This is a list of non-communist states that self-identify as socialist states. That means this list includes African socialist states, Arab socialist states, Ba'athist states, and other unique socialist state formations.
Socialist states Current CountryFull nameFromUntilDurationConstitutional statement Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic27 February 1976–The SADR is a partially recognized state but does not control all of Western Sahara which mostly remains under Moroccan occupation. The original constitution mentioned "realization of socialism" as its goal which was removed from the 1991 constitution but it remains a one-party state under the Arab socialist Polisario Front.State of Eritrea24 May 1991–The socialist People's Front for Democracy and Justice is the sole legal political party in Eritrea. PFDJ was originally Maoist and is still described as "ontologically Marxist".Republic of Nicaragua18 July 1979/30 January 2025–/Since a 2025 constitutional amendment, Nicaragua has defined itself as a revolutionary socialist state based on Christian values, socialist ideals, and solidarity.
Former CountryFull nameFromUntilDurationConstitutional statementPeople's Democratic Republic of Algeria10 September 196323 February 1989Preamble: "The harmonious and efficient functioning of the political institutions provided for by the Constitution is ensured by the National Liberation Front which: Mobilizes, supervises and educates the popular masses for the achievement of socialism;" The National Liberation Front is a political party based on Arab socialism.Evans, M. (2007). Algeria: Anger of the Dispossessed. London: Yale University Press. p. 34./Union of Burma2 March 19623 January 1974Chapter XVI General Provisions: "In order to overcome this deterioration and to build Socialism, the Revolutionary Council of the Union of Burma assumed responsibility as a historical mission, adopted the Burmese Way to Socialism and also formed the Burma Socialist Programme Party".Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma3 January 197418 September 1988Total2 March 196218 September 1988Republic of Cape Verde5 July 197522 September 1992Chapter 1, Article 1: "Cape Verde is a sovereign, democratic, laic, unitary, anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist state".
It was a one-party state ruled by the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde, whose goal was the construction of a socialist society and which received support from other socialist states.Weisburd, Arthur Mark (2010) . Use of Force: The Practice of States Since World War II. Penn State University Press. p. 79.Republic of Chad16 April 196213 April 1975From 1962 to 1975, the African socialist Chadian Progressive Party was the sole legal political party in Chad.Republic of Djibouti24 October 19813 October 1992Law on National Mobilization Part 2, Article 4: "During the National Mobilization the People's Rally for Progress guarantees the formation and expression of popular consensus and the national will for economic and social transformation. It brings to the President of the Republic, guarantor of national unity, the support of its organization and the action of its activists. It ensures within it the democratic debate between the various social, cultural, economic and regional components of the national community as well as their equitable representation, their free expression and right of proposal. Its statutes must promote a broad development of internal democracy as well as broad popular support for the various institutions of the Republic".The People's Rally for Progress is a socialist party.Republic of Egypt18 June 195322 February 1958Neither 1953 constitutional declaration, 1956 Egyptian Constitution nor the Provisional Constitution of the United Arab Republic used the word 'socialist' or 'socialism', but the sole legal parties – the Liberation Rally and the National Union – were socialist.United Arab Republic22 February 195828 September 1961Arab Republic of Egypt28 September 196126 March 2007Article One of 1964 constitution of Egypt, then known as the United Arab Republic, directly mentioned socialism: "The United Arab Republic is a democratic, socialist State based on the alliance of the working powers of the people"
Article One of the Egyptian Constitution of 1971:
"The Arab Republic of Egypt is a Socialist Democratic State based on the alliance of the working forces of the people."
The 2007 Amendments removed the mention of Egypt as a socialist state from Article One. Socialism was still mentioned in the preamble and other sections, but fully removed following the 2011 revolution.Total18 June 195326 March 2007 Equatorial GuineaRepublic of Equatorial Guinea7 July 19703 August 1979See the 1973 Equatorial Guinean constitutional referendum.Preamble: "The United National Workers' Party of Equatorial Guinea (PUNT), draws up the general policy of the nation, and coordinates and controls it through the State organs".The United National Workers' Party was a political party based on African socialism.Republic of Ghana1 July 196024 February 1966Part 1, Article 2: "In the confident expectation of an early surrender of sovereignty to a union of African states and territories, the people now confer on Parliament the power to provide for the surrender of the whole or any part of the sovereignty of Ghana".See the 1960 Ghanaian constitutional referendum.Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, is mentioned in the 1960 constitution. Nkrumah and his party, the Convention People's Party, were African socialists, whose party constitution stated: "To establish a socialist state in which all men and women shall have equal opportunity and where there shall be no capital[ist] exploitation".Apter, David Ernest (21 February 1972) . Ghana in Transition (2nd revised ed.). Princeton University Press. p. 204. .Ghana's Seven Year Development plan included the task to "[e]mbark upon the socialist transformation of the economy through the rapid development of state and co-operative sectors".Ghana. Planning Commission (1964). Seven-year Development Plan: A Brief Outline. Office of the Planning Commission.People's Revolutionary Republic of Guinea2 October 19583 April 1984From 1958 to 1984, the African socialist Democratic Party of Guinea – African Democratic Rally was the sole legal political party in Guinea.Thomas O'Toole, Historical Dictionary of Guinea, 1978, p. 55Republic of Guinea-Bissau10 September 19749 May 1991Chapter 1, Article 1: "Guinea-Bissau is a sovereign, democratic, laic, unitary, anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist state".
It was a one-party state ruled by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, whose goal was the construction of a socialist society and which received support from other socialist states./Iraqi Republic14 July 19588 February 1963 From 1958 to 1963, the Iraqi Communist Party held significant power within the progressive military government of General Abd al-Karim Qasim.See the 14 July Revolution.8 February 1963 17 July 1968Part 1, Article 1: "The Republic of Iraq is a democratic, socialist state, deriving the principles of her democracy and socialism from the Arab Heritage and the Islamic spirit."
From 1963 to 1968, the Arab Socialist Union was the sole legal political party in Iraq.Iraqi Republic17 July 19687 April 2005Chapter 1, Article 1: "Its [the country's] basic objective is the realization of one Arab State and the build-up of the socialist system".Total14 July 19587 April 2005/Libyan Arab Republic1 September 19692 March 1977Section 1, Article 6: "The aim of the state is the realization of socialism through the application of social justice which forbids any form of exploitation".Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya2 March 197715 April 1986Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya15 April 198620 October 2011Total1 September 196920 October 2011Democratic Republic of Madagascar30 December 197512 September 1992Preamble: "The Malagasy people,[...] — Determined to build a State of a new type, expression of the interests of the working masses, and to build a society in conformity with the socialist principles set out in the 'Charter of the Malagasy Socialist Revolution'，"Constitution de la République démocratique malgache."Madagascar: 1975 Constitutional referendum". EISA. Retrieved 20 January 2020.Republic of Mali20 June 196026 March 1991From 1960 to 1968, the African socialist Sudanese Union – African Democratic Rally was the sole legal political party in Mali. The 1974 Malian constitution provided for a one-party system which was ruled by the socialist Democratic Union of the Malian People.Islamic Republic of Mauritania25 December 196110 December 1984Chapter 1, Article 9: "The popular will is expressed through the democratically organized State Party. The Mauritanian People's Party, born from the merger of the national parties existing on December 25, 1961, is recognized as the only party of the State".The Mauritanian People's Party was a political party based on Islamic socialism. Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe12 July 197520 September 1990Preamble: "[…], the people of São Tomé and Príncipe continue their irreversible march on the path of democratic and popular revolution with the aim of achieving the economic, social and cultural objectives defined in the M.L.S.T.P. program, aiming at the construction of a society free from the exploitation of man by man, the consolidation of the unity of the African peoples and the strengthening of friendship and solidarity with all the peoples of the world."
The M.L.S.T.P. is a political party based on African socialism.Republic of Senegal20 August 196024 April 1981From 1960 to 1975, the African socialist Senegalese Progressive Union (UPS) was the sole legal political party in Senegal and until 1981 constitutionally only three parties were allowed: a socialist party (UPS), a liberal party and a Marxist–Leninist communist party.Republic of Seychelles5 June 197727 December 1991Preamble: "Seychelles is declared to be a sovereign socialist republic".Republic of Sierra Leone12 July 19781 October 1991Chapter X, Article 176: "The All People's Congress established and in being immediately prior to the commencement of this Constitution shall continue in being thereafter and be deemed to be the One Party officially recognised in Sierra Leone".The All People's Congress is a political party based on African socialism. Democratic Republic of the Sudan25 May 196910 October 1985Preamble: "In the belief of our pursuit of freedom, socialism and democracy to achieve the society of sufficiency, justice and equality"./Syrian Arab Republic8 March 196327 February 2012Section 1, Article 8: "The leading party in the society and the state is the Socialist Arab Ba'ath Party. It leads a patriotic and progressive front seeking to unify the resources of the people's masses and place them at the service of the Arab nation's goals".United Republic of Tanzania26 April 19641 July 1992Part 1, Article 3 (2): "Until the union of the Tanganyika African National Union with the Afro-Shirazi Party (which United Party shall constitute the one political Party), the Party shall, in and for Tanganyika, be the, Tanganyika African National Union and, in and for Zanzibar, be the Afro-Shirazi Party."
The Tanganyika African National Union was a populist socialist party based on the Ujamaa ideology.