My question is asking what countries are socialist not comunist
Executive summary
There is no single agreed list of “socialist but not communist” countries; most sources treat self-declared one‑party Marxist–Leninist states (China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, North Korea) as both communist and socialist, while other countries are described as “socialist” in constitution, party name, or policy without being communist (examples vary by source) [1][2]. Major compilers warn that “socialist” can mean a constitutional claim, a ruling party identity, or merely extensive welfare policy—so lists differ by definition and intent [2][1].
1. What “socialist” means in practice — three different buckets
Journalists and analysts separate countries into at least three categories: (A) one‑party states that constitutionally commit to socialism and are led by communist parties (often called “communist” states); (B) multi‑party democracies whose governments pursue socialist or social‑democratic programs (welfare states, public ownership in parts of the economy); and (C) countries that use “socialist” in symbolic or historical language without a socialist governing program. Sources emphasize that identifying a country as “socialist” requires choosing which bucket you mean, because the presence of social policies alone does not make a state socialist [1][2].
2. The commonly agreed “communist = socialist” group
Multiple 2025 guides list five states that constitutionally identify as one‑party socialist states and are led by communist parties: China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and North Korea. Those sources explicitly group those five as both socialist in constitutional identity and communist in party rule, which means they are not examples of “socialist but not communist” under the narrow constitutional definition [1][3].
3. Countries often described as “socialist” but not communist
Available sources show disagreement about which democracies count as “socialist.” Some outlets list democratic‑socialist or social‑democratic countries (Nordic states such as Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden) as examples where strong welfare states and redistributive policies embody socialist aims in practice, while remaining multiparty capitalist democracies [4][5][6]. One guide cautions these are programmatic claims—policy choices that can change with elections—so they are not constitutionally socialist states [1].
4. Why lists vary: criteria and political framing matter
WorldPopulationReview notes there is “no criteria or official process” to name a socialist state and that a country can be counted as socialist simply by self‑identifying as such, which produces divergent lists [2]. Other compilers distinguish self‑declaration, constitutional language, and policy mix as separate grounds for inclusion; that definitional fuzziness explains why a tourism or advocacy site and an encyclopedia can produce very different rosters [1][7].
5. Examples and counter‑examples in reporting
Practical examples in the sources: the five one‑party states (China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, North Korea) consistently appear as constitutionally socialist and governed by communist parties [1]. Nordic countries are repeatedly surfaced by other outlets as “democratic socialist” or social‑democratic examples—these are explicitly not communist because they maintain pluralism and market economies, even as they pursue extensive social programs [4][5][6]. Sources also note countries like Venezuela and Cuba are commonly cited in debates over whether socialism causes economic problems, showing how political agendas shape labeling [4].
6. How to answer your question precisely
If your criterion is “self‑declared socialist but not communist” the sources do not supply a stable, universally accepted list; they instead show two clear outcomes: (a) the five one‑party states are both communist and socialist by constitutional claim [1]; (b) many Western European and Nordic countries are labeled “democratic socialist” or social‑democratic in some coverage because of their policies but are explicitly not communist and do not constitutionally declare socialism [4][5][6]. WorldPopulationReview and GeographyPin advise caution: you must state which definition you use before naming countries [2][1].
7. What reporting doesn’t settle
Available sources do not list a definitive, universally accepted roster of “socialist but not communist” states. They do not say any of the five constitutionally socialist/communist states are non‑communist [1]. They also do not provide an authoritative checklist that would let us produce a single, uncontested list under every plausible definition [2].
Bottom line: pick your definition (constitutional identity vs. programmatic policy vs. self‑label). Under the strict constitutional test, the five—China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, North Korea—are both socialist and communist [1]. Under a policy‑oriented test, many European social‑democracies (Nordic states, some Western European governments) are “socialist‑in‑practice” without being communist, but that classification depends on the source and is explicitly programmatic and changeable [4][5][6].