Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions [time series]
total: 719,001 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2020 est.)
Broadcast media [time series]
state-owned national radio-TV broadcaster operates 1 TV and 1 radio station; a total of nearly 70 terrestrial TV channels and some 50 radio stations are in operation; Russian and Romanian channels also are available (2019)
Internet country code [time series]
.md
Internet users [time series]
total: 1.891 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 61% (2021 est.)
Telecommunication systems [time series]
general assessment: the telecom market has been affected by a combination of high unemployment and economic difficulties which have led to constraints on consumer spending; this has resulted in telecom revenue having fallen steadily in recent years; this decline continued into 2020, with a 6.3% in revenue from the important mobile sector alone, year-on-year; Moldova s aspirations to join the EU have encouraged the government and regulator to adopt a range of measures to bring the country s telecoms sector into line with EU principles and standards; in July 2017 the Electronic Communications Act was amended to accommodate the 2009 European regulatory framework, while further amendments were adopted in December 2017 and additional changes were proposed in 2019; Moldova is also part of the Eastern Partnership group of countries, and as such has set in train a glide path to reducing roaming charges, effective between 2022 and 2026; the country s broadband strategy through to 2025 has been supported by the ITU and industry counterparts from South Korea; the internet market is developing rapidly; the market is highly competitive, with 101 active ISPs as of early 2021; the number of cable broadband subscribers is increasing steadily, though fiber is now by far the strongest sector; by the end of 2020 fiber accounted for about 72.3% of all fixed broadband connections; the mobile market has also grown rapidly; the near comprehensive geographical reach of their mobile networks, market brand recognition and existing customer relationships will make for steady subscriber growth in coming years (2022) domestic: fixed-line service is 33 per 100; mobile-cellular teledensity is 127 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 373; service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3 - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik
Telephones - fixed lines [time series]
total subscriptions: 1,000,228 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2021 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
total subscriptions: 3,900,179 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 127 (2021 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products [time series]
maize, wheat, sunflower seeds, grapes, apples, sugar beets, milk, potatoes, barley, plums/sloes
Budget [time series]
revenues: $3.582 billion (2019 est.) expenditures: $3.754 billion (2019 est.) note: National Public Budget
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]
-0.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Credit ratings [time series]
Moody's rating: B3 (2010) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Current account balance [time series]
-$1.699 billion (2021 est.) -$886.899 million (2020 est.) -$1.106 billion (2019 est.)
Debt - external [time series]
$7.232 billion (2019 est.) $7.16 billion (2018 est.)
Economic overview [time series]
upper middle-income Eastern European economy; sustained growth reversed by COVID-19; significant remittances; Russian energy and regional dependence; agricultural exporter; declining workforce due to emigration and low fertility
Exchange rates [time series]
Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - 17.68 (2021 est.) 17.322 (2020 est.) 17.573 (2019 est.) 16.802 (2018 est.) 18.499 (2017 est.)
Exports [time series]
$4.197 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $3.222 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $3.662 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - commodities [time series]
insulated wiring, wheat, sunflower seeds, rolled iron, wine, corn, seats (2021)
Exports - partners [time series]
Romania 27%, Russia 9%, Italy 9%, Germany 9%, Turkey 6%, Poland 5% (2019)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$11.982 billion (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use [time series]
household consumption: 85.8% (2017 est.) government consumption: 19% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 21.9% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 1.4% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 42.5% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -70.7% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: 17.7% (2017 est.) industry: 20.3% (2017 est.) services: 62% (2017 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income [time series]
26 (2019 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 22.1% (2014 est.)
Imports [time series]
$7.915 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $5.918 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars $6.608 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - commodities [time series]
refined petroleum, cars, insulated wiring, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment (2019)
Imports - partners [time series]
Romania 20%, Russia 10%, Ukraine 9%, Germany 8%, China 7%, Turkey 6%, Italy 6% (2019)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
-0.67% (2021 est.)
Industries [time series]
sugar processing, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
5.11% (2021 est.) 3.77% (2020 est.) 4.84% (2019 est.)
Labor force [time series]
810,000 (2021 est.)
Population below poverty line [time series]
7.3% (2018 est.)
Public debt [time series]
33.01% of GDP (2020 est.) 24.95% of GDP (2019 est.) 27.02% of GDP (2018 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) [time series]
$36.637 billion (2021 est.) $32.153 billion (2020 est.) $34.715 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate [time series]
13.94% (2021 est.) -7.38% (2020 est.) 3.68% (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita [time series]
$14,000 (2021 est.) $12,200 (2020 est.) $13,000 (2019 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$3.902 billion (31 December 2021 est.) $3.784 billion (31 December 2020 est.) $3.06 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
Taxes and other revenues [time series]
17.41% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
3.96% (2021 est.) 3.82% (2020 est.) 5.1% (2019 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) [time series]
total: 8.6% (2021 est.) male: 5.3% female: 14.7%
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions [time series]
8.114 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 374,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 2.968 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) from consumed natural gas: 4.773 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) consumption: 133,000 metric tons (2020 est.) exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.) imports: 133,000 metric tons (2020 est.) proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Electricity [time series]
installed generating capacity: 594,000 kW (2020 est.) consumption: 4.591 billion kWh (2019 est.) exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.) imports: 629 million kWh (2020 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 571 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity access [time series]
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Electricity generation sources [time series]
fossil fuels: 93.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) wind: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) hydroelectricity: 4.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) biomass and waste: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Energy consumption per capita [time series]
40.398 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Natural gas [time series]
production: 57,000 cubic meters (2019 est.) consumption: 2.802 billion cubic meters (2019 est.) exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.) imports: 2.802 billion cubic meters (2019 est.) proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Petroleum [time series]
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 22,000 bbl/day (2019 est.) crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]
275 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]
18,160 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production [time series]
232 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Environment
Air pollutants [time series]
particulate matter emissions: 12.37 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 5.12 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 3.29 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate [time series]
moderate winters, warm summers
Environment - current issues [time series]
heavy use of agricultural chemicals has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion and declining soil fertility from poor farming methods
International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 74.9% (2018 est.) arable land: 55.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 9.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 10.7% (2018 est.) forest: 11.9% (2018 est.) other: 13.2% (2018 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km) [time series]
Dunărea (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km; Nistru (Dniester) (shared with Ukraine [s/m]) - 1,411 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km) [time series]
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Revenue from coal [time series]
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from forest resources [time series]
0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)
Total renewable water resources [time series]
12.27 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawal [time series]
municipal: 160 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 580 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 43.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling [time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 3,981,200 tons (2015 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 609,920 tons (2015 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 15.3% (2015 est.)
Geography
total: 33,851 sq km land: 32,891 sq km water: 960 sq km
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly larger than Maryland
Climate [time series]
moderate winters, warm summers
Coastline [time series]
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation [time series]
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m lowest point: Dniester (Nistru) 2 m mean elevation: 139 m
Geographic coordinates [time series]
47 00 N, 29 00 E
Geography - note [time series]
landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone
Irrigated land [time series]
2,155 sq km (2020)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 1,885 km border countries (2): Romania 683 km; Ukraine 1202 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 74.9% (2018 est.) arable land: 55.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 9.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 10.7% (2018 est.) forest: 11.9% (2018 est.) other: 13.2% (2018 est.)
Location [time series]
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Major rivers (by length in km) [time series]
Dunărea (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km; Nistru (Dniester) (shared with Ukraine [s/m]) - 1,411 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km) [time series]
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Map references [time series]
Europe
Maritime claims [time series]
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards [time series]
landslides
Natural resources [time series]
lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, limestone, arable land
Population distribution [time series]
pockets of agglomeration exist throughout the country, the largest being in the center of the country around the capital of Chisinau, followed by Tiraspol and Balti
Terrain [time series]
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
32 raions (raioane, singular - raion), 3 municipalities (municipii, singular - municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala) raions: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti, Soroca, Stefan Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni municipalities: Balti, Bender, Chisinau autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului (Transnistria)
Capital [time series]
name: Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian) geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 28 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: origin unclear but may derive from the archaic Romanian word chisla ("spring" or "water source") and noua ("new") because the original settlement was built at the site of a small spring note: pronounced KEE-shee-now (KIH-shi-nyov)
Citizenship [time series]
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Moldova dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Constitution [time series]
history: previous 1978; latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994 amendments: proposed by voter petition (at least 200,000 eligible voters), by at least one third of Parliament members, or by the government; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament within one year of initial proposal; revisions to constitutional articles on sovereignty, independence, and neutrality require majority vote by referendum; articles on fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended; amended many times, last in 2018
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Republic of Moldova conventional short form: Moldova local long form: Republica Moldova local short form: Moldova former: Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic etymology: named for the Moldova River in neighboring eastern Romania
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Kent D. LOGSDON (since 16 February 2022) embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009 mailing address: 7080 Chisinau Place, Washington DC 20521-7080 telephone: [373] (22) 408-300 FAX: [373] (22) 233-044 email address and website: ChisinauACS@state.gov https://md.usembassy.gov/
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Viorel URSU (since 12 December 2022) chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2624 email address and website: washington@mfa.gov.md https://sua.mfa.gov.md/en
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President Maia SANDU (since 24 December 2020) head of government: Prime Minister Dorin RECEAN (since 16 February 2023) cabinet: Cabinet proposed by the prime minister-designate, nominated by the president, approved through a vote of confidence in Parliament elections/appointments: president directly elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 15 November 2020 (next to be held in fall 2024); prime minister designated by the president upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence for his/her proposed work program from the Parliament election results: 2020: Maia SANDU elected president; percent of vote (second round results) - Maia SANDU (PAS) 57.7%, Igor DODON (PSRM) 42.3% 2016 : Igor DODON elected president; percent of vote 52.1%, and Maia SANDU 47.9%
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
three equal vertical bands of Prussian blue (hoist side), chrome yellow, and vermilion red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of dark gold (brown) outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized aurochs head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow; based on the color scheme of the flag of Romania - with which Moldova shares a history and culture - but Moldova's blue band is lighter; the reverse of the flag displays a mirrored image of the coat of arms note: one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Paraguay and Saudi Arabia
Government type [time series]
parliamentary republic
Independence [time series]
27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
International law organization participation [time series]
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation [time series]
BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEU (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO note : Moldova is an EU candidate country whose satisfactory completion of accession criteria is required before being granted full EU membership
Judicial branch [time series]
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief judge, 3 deputy-chief judges, 45 judges, and 7 assistant judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 6 judges); note - the Constitutional Court is autonomous to the other branches of government; the Court interprets the Constitution and reviews the constitutionality of parliamentary laws and decisions, decrees of the president, and acts of the government judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Justice judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistracy, an 11-member body of judicial officials; all judges serve 4-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed 2 each by Parliament, the president, and the Higher Council of Magistracy for 6-year terms; court president elected by other court judges for a 3-year term subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Court of Business Audit; municipal courts
Legal system [time series]
civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts
Legislative branch [time series]
description: unicameral Parliament (101 seats; 51 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 50 members directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by closed party-list proportional representation vote; all members serve 4-year terms elections: last held on 11 July 2021 (next scheduled in July 2025) election results: 2021 : percent of vote by party - PAS 52.8%, BECS (PSRM+PCRM) 27.1%, SOR 5.7%; seats by party - PAS 63, BECS 32, SOR 6; composition as of April 2023 - men 62, women 39, percent of women 38.6%
National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]
name: "Limba noastra" (Our Language) lyrics/music: Alexei MATEEVICI/Alexandru CRISTEA note: adopted 1994
National heritage [time series]
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Struve Geodetic Arc
National holiday [time series]
Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
National symbol(s) [time series]
aurochs (a type of wild cattle); national colors: blue, yellow, red
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Party of Action and Solidarity or PAS [Igor GROSU] Communist Party or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN] Socialist Party or PSRM [Igor DODON] SOR Party [llan SHOR]
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
A large portion of present day Moldovan territory became a province of the Russian Empire in 1812 and then unified with Romania in 1918 in the aftermath of World War I. This territory was then incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although Moldova has been independent from the Soviet Union since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Nistru River in the breakaway region of Transnistria. Years of Communist Party rule in Moldova from 2001-09 ultimately ended with election-related violent protests and a rerun of parliamentary elections in 2009. A series of pro-Europe ruling coalitions governed Moldova from 2010-19, but pro-Russia Igor DODON won the presidency in 2016 and his Socialist Party of the Republic of Moldova won a plurality in the legislative election in 2019. Pro-EU reformist candidate Maia SANDU defeated DODON in his reelection bid in November 2020 and the Party of Action and Solidarity, which SANDU founded in 2015, won a parliamentary majority in an early legislative election in July 2021. Prime Minister Natalia GAVRILITA and her cabinet took office in August 2021. In February 2023, Moldova's parliament confirmed a new cabinet led by Prime Minister Dorin RECEAN, which retained the majority of the former ministers.
Military and Security
Military - note [time series]
the National Army is responsible for defense against external aggression, suppressing illegal military violence along the state border or inside the country, and supporting other internal security forces in maintaining public order if necessary; its primary focuses are Transnistrian separatist forces and their Russian backers; the 1992 war between Moldovan forces and the Transnistrian separatists backed by Russian troops ended with a cease-fire; the separatists maintain several armed paramilitary combat units, plus other security forces and reserves; Russia maintains approximately 1,500 troops in the breakaway region, including some Transnistrian locals who serve as Russian troops; some troops are under the authority of a peacekeeping force known as a Joint Control Commission that also includes Moldovan and separatist personnel, while the remainder of the Russian contingent (Operational Group of Russian Forces - Transnistria or OGF-T) guard a depot of Soviet-era ammunition and train Transnistrian separatist forces the National Army is equipped almost entirely with outdated Soviet-era material; following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moldova announced that the National Army would undergo a process to modernize and professionalize while declaring that it had been largely neglected since its formation in the early 1990s; some Western countries have provided gear and equipment; the National Army is comprised of a Land Force Command and an Air Force Command with a General Staff exercising operational leadership of the force; the Land Force s combat units include three small motorized infantry brigades and a designated peacekeeping battalion, plus artillery and special forces; the Air Force does not have any combat aircraft; the Carabinieri Troops under the Ministry of Internal Affairs are organized into three regions with five subordinate military units Moldova is constitutionally neutral but has maintained a relationship with NATO since 1992; bilateral cooperation started when Moldova joined NATO s Partnership for Peace program in 1994; Moldova has contributed small numbers of troops to NATO s Kosovo Force (KFOR) since 2014, and a civilian NATO liaison office was established in Moldova in 2017 at the request of the Moldovan Government to promote practical cooperation and facilitate support (2023)
Military and security forces [time series]
Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova (Forțele Armate ale Republicii Moldova): National Army (comprised of a General Staff, a Land Forces Command, and an Air Force Command); Ministry of Internal Affairs: General Carabinieri Inspectorate (aka Carabinieri Troops or Trupele de Carabinieri) (2023) note 1: the Carabinieri is a quasi-militarized gendarmerie responsible for protecting public buildings, maintaining public order, and other national security functions note 2: the national police force reports to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and is the primary law enforcement body, responsible for internal security, public order, traffic, border security, and criminal investigations; the Moldovan Border Police (Poliției de Frontieră) are under the Ministry of Internal Affairs; prior to 2012, Border Police were under the armed forces and known as the Border Troops
Military and security service personnel strengths [time series]
approximately 6,500 active troops; approximately 2,000 Carabinieri (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions [time series]
the military's inventory is limited and almost entirely comprised of older Russian and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, it has received small amounts of donated material from other nations, including the US (2023)
Military expenditures [time series]
0.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2020 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2019 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2018 est.)
Military service age and obligation [time series]
18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; male registration required at age 16; 12-month service obligation (2023) note: as of 2019, women made up about 20% of the military's full-time personnel
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 18.01% (male 301,432/female 284,034) 15-64 years: 66.37% (male 1,087,397/female 1,069,902) 65 years and over: 15.62% (2023 est.) (male 203,889/female 303,878)
Alcohol consumption per capita [time series]
total: 7.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 1.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 3.57 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 2.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
8.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]
56% (2020)
Current health expenditure [time series]
6.8% of GDP (2020)
Currently married women (ages 15-49) [time series]
67% (2023 est.)
Death rate [time series]
14.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Dependency ratios [time series]
total dependency ratio: 39.6 youth dependency ratio: 29.7 elderly dependency ratio: 20.4 potential support ratio: 4.9 (2021 est.)
Drinking water source [time series]
improved: urban: 98.9% of population rural: 87% of population total: 92.1% of population unimproved: urban: 1.1% of population rural: 13% of population total: 7.9% of population (2020 est.)
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
6.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
Moldovan 75.1%, Romanian 7%, Ukrainian 6.6%, Gagauz 4.6%, Russian 4.1%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 0.8% (2014 est.)
Gross reproduction rate [time series]
0.6 (2023 est.)
Hospital bed density [time series]
5.7 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 14.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.) male: 16.3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages [time series]
Moldovan/Romanian 80.2% (official) (56.7% identify their mother tongue as Moldovan, which is virtually the same as Romanian; 23.5% identify Romanian as their mother tongue), Russian 9.7%, Gagauz 4.2% (a Turkish language), Ukrainian 3.9%, Bulgarian 1.5%, Romani 0.3%, other 0.2% (2014 est.); note - data represent mother tongue; as of March 2023, Romanian replaced Moldovan as the name of Moldova's official language major-language sample(s): Cartea informativa a lumii, sursa indispensabila pentru informatii de baza. (Moldovan/Romanian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 69.7 years (2023 est.) male: 65.8 years female: 73.9 years
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.6% male: 99.7% female: 99.5% (2021)
Major urban areas - population [time series]
488,000 CHISINAU (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio [time series]
12 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Median age [time series]
total: 39.4 years (2023 est.) male: 38.1 years female: 40.8 years
Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]
25.2 years (2019 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan
Net migration rate [time series]
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]
18.9% (2016)
Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]
3.1 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Population [time series]
3,250,532 (2023 est.)
Population distribution [time series]
pockets of agglomeration exist throughout the country, the largest being in the center of the country around the capital of Chisinau, followed by Tiraspol and Balti
Population growth rate [time series]
-0.58% (2023 est.)
Religions [time series]
Orthodox 90.1%, other Christian 2.6%, other 0.1%, agnostic 0.1%, atheist 0.2%, unspecified 6.9% (2014 est.)
Sanitation facility access [time series]
improved: urban: 99% of population rural: 83.1% of population total: 89.9% of population unimproved: urban: 1% of population rural: 16.9% of population total: 10.1% of population (2020 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]
total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 15 years (2021)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Tobacco use [time series]
total: 29% (2020 est.) male: 51.7% (2020 est.) female: 6.2% (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.25 children born/woman (2023 est.)
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 43.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
Moldova-Romania : none identified Moldova-Ukraine : Ukraine and Moldova signed an agreement officially delimiting their border in 1999, but the border has not been demarcated due to Moldova's difficulties with the break-away region of Transnistria; Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor the transit of people and commodities through Moldova's break-away Transnistria region, which remains under the auspices of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe-mandated peacekeeping mission comprised of Moldovan, Transnistrian, Russian, and Ukrainian troops
Illicit drugs [time series]
limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the US; widespread crime and underground economic activity
Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]
refugees (country of origin): 112,810 (Ukraine) (as of 3 December 2023) stateless persons: 1,701 (2022)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
7 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
5 note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the typical length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
2 note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]
ER
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 126 (2022) by type: bulk carrier 5, container ship 2, general cargo 79, oil tanker 7, other 33
National air transport system [time series]
number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 21 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,135,999 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 640,000 (2018) mt-km
Pipelines [time series]
2,026 km gas (2021) (2021)
Railways [time series]
total: 1,171 km (2014) standard gauge: 14 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge broad gauge: 1,157 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge
Roadways [time series]
total: 9,352 km (2012) paved: 8,835 km (2012) unpaved: 517 km (2012)
Waterways [time series]
558 km (2011) (in public use on Danube, Dniester and Prut Rivers)