Communism is a socio-economic model of organization that is characterized by the absence of private, class, social and state property. It is for the theorists the antithesis of capitalism. It is a system based on utopian ideas and in many countries it was implemented under a one-party logic, which in many cases became dictatorships.

Map of communism in the world

In this article we will look at some examples of countries that attempted a communist state, including some that support it today. You may also be interested in the 31 most representative socialist countries.

31 countries that have represented communism

1- Albania

Mount Shpiragu, where the name of Enver Hoxha, Albania's communist leader from 1944 until his death in 1985, is inscribed

It was proclaimed as an independent country in 1946 and adopted a communist form of government, with a socialist base.

After breaking relations with the powers of the sector (Russia and China) in the 80s, a turn to capitalism began that still continues.

2- Armenia

Propaganda poster of the Soviets liberating Armenia (1937)

Since the Armenian genocide at the hands of Turkey in the first decade of the 20th century, Armenia has been in armed conflicts with neighboring countries or for its independence from the Soviet Union.

From 1920 it alternated attempts by communist governments, which lasted until 1990 with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

3- Bulgaria

Oval Skeleton of the House of the Bulgarian Communist Party

After World War II and until 1990 it was governed by the Communist Party. With the fall of the Soviet Union it turned to a free market economy.

4- Czechoslovakia

Communist propaganda poster

His communist experiment began in 1968 with the Prague Spring, led by Alexander Dubček. But in 1992 the country dissolved into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, two countries whose governments veered towards a capitalist market economy.

5- Democratic Germany

The Trabant, one of the symbols of the communist bloc of the Democratic Republic of Germany

It is an emblematic case of history, for having been in the middle of a contest of interests after World War II.

The territory was divided between the winning powers of the bloodiest war in history and half of the country came under communist Soviet influence.

In 1990, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany, this experiment ended and today it is one of the capitalist powers of the world.

6- Hungary

Statue dedicated to communism in Budapest

Hungary is a case similar to that of many other countries that after World War II opted for the socialist communist model.

However, with the fall of the Soviet Union as a power, an opening period of its economy began.

7- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Lenin, main leader of the October Revolution and first leader of the Soviet Union

It is the cradle of communism, as it is the country where the communist-socialist doctrine was most widespread, which influenced a lot of other countries on this list.

It alternated moments of governments more linked to communism, which began with the revolution in 1917, and others to socialism. But after its dissolution in 1990, it veered towards a capitalist economy.

8- Yugoslavia

Croatian woman in the struggle for National Liberation, (Zagreb 1955)

Another of the colossi of the communist powers of the world and perhaps one of the main partners of the Soviet Union. With Marshal Tito, a communist-socialist stage began from 1963 until its dissolution in 1990.

9- China

Mao proclaiming the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949

It is the main example of communism today, although its system of government is not entirely communist, since it shares socialist features.

Since 1949, the Chinese Communist Party has governed China and today it is one of the world's leading economies, competing in terms of GDP with the United States.

10- Cuba

Interior Ministry adorned with a steel sculpture of Che Guevara

The other communist bastion in the world today. After the 1959 revolution, Fidel Castro assumed power and imposed a communist - socialist regime that is still in place despite the leader's death in 2016.

11- Laos

Kaysone Phomvihane Memorial in Vientiane, (Laos)

The Lao People's Democratic Republic is another example of 21st century communism that upholds a communist doctrine - socialist but with a market economy.

12- Vietnam

Propaganda for the 14th Meeting of the Communist Party in the city of Ha Đông.

After its unification in 1976, Vietnam settled on a form of socio-economic organization linked to communism. During this century it was one of the countries with the highest economic growth but with notorious internal inequality.

13- North Korea

North Korean citizens paying homage to statues of leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il

Currently under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, a continuation of the dynasty started by his grandfather Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, North Korea could be considered a communist regime.

It is the country where communist doctrine is respected with the greatest vigor, not only in economic matters, but also in the norms of social control and the exercise of politics.

14- Cambodia

He had an attempt at communist government with a fierce dictatorship called "Democratic Kampuchea" that carried out a massacre that killed a quarter of the population.

In 1991, the UN managed to end the internal conflict and began a series of profound political and economic reforms tending to capitalism.

15- Mongolia

The case of Mongolia has the peculiarity that it suffered many years to achieve its independence from China. Once it became a sovereign nation in 1946 it opted for a communist government.

In 1990, with the fall of the powers associated with the Eastern group, a change of government put an end to these policies and established a capitalist economic system.

16- Ethiopia

Communism in Ethiopia began to take shape with the revolution in 1974. Under the control of the Derg Mengistu Haile Mariam, the state took control of the means of production.

This period ended in 1991 when the Revolutionary Democratic Front won the elections and the country began a series of profound transformations in its form of government.

17- Mozambique

It achieved its independence from Portugal in 1975 and began a period of internal wars under a communist government.

In 1992 a peace agreement was signed and the country introduced economic changes that led to a free market economy.

18- Poland

It is another of the European countries that after World War II had its own communist process that ended in 1989, when a period of political transformations began.

19- Romania

Romania went from one side to the other during World War II and when the conflict ended it opted for a communist - socialist model of government until the fall of the Eastern group.

20- Somalia

This African nation became independent in 1960 and, with the support of the Soviet Union, attempted a communist-socialist socio-economic model. But when the USSR supported Ethiopia, at war with Somalia, it turned to a Western form of government.

21- South Yemen

It is one of the Arab nations that implemented a communist - socialist form of government. In 1986 a social outbreak forced some deep political and economic reforms.

22- People's Republic of the Congo

From 1970 to 1991, this African republic was under the power of the Congolese Party of Labor, of communist-socialist ideas.

This rehearsal ended with the fall of the government at the end of the 20th century and from there its turn to capitalism was gradual but constant.

23- Angola

Civil war was involved for much of the 20th century, a period in which the country was governed by the Communist Party until 1990, which underwent a profound political change with the opening of markets.

24- Benin

During the duration of the People's Republic of Benin, between 1975 and 1990, this country maintained a communist-socialist system of government.

At the beginning of the last decade of the 20th century, a transformation towards capitalism began, which was consolidated in the 21st century.

25- Cyprus

In 2008, Dimistris Christofias won the elections and thus, the Communist Party of Cyprus took over the island. This government lasted until 2013, when it could not revalidate its power at the polls.

26- Moldova

It is a particular case of Moldova, which since 1996 has had the winner of all elections in the Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova, but with the inability to form a government.

This means that the country is always immersed in political problems that complicate governance and does not take a definitive economic course.

Historically it was an agricultural territory but in recent years an accelerated and deep industrialization process began.

28- Nepal

It is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. His communist experience is not practical as the Communist Party of Nepal began a fierce fight against the monarchy.

In 2007, the king capitulated and the republic was formed. In the elections the following year, the PCN obtained the largest number of votes and is the dominant force in the Assembly.

29- Afghanistan

Complex situation in Afghanistan, with a history full of invasions, wars and internal conflicts. It is a country plunged into poverty due to these situations, despite its great agricultural wealth.

Communist attempts began in 1978, when the socialist Nur Muhammad Taraki seized power. However, he was assassinated a year later and the process was put on hold.

The Russian invasion in 1979 restored communist illusions, with Babrak Karmal at the head of the state. In 1986 the government fell and the internal bidding ended the possibilities of a new communist attempt.

Since 2001, the United States began a military invasion that still continues with a coalition government and a complex and diffuse political situation.

30- Estonia

It is another case of eternal struggle for independence. It took him almost a century to finally achieve it in 1990. However, communist attempts began in 1917 when the Bolsheviks tried to seize power by force after losing the elections.

During the 20th century it was under the control of Russian communism, until its final independence in the last decade of the millennium.

31- Azerbaijan

It achieved its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, meanwhile it was ruled by communist ideas. It had armed conflicts with Armenia and its internal policy was affected for more than two decades by constant coups d'état.