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A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different even though both positions are "number two" offices. The position of deputy prime minister should not be confused with the Canadian Deputy Minister of the Prime Minister of Canada, a nonpolitical civil servant position. Also, the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada does not act as a "number two".

The states of Australia and provinces of Canada each have the analogous office of deputy premier. In the devolved administrations of the United Kingdom, an analogous position is that of the deputy first minister but the position in Northern Ireland has the same powers as the First Minister.

A deputy prime minister traditionally serves as acting prime minister when the real prime minister is temporarily absent or incapable of exercising his/her power. The deputy prime minister is often asked to succeed to the prime minister's office following the prime minister's sudden death or unexpected resignation, but that is not necessarily mandated by the constitution. This government position is often a job that is held simultaneously with another ministry, and is usually given to one of the most senior or fairly experienced ministers of the cabinet. The holder of this office may also be deputy leader of the governing party, or perhaps even as leader of the junior party of a coalition government.

Little scholarly attention has focused on deputy prime ministers due to their nature as being less involved in the political power plays of government and more focus on the work at hand. A 2009 study in Political Science identified nine 'qualities' of deputy prime ministership: temperament; relationships with their Cabinet and caucus; relationships with their party; popularity with the public; media skills; achievements as deputy prime minister; relationship with the prime minister; leadership ambition; and method of succession.^[1]

By contrast, the structure of the Government of Russia ^[2] and Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine foresees the positions of several deputy prime ministers or vice prime ministers.^[3] In the case of the Russian government, the Prime Minister is responsible for defining the scope of the duties for each of his or her deputies,^[4] who also may head a specific ministry - e.g. the former Minister of Finance of Russia, Alexey Kudrin also serves as one of the deputies of the prime ministers or vice-premiers. One or two of these deputy prime ministers may hold the title of a First Deputy Prime Minister. The Russian federal law indicates that in accordance with the order established in advance, one of the deputy prime ministers may temporarily substitute for the Prime Minister in his or her absence. Customarily, however, it is to one of the "First" Deputy Prime Ministers that the prime-ministerial duties may be delegated. At the same time, in the case of Prime Minister's resignation, the law allows the President of Russia to choose any of the current vice-premiers to serve as an acting Prime Minister until the confirmation of the new government.^[5]

Lists of deputy prime ministers

Country	Title	Name	Office date	Notes
Africa
Mauritius	Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius Vice Prime Minister of Mauritius	Ivan Collendavelloo (DPM) Showkutally Soodhun (VPM)	17 December 2014 17 December 2014	Vice Prime Minister is an honorary title.
North America
Bahamas	Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas	Peter Turnquest	11 May 2017
Canada	Deputy Prime Minister of Canada	Vacant	6 February 2006	position not currently in use (since 2006)
Asia
China	First Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China	Han Zheng	19 March 2018
India	Deputy Prime Minister of India	Vacant	22 May 2004	position not currently in use (since 2004)
Israel	Designated Acting Prime Minister of Israel Deputy Prime Minister of Israel Vice Prime Minister of Israel	?	?	Vice Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are honorary titles.
Japan	Deputy Prime Minister of Japan	Tarō Asō	26 December 2012
Lebanon	Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon	?	?
Malaysia	Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia	Wan Azizah Wan Ismail	9 May 2018
Pakistan	Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan	Vacant	25 June 2012
Singapore	Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore	Teo Chee Hean Tharman Shanmugaratnam	1 April 2009 21 May 2011
South Korea	Deputy Prime Minister of South Korea (ko:대한민국의 부총리)	Kim Dong-yeon Kim Sang-gon	9 June 2017
Taiwan	Vice Premier of the Republic of China	Shih Jun-ji	8 September 2017
Thailand	Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand	?	?
Vietnam	Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam	?	?
Europe
Armenia	Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia	Tigran Avinyan Mher Grigoryan	11 May 2018
Albania	Deputy Prime Minister of Albania	Senida Mesi	11 September 2017
Austria	Vice-Chancellor of Austria	Heinz-Christian Strache	17 May 2017
Belgium	Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium	Didier Reynders Kris Peeters Alexander De Croo	8 December 2018
Croatia	Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia	Damir Krstičević Predrag Štromar Marija Pejčinović Burić Tomislav Tolušić	19 October 2016 9 June 2017 19 June 2017 25 May 2018	Article 109 of the Constitution mandates that there be at least one Deputy Prime Minister in every cabinet. The position is usually held by senior government ministers or leaders of junior parties in a coalition government. The title First Deputy Prime Minister is occasionally used when the position is occupied either by the chair of a junior coalition party which has significant parliamentary representation, and may be key in maintaining a majority, or by a high-official within the larger party in a coalition (as was the case in the Orešković cabinet).
Finland	Deputy Prime Minister of Finland	Petteri Orpo	28 June 2017
Germany	Vice-Chancellor of Germany	Olaf Scholz	14 March 2018
Greece	Deputy Prime Minister of Greece	Yannis Dragasakis	23 September 2013
Ireland	Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland)	Simon Coveney	30 November 2017
Italy	Deputy Prime Minister of Italy	Matteo Salvini Luigi Di Maio	1 June 2018
Luxembourg	Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg	Etienne Schneider	4 December 2013	Traditionally the leader of the second biggest party in a government coalition
Malta	Deputy Prime Minister of Malta	Chris Fearne	17 July 2017
Montenegro	Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro	Igor Lukšić Duško Marković Rafet Husović Azra Jasavić	4 December 2012 29 December 2010 4 December 2012 2 June 2016
Netherlands	Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands	Hugo de Jonge Kajsa Ollongren Carola Schouten	26 October 2017
Poland	Deputy Prime Minister of Poland	Piotr Gliński Jarosław Gowin Beata Szydło	16 November 2015 11 December 2017
Portugal	Deputy Prime Minister of Portugal	Vacant	?	position not currently in use (since 2015)
Russia	Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation	Anton Siluanov	18 May 2018
Serbia	Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia	Rasim Ljajić Ivica Dačić Zorana Mihajlović Nebojša Stefanović	27 July 2012 27 April 2014 27 April 2014 11 August 2016
Slovenia	Deputy Prime Minister of Slovenia	Karl Viktor Erjavec Dejan Židan	20 March 2013
Spain	Deputy Prime Minister of Spain	Carmen Calvo	7 June 2018
Sweden	Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden	Margot Wallström Isabella Lövin	25 May 2016
Turkey	Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey	?	?
United Kingdom	Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom First Secretary of State (de facto)	David Lidington (DPM) David Lidington (FSS)
Oceania
Australia	Deputy Prime Minister of Australia	Michael McCormack	26 February 2018
New Zealand	Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand	Winston Peters	26 October 2017

Former countries

• 
  Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union
  


• 
  First Deputy Premier of the Soviet Union
  


• 
  Deputy Prime Minister of Yugoslavia
  

References