However many communities, particularly large urban ones with provincial status, will be divided into wards which are known as phường.
As of 31 December 2008[update], there were a total of 9,111 communes in Vietnam excluding townships and wards.
Each commune may consist of a number of towns and villages; but often wards and commune-level towns (mostly from urban districts) are divided into residential neighborhoods or wards which differ from rural communes.
As of 31 December 2009[update], there were a total of 11,112 commune-level subdivisions in Vietnam including townships and wards.
[2] The council has a number of responsibilities, including monitoring health and education in the commune.