There are, at present, a number of communist parties active in various countries across the world, and a number who used to be active. The formation of communist parties in various countries was first initiated by the formation of the communist Third International by the Russian Bolsheviks. Undoubtedly the most important of these parties were those of the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.

Some Communist parties have names such as Socialist Party, Socialist Workers Party, Workers' Party, etc. The parties on this list are mostly those that were aligned with either Moscow or Beijing during the Cold War and their offshoots.

See also: World Communist Movement, List of left-wing internationals, List of Trotskyist internationals, List of members of the Comintern, List of left communist internationals, List of political parties

List

Ruling

• People's Republic of China - Communist Party of China
• Cuba - Communist Party of Cuba
• Laos - Lao People's Revolutionary Party
• Moldova - Communist Party of Moldova
• North Korea - Korean Workers' Party
• Vietnam - Communist Party of Vietnam

Formerly ruling, now defunct

• Afghanistan -People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
• Albania - Albanian Party of Labour
• Bulgaria - Bulgarian Communist Party (known from 1938 to 1948 as the Bulgarian Workers Party)
• Cambodia - Communist Party of Cambodia (Khmer Rouge)
• Czechoslovakia - Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
• Ethiopia - Workers' Party of Ethiopia
• Germany (East) - Socialist Unity Party of Germany
• Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919) - Hungarian Communist Party
• Hungary - Hungarian Workers Party, Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party
• Mongolia - Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
• Poland - Polish United Workers Party
• Romania - Romanian Communist Party (Romanian Workers Party until 1965)
• Soviet Union - Communist Party of the Soviet Union (before 1918, Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic and Labour Party)
• People's Democratic Republic of Yemen - Yemeni Socialist Party
• Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - League of Communists of Yugoslavia

Modern

• Afghanistan - The Khalq faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
• Algeria - Algerian Party of Peace and Socialism
• Argentina - Communist Party of Argentina
• Australia - Communist Party of Australia
• Austria - Communist Party of Austria
• Bahrain - National Liberation Front of Bahrain
• Bangladesh - Communist Party of Bangladesh
• Belarus - Communist Party of Belarus, Party of Belorussian Communists
• Belgium - Kommunistische Partij , Parti Communiste , Workers Party of Belgium
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - Workers' Communist Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bolivia - Communist Party of Bolivia
• Brazil - Brazilian Communist Party, Communist Party of Brazil
• Britain - Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee), Communist Party of Britain, Communist Party of Britain Marxist-Leninist, Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of Scotland, New Communist Party of Britain, Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist)
• Burma - Burmese Communist Party
• Canada - Communist Party of Canada, Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist)
• Chile - Communist Party of Chile
• Colombia - Colombian Communist Party, Clandestine Colombian Communist Party
• Costa Rica - Popular Vanguard Party , Costa Rican People's Party
• Cyprus - Progressive Party of Working People
• Czech Republic - Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
• Denmark - Communist Party of Denmark , Communist Party in Denmark
• Dominican Republic - Force of the Revolution
• Finland - Communist Party of Finland
• France - Communist Party of France
• Ecuador - Communist Party of Ecuador
• Egypt - Communist Party of Egypt
• Georgia - Georgian United Communist Party
• Germany - German Communist Party
• Greece - Communist Party of Greece
• Guadeloupe - Communist Party of Guadeloupe
• Hungary - Workers Party
• India - Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist)
• Iran - Tudeh Party of Iran, Worker-Communist Party of Iran
• Iraq - Iraqi Communist Party, Worker-Communist Party of Iraq
• Ireland - Communist Party of Ireland, Workers Party of Ireland
• Israel - Communist Party of Israel which dominates the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash)
• Italy - Communist Refoundation Party, Party of Italian Communists
• Japan - Japanese Communist Party
• Jordan - Communist Party of Jordan, Communist Workers' Party of Jordan
• Kazakhstan - Communist Party of Kazakhstan , Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan - Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan, Party of Communists of Kyrgyzstan
• Lebanon - Lebanese Communist Party
• Lesotho - Communist Party of Lesotho
• Luxemburg - Communist Party of Luxemburg
• Malta - Communist Party of Malta
• Martinique - Communist Party of Martinique
• Mexico - Popular Socialist Party of Mexico
• Morocco - Party of Progress and Socialism
• Nepal - Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of Nepal (United) , Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist), Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre-Masal)
• Netherlands - New Communist Party of the Netherlands
• New Zealand - Socialist Party of Aotearoa
• Norway - Communist Party of Norway , Workers Communist Party of Norway
• Panama - People's Party of Panama
• Paraguay - Paraguayan Communist Party
• Pakistan - Communist Mazdoor Kisan Party, Communist Party of Pakistan
• Peru - Peruvian Communist Party , Communist Party of Peru (Red Fatherland) , Communist Party of Peru
• Philippines - Communist Party of the Philippines
• Poland - Communist Party of Poland
• Portugal - Communist Party of Portugal, Portuguese Communist Party
• Reunion - Communist Party of Reunion
• Russia - Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Communist Workers Party of Russia
• San Marino - San Marino Communist Refoundation
• Serbia and Montenegro - New Communist Party of Yugoslavia
• Senegal - Party of Independence and Labour
• Slovakia - Communist Party of Slovakia
• South Africa - South African Communist Party
• Spain - Communist Party of Spain
• Sudan - Communist Party of the Sudan
• Sweden - Communist Party of Sweden
• Switzerland - Swiss Party of Labor
• Syria - Syrian Communist Party (Bakdash), Syrian Communist Party (Faisal)
• Sri Lanka - Communist Party of Sri Lanka
• Tajikistan - Communist Party of Tajikistan
• Turkey - Communist Party of Turkey
• Ukraine - Communist Party of Ukraine
• United States - Communist Party USA, Progressive Labor Party, Revolutionary Communist Party, Socialist Workers Party, Workers World Party, Workers Party, USA
• Uruguay - Communist Party of Uruguay
• Venezuela - Communist Party of Venezuela

Former

• Afghanistan - Parcham faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, became Democratic Watan Party of Afghanistan
• Albania - Socialist Party of Albania
• Brazil - Brazilian Communist Party, became Popular Socialist Party
• Bulgaria - Bulgarian Socialist Party
• Cambodia - Cambodia People's Party
• Ethiopia - All Ethiopian Socialist Movement
• Germany (East) - Socialist Unity Party of Germany, became Party of Democratic Socialism
• Hungary - Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party, became Hungarian Socialist Party
• Iceland - Popular Alliance
• Italy - Democrats of the Left
• Mongolia - Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
• Slovakia - Party of the Democratic Left
• Sweden - Left Party - Communists , became Left Party
• Palestine - Palestine Communist Party , became Palestinian People's Party
• Poland - Polish United Workers Party, became Alliance of the Democratic Left
• Romania - Communist Party of Romania, became Democratic Socialist Party of Romania and then Social Democratic Party of Romania
• San Marino - Communist Party of San Marino, became Party of Democrats
• Tunisia - Tunisian Communist Party, became Movement for Renewal
• Yemen - Yemeni Socialist Party

Defunct (non-ruling)

• Australia - Communist Party of Australia (original)
• Canada - Labour-Progressive Party founded in 1943 when Communist Party of Canada was banned (resumed former name in 1959), Workers' Communist Party of Canada (Maoist)
• Channel Islands - Communist Party of Jersey
• Cuba - People's Socialist Party , joined Cuban Communist Party
• El Salvador - Communist Party of El Salvador, joined FMLN
• Germany - Spartacist League formed in 1918 and became the Communist Party of Germany
• Germany (West) - Socialist Unity Party of West Berlin , Communist Party of Germany (banned 1956 in West Germany)
• Guatemala - Guatemalan Party of Labour, joined URNG
• Honduras - Communist Party of Honduras , dissolved into Partido Renovación Patriótica
• Indonesia - Communist Party of Indonesia
• Israel - Maki (1948-1973) split in 1965 with formation of largely Arab Rakah which changed its name to Maki in 1989.
• Italy - Communist Party of Italy
• Malaysia - Communist Party of Malaya , North Kalimantan Communist Party
• Mexico - Mexican Communist Party
• Mauritania- Communist Party of Mauritania
• Netherlands - Communist Party of the Netherlands became part of GroenLinks in 1989
• New Zealand - Communist Party of New Zealand, Socialist Unity Party
• Nicaragua - Socialist Party of Nicaragua
• Palestine - Communist Party of Palestine (1921-1948)
• Poland - Communist Party of Poland, see Polish minority in Soviet Union
• Saudi Arabia - Communist Party of Saudi Arabia
• Taiwan - Taiwanese Communist Party
• Thailand - Communist Party of Thailand
• United Kingdom - Communist Party of Great Britain
• United States - Provisional Communist Party, Communist Party Marxist-Leninist, May 19th Communist Movement

See also

• Index of political parties to browse parties by name
• List of political parties to browse parties by country
• List of political parties by ideology to browse parties by name
• Membership of internationals to browse parties by membership of internationals