How many "Communist states" are there?

[R_P_A_S]

I was just wondering how many supposed "Communist States" is there right now in the world?

Cuba
China
Vietnam
North Korea
????

[spartan]

Most of these states have turned to Capitalism or Market Socialism (Authoritarian Capitalism) except for maybe Laos:
Angola
Laos
Mozambique
RO Congo
Zimbabwe

[R_P_A_S]

Most of these states have turned to Capitalism or Market Socialism (Authoritarian Capitalism) except for maybe Laos:
Angola
Laos
Mozambique
RO Congo
Zimbabwe

trust me I don't think they are communist or even a bit socialist..hence why i QUOTED.

[kromando33]

Firstly no society has ever reached 'communism', and 'communist' and 'state' are mutually contradictive terms, I believe you mean 'socialist state', as in the economic transition period of the 'dictatorship of the proletariat'.

[R_P_A_S]

Firstly no society has ever reached 'communism', and 'communist' and 'state' are mutually contradictive terms, I believe you mean 'socialist state', as in the economic transition period of the 'dictatorship of the proletariat'.

OMG.. you people are scary and sound like a damn glossary. RELAX!! I said "communist states" noticed the """"""

[LSD]

The number of countries that self-identify as "communist" or that are lead by "communist" parties is currently very small. It basically includes China, a couple of east asian cold war holdovers, and Cuba.

Every other "communist" country in history, and there have been a great many of them, has since fallen or resignated itself. And most communists would agree that even the "hodouts" aren't that "communist" themselves.

The fact is, despite a lot of superficial successes and propaganda victories, "communism" as adapted by Lenin and Mao and the rest has been a complete failure. Hopefuly the next century will see a renewed interest in communism as a project of advanced industrial societies, and not as a tool to harness nationalist sentiments in backwards third world neocolonies.

[chimx]

Firstly no society has ever reached 'communism', and 'communist' and 'state' are mutually contradictive terms, I believe you mean 'socialist state', as in the economic transition period of the 'dictatorship of the proletariat'.

Communist state means a state ran by a communist party.

[evolutionary]

comunism existed only on paper

[evolutionary]

and comunism doesnt mean dictatoship of a party ,but dictatorship of the proleteriat

[Keyser]

The Paris Commune of 1871 and the Shanghai Commune of the 1960s were the two closest examples of communist (not socialist) societies.

[Niccolò Rossi]

I won't mimic what has been said by other posters who have read to much into the question.

I will use the Western layman's use of the term "communist state", meaning a country under the rule of a "communist party" (which the OP was originally intending). Today there exists 5 of these "communist states", they are: China, North Korea, Laos, Vietnam and Cuba.

[Red Blue Pen]

Can Cyprus be included in that list now?

[Niccolò Rossi]

Can Cyprus be included in that list now?
I don't think so. In laymens terms a 'communist state' is one ruled by the communist party solely, a dictatorship of the party. Cyprus is a multi-party democracy and therefore would not classify.
But if you really wanted to include under the title 'communist state' every nation with a communist head or state or ruling party by election you would also have to include Cyprus, Moldova, Italy (communist party in ruling coalition) and Nepal (communist parties in ruling coalition)

[RHIZOMES]

Well "communist state" in the Western bourgeoisie historian terms - Cuba and North Korea are the only ones that haven't reverted to capitalism. I think Cuba is great though. North Korea needs to get rid of it's bureaucracy and dictatorship.

Slightly related note: One of the reasons I liked Maoism was the idea of class struggle even after socialism takes hold. Just take a look at Deng Xiapeng, Khruschev, Gorbachev, etc! If we aren't careful when the revolution inevitably comes again some capitalist roaders might take over as we can clearly see in the majority of "communist states" that have existed throughout history.