Moldova has a total fertility rate of about 1.55 children born to each woman, which is below the replacement rate of 2.1. Moldova currently has a flat population growth rate of 0.0%. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Moldova has struggled with healthcare issues, and it now has one of the highest rates of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the world. Emigration is also a big problem in Moldova that is impacting growth, the economy and demographics. It is estimated that 600,000 to 1 million citizens (or 25% of the population) works abroad.
People have been steadily leaving Moldova the early 1990s when disputes with Russia began. The birth rate in Moldova is also less than the worldwide average with just 1.24 children being born to the average woman. The low birth rate has been attributed to a change in mindset where the people of Moldova don't want to bring children into the economic situation currently in the country. The combination of these factors has kept the population dwindling, however slowly, for the past few decades. As of 2019, the population was changing at the rate of -0.28% annually.
The trend in declining population is expected to continue in the years to come, with current projections stating that by the year 2050 the population will be changing at -0.87% annually. If this proves to be true, the number of people in Moldova will decline nearly one million in this period. These predictions say that the population of Moldova will be roughly 4,017,687 in 2020, 3,843,941 in 2030, 3,583,993 by 2040, and 3,293,157 by 2050.
| Moldova Population (as of 8/24/2023) | 3,417,683 |
| Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2023) | 3,435,931 |
| Births per Day | 136 |
| Deaths per Day | 131 |
| Migrations per Day | -343 |
| Net Change per Day | -338 |
| Population Change Since Jan. 1 | -79,430 |
Net decrease of 1 person every 4.27 minutes
Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects
| One birth every 10.58 minutes | |
| One death every 11 minutes | |
| One emigrant every 4.2 minutes | |
| Net loss of one person every 4.27 minutes |
The estimated population of Moldova is 3.55 million, compared to the 2004 census population of 3.38 million (excluding Transnistria) and 3.93 million including Transnistria. The country is a landlocked nation in eastern Europe bordered by Romania and Ukraine which covers 13,068 square miles (33,846 square kilometers) of area, making it the 138th largest country in the world. Most of the country is very hilly and it lies between the Dniester and Prut rivers. Moldova has a population density of 272 people per square mile (105 people per square kilometer), which ranks 79th in the world in terms of population density.
Roughly 38% of the population of Moldova live in or around a city, which indicates that there are not many large metropolitan areas in the country. The capital and largest city of Moldova is Chișinău, with an estimated population of 736,000 in the greater metro area, and 493,000 within its city limits. It is located along the Bic River in the middle of the country and has been occupied since at least the 15th century. It addition to being the government center, it is also home to much of the nations business and financial sector. The second-largest city is the ancient city of Tiraspol along the Dniester river, with a population of 149,000. In 1990, Tiraspol declared independence from Moldova and became the capital of Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, which is not recognized by Soviet leaders and continues to be a struggle for the city. The city of Bălți is the third-largest in Moldova with a population of 144,000, a number which has been continually decreasing due to emigration because of the poor economy.
37.7
Total
36.2
Male
39.5
Female
There are people over age 18 in Moldova.
The 2004 Moldovan census found the population is comprised of:
The 2004 census in Transnistria (areas controlled by breakaway authorities like Transnistria and Bender/Tighina) found Moldovans make up 32% of the region's population, followed by Ukrainians (29%) and Russians (30%).
There is a controversy about whether Romanians and Moldovans are the same ethnic group, and allegations that ethnic numbers were rigged. 19% of respondents who said they were Moldovans said Romanian was their native language.
The percentage of Russians and Ukrainians has decreased since the last Soviet census in 1989, mostly due to emigration. Most Russians live in urban areas like Chisinau and Tiraspol. The Gagauz are the fourth-largest ethnic group and live mostly south of Moldova in the autonomous region of Gagauzia.
Officially the country of Moldova has no state religion, yet the population is very predominantly Orthodox Christian with over 90% of the population practicing the faith. Within the Orthodox church, there are two main branches, which often experience conflict: the Russian Metropolis of Chişinău and Moldova and the Romanian Metropolis of Bessarabia. Aside from Christian Orthodox, small numbers of people living in Moldova also practice Catholicism, Judaism, and Islam. Roughly 7% of the population claim to have no religious affiliation.
Moldova is the poorest country in Europe and their economy is not very strong. Agriculture is the most prominent industry, accounting for 40% of the national GDP, due to their proximity to the Black Sea and the extremely fertile soil that results. Primary exports include wheat, corn, barley, tobacco, sugar, beets, and soybeans. Moldova's inability to flourish financially has largely been linked to their dependence on the Soviet Union for energy and raw materials, but their situation has been improving somewhat in the years since their independence.
Russia gained control over the land that is now eastern Moldova in the early 1800s, the Ottoman Empire controlled the western half of the country. The Ottoman half of the country gained independence from Romania in 1878, but the Soviets maintained their hold over the rest. The whole area was combined and under Soviet rule by 1940, becoming the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic.
They finally declared independence in 1991, which led to fighting and hundreds of deaths. They were granted autonomy in 1997, but Russian was made the official language. Disputes with Russia continued into the 21st century. Moldova was finally admitted to the European Nation as a sovereign nation in 2014.