Quảng Ngãi () is a coastal and mountainous province located in the South Central Coast and Central Highlands regions of Vietnam. The province borders Da Nang to the north, the South China Sea to the east, Gia Lai to the south, the Lao provinces of Sekong and Attapeu, and the Cambodian province of Ratanakiri to the west. The province's administrative is Cẩm Thành Ward, located 130 km south of ÃÂàNẵng, 820 km north of Ho Chi Minh City, and 908 km south of HàNá»Âi along the National Route 1. Quảng Ngãi has a 129 km coastline with a territorial sea of .
The province was re-established in July 1989, on the basis of separating Nghéa Bình province into 2 provinces of Quảng Ngãi and Bình ÃÂá»Ânh. In May 2025, it was merged with the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum, forming the new Quảng Ngãi Province with an area of and a population of 2,161,755 people.
The province has been historically populated with H're, Cham, and Kinh peoples. Quảng Ngãi has been one of the in Vietnam and has achieved progress in poverty reduction. While being a net contributor to the national budget thanks to the presence of a planned oil and gas industry, the province is one of the 20 provinces with the lowest income per capita in Vietnam.
Quảng Ngãi's topography is dominated by a plain along the coast and in the center of the province and by mountains and hills in the west. Lowlands extend further inland along TràKhúc River. The province's highest peak is at 1630m in the west of the province near the border to Quảng Nam. The coastline is straighter in most of the south and central part of the province and features capes north of Quảng Ngãi City.
The Sa Huỳnh culture inhabited what later is Quảng Ngãi. Remains of it were found in Sa Huỳnh, ÃÂức Phá» District. Compared to the Quảng Nam province and Vijaya (Bình ÃÂá»Ânh province), there are fewer Cham remains in Quảng Ngãi. The area became part of Vietnam along with Bình ÃÂá»Ânh province in 1471 following the ChampaâÂÂÃÂại Viá»Ât War. In the 19th century, the Long Wall of Quảng Ngãi was constructed in the province, which improved security among the Vietnamese and H're people and facilitated trade. The province had become a center for religious activity, in particular with the construction of a mountain-top monastery, the Thiên Ấn Mountain Pagoda in 1695.
In the lead up to the August Revolution, Quảng Ngãi province was one of the first provinces in central Vietnam (along with Quảng Trá»Â) to organize self-defense units in March 1945. The Ba Tá Guerrilla Unit mobilized tens of thousands of peasants.
After reunification, the province was designated as the center of a planned oil industry, including the Dung Quất Refinery alongside an economic zone for the development of heavy and light industries.
The province had a population of 1,219,200 in 2009. Around 40% is concentrated in Quảng Ngãi City and the two districts just north and south of it (Sán Tá»Ânh and Tð Nghéa), where population density ranges from over 500 to 3600/km<sup>2</sup>). Population density in most of coastal Quảng Ngãi is around 400/km<sup>2</sup>. The five western districts have population densities of less than 100/km<sup>2</sup>, three of them (Tây TrÃÂ, Sán Tây, and Ba Tá) less than 50/km<sup>2</sup>. Quảng Ngãi is the least urbanized province of the South Central Coast, with 14.4% of the population living in cities and towns. The population grew by an annual average of 1% between 2000 and 2007, while the growth of the urban population was 3.9% on average.
The coastal lowlands are mostly ethnically homogeneous, with more than 99% of the population made up of Kinh people. There are Hrê communities in the southwest of the province. They made up the majority of the population in the districts of Ba Tá, Sán Hà(which then also included Sán Tây), and Minh Long as of 1996. A majority in TràBá»Âng District (which then also included the Tây TràDistrict) were Co people. There is a minority of Xá ÃÂÃÂng in Sán HàDistrict. Chams are also found on the southern coast of this province.
The economy of the province has historically relied on agriculture and fishing, and in later years has seen industrialization with the application of trade rules. The economy of Quang Ngai and surrounding regions is designated for the development of heavy industries; in particular, trade-oriented export and special economic rules apply to parts of the province. The Dung Quất Economic Zone located within the province has a separate visa regime for foreigners seeking to work within the country. Industrial output within the province has seen growth rates of 15-20% annually, far outstripping most other regions in central Vietnam. The Dung Quất Economic Zone is recognized as one of five key coastal sites for economic growth in Vietnam, and has seen Japanese foreign direct investments.
Quảng Ngãi's GDP per capita was 7.82 million VND in 2007, making it the second poorest province in the South Central Coast (after Ninh ThuáºÂn). Quảng Ngãi's economy has been booming since then, due to an increase in industrial GDP from the Dung Quat Economic Zone. It grew by 21% in 2009, increasing GDP per capita to 15.2 million VND, higher than that of its neighbours, Quảng Nam and Bình ÃÂá»Ânh provinces. Exports increased from 31 million US$ in 2005 to 182 million in 2009.
The number of employed people increased from 571,400 in 2000 to 704,700, while there is a decline in agricultural and fishing employment. The booming industrial sector created 63,200 jobs in the period and employs 99,200 as of 2007. While lacking behind the industrial sector in terms of value-added, the service sector employed 180,500 people in 2007 compared to 57,900 in 2000.
Quảng Ngãi's agricultural GDP is lower compared to other provinces in the region. Rice cultivation takes up the largest area, concentrated around Quảng Ngãi City. 381,200t of rice were harvested in 2007. Other crops include sugar-cane, peanuts, and coconuts. There is a number of cattle in the province (287,800 in 2007), mostly in the northwest and southwest.
Quảng Ngãi's fishing output as share of total national output is larger than its population share. Lý Sán island plays a role as an offshore fishing center. It contributed almost one fourth to the total of 126,000 tonnes of fish caught in 2012. In contrast to the rest of the region, there is a lack of rich fishing grounds off the coast of Quảng Ngãi province.
Quảng Ngãi City is a secondary industrial center of the South Central Coast with processing of agricultural products and production of some paper and machinery. Other products include beer (38.3 million litres in 2007), textiles (5,577 pieces), bricks (303 million), chemical fertilizer (24kt), and hand farming tools (352,000 pieces). Furniture is produced in Quảng Ngãi as an export product, accounting for 11.475 million US$ in 2007.
Industrial GDP has more than tripled between 2000 and 2007, growing by an average yearly rate of 18.64%. This was the second highest growth rate in the South Central Coast after Bình ThuáºÂn province. Industry has grown even faster since then, due in large part to the Dung Quat Economic Zone. The Dung Quất Refinery, Vietnam's first oil refinery, started production in February 2009. In the same year, industrial gross output increased by 144.7% and the share of industry in the province's GDP surged from 36.2% in 2008 to 46.3% in 2009. This share is higher than that of other provinces in the region and higher than that of Da Nang. The province's prospects for industry may also be changing outside Dung Quat Economic Zone. Vinatex bought ÃÂại Cát Tðá»Âng, a formerly bankrupt textile manufacturer, in 2011 and plans to expand its production in Quảng Ngãi.
Quảng Ngãi's industry was dominated by the state sector (mostly centrally managed companies) until 2005, after which most of the state industry was (officially) privatized. The state sector's share decreased from 2/3 in 2000 to around 1/8 in 2007, while there was a restructuring within the state sector from central state to locally managed state enterprises.
National Route 1 and the NorthâÂÂSouth railway run through the province. The main railway station is the Quảng Ngãi railway station. National Road 24 connects Quảng Ngãi to Kon Tum in the Central Highlands. It has its starting point at Thach Tru on National Route 1 28 km south of Quảng Ngãi City and passes through Ba Tá district.
There is a hydroelectric station on TràKhúc River in the center of the province. It is located near the border of Sán Hàdistrict with Tð Nghéa district and Sán Tá»Ânh district. As of 2007, 401 million kwh were generated in the province.