As of 2026, there are five officially communist states in the world: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. These nations are governed by a single communist party, although their economic models vary significantly, with countries like China and Vietnam incorporating market-oriented reforms while retaining tight political control.
These were characterized by one-party rule, rejection of private property and capitalism, state control of economic activity and mass media, restrictions on freedom of religion, and suppression of opposition. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, many governments abolished Communist rule.
The repercussions of the collapse of these states contributed to political transformations in the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and several other non-European communist states. Presently, there are five states which are officially communist in the world: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam.
What is the difference between socialism and communism?
Socialism aims for collective ownership/control of production for fairer resource distribution, allowing some private property and democratic processes, while communism, in theory, seeks a stateless, classless society with no private property where resources are shared based on need, often requiring a revolutionary overthrow of capitalism and strong state control (in practice) to achieve. The main distinction lies in ownership (socialism allows some private, communism abolishes it) and method (socialism often democratic reform, communism revolutionary force), with Marxism viewing socialism as a transitional stage to full communism.
Yes, there are several communist parties in the UK, with the most prominent being the Communist Party of Britain (CPB), a Marxist-Leninist party active in the labour movement, and the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), a separate, older organisation that emerged after a split in 1991. Other smaller communist groups also exist, but the CPB is the largest, fielding candidates and working within trade unions and social movements.
A communist society is characterized by common ownership of the means of production with free access to the articles of consumption and is classless, stateless, and moneyless, implying the end of the exploitation of labour.
The governments of communist states have been criticized as authoritarian or totalitarian for suppressing and killing political dissidents and social classes (so-called "enemies of the people"), religious persecution, ethnic cleansing, forced collectivization, and use of forced labor in concentration camps.
Communism—theoretically, ideologically, and historically—opposes God and all forms of religion. From the time of Karl Marx to today, communism is based on the abolition of religion. In 1844, Marx wrote, “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions.
Although Marxist theory suggested that industrial societies were the most suitable places for social revolution (either through peaceful transition or by force of arms), communism was mostly successful in underdeveloped countries with endemic poverty such as the Republic of China.
What is the difference between democracy and communism?
Communism is based on sharing items or property, which are held in common. Its political theory is community ownership and the sharing of benefits as well as treating every worker with the same wages and benefits. On the other hand, democracies are ruled by government leaders who are elected by citizens.
A significant portion of Gen Z holds favorable views toward socialism, with polls showing roughly 44% to 62% of young Americans (18-29/34) having positive opinions of the term, often exceeding support for capitalism within their age group. This sentiment stems from dissatisfaction with capitalism, with high percentages blaming it for economic insecurity, housing crises, and climate change, leading to interest in socialist ideas, although specific definitions and commitment vary, with some polls showing high interest in socialist ideals but less support for communist systems.
Far-left politics are the leftmost ideologies on the left of the left–right political spectrum. They are a heterogeneous group of ideologies within left-wing politics, and wide variety exists between different far-left groups. Ideologies such as communism and anarchism are typically described as far-left.
There is no government or private property or currency, and the wealth is divided among citizens equally or according to individual need. Many of communism's tenets derive from the works of German revolutionary Karl Marx, who (with Friedrich Engels) wrote The Communist Manifesto (1848).
To the United States and its allies, communism represented a threat to free trade, free elections, and individual freedoms. This threat was heightened by the increased number of nuclear weapons.
However, despite the support of James Maxton, the Independent Labour Party leader, the Labour Party decided against the affiliation of the Communist Party. Even while pursuing affiliation and seeking to influence Labour Party members, however, the CPGB promoted candidates of its own at parliamentary elections.
Almost everything we take for granted in modern Britain is only there because of capitalism. The last time this country experimented with state planning and nationalisation, we ended up with a stagnant economy.
It is viewed critically by some socialists, who reject it as utopian socialism and for its methodology, and by some religious figures and popes, who rejected socialism's compatibility with Christianity due to its perceived atheism and materialism.
Capitalism and anarchism are opposites of communism. Capitalism is the opposite because it promotes private ownership of labor, goods, wealth, and property (communism operates on the public ownership of these things as distributed by the state).
