Moldova
Top Sights & Landmarks
Background
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 to 2009 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 to 2019, but pro-Russia candidate 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 2020, and SANDU's Party of Action and Solidarity won a parliamentary majority in an early legislative election in 2021. Prime Minister Natalia GAVRILITA and her cabinet took office in 2021. In early 2023, Moldova's parliament confirmed a new cabinet led by Prime Minister Dorin RECEAN, which retained the majority of the former ministers.
Location
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Geography - note
landlocked; has many types of sedimentary rocks and minerals, including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone
Irrigated land
2,150 sq km (2022)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Dunărea (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, 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)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
landslides
Natural resources
Terrain
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
7.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
68.7% (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 43 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 20.8 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 22.2 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 4.5 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
6.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 16% national budget (2024 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.61 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
7.8% of GDP (2021) 12.3% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
5.7 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 13.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Major urban areas - population
488,000 CHISINAU (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
19 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
25.2 years (2019 est.)
Nationality
noun: Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
18.9% (2016)
Physician density
4.02 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Population distribution
pockets of agglomeration exist throughout the country, with the largest in the center of the country around the capital of Chisinau, followed by Tiraspol and Balti
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 15 years (2023 est.) male: 15 years (2023 est.) female: 15 years (2023 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 28.7% (2025 est.) male: 54.2% (2025 est.) female: 6.4% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
moderate winters, warm summers
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 43.4% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 3.981 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 36.9% (2022 est.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
three equal vertical bands of Prussian blue (left side), chrome yellow, and vermilion red; the Moldavan coat of arms in the center is a dark gold Roman eagle outlined in black, with a red beak and talons; the eagle carries a yellow cross in its beak, a green olive branch in its right talons, and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on the eagle's breast is a red-and-blue shield divided horizontally, with a stylized aurochs head, star, rose, and crescent in black and outlined yellow; the reverse of the flag displays a mirror image of the coat of arms
Detailed Government Information
Administrative divisions
32 districts (raioane, singular - raion), 3 municipalities (municipii, singular - municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala) districts: 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)
Citizenship
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
history: previous 1978; latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994 amendment process: 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
Country name
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; the river's name probably comes from the Indoeuropean root word mel, meaning "dark" or "black"
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
Judicial branch
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) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Justice judges appointed by the president on 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 note: the Constitutional Court is autonomous; it interprets the Constitution and reviews the constitutionality of parliamentary laws and decisions, decrees of the president, and acts of the government
Legal system
civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Struve Geodetic Arc
Political parties
Common Action Party - Civil Congress or PAC-CC Democracy at Home Party or PPDA Future of Moldova Party or PVM National Alternative Movement or MAN Our Party or PN Party of Action and Solidarity or PAS Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM Party of Development and Consolidation of Moldova or PDCM Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova or PSRM
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economic Overview
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
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
-$2.917 billion (2024 est.) -$1.893 billion (2023 est.) -$2.482 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Debt - external
$2.637 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars
Exchange rates
Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 17.792 (2024 est.) 18.164 (2023 est.) 18.897 (2022 est.) 17.68 (2021 est.) 17.322 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
3.3% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.7% (2024 est.) 13.4% (2023 est.) 28.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Public debt
34.3% of GDP (2023 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Remittances
10.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 12% of GDP (2023 est.) 14% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$5.484 billion (2024 est.) $5.453 billion (2023 est.) $4.474 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
18.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Railways
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
approximately 6,500 Moldovan Armed Forces (2025)
Service & Defense Details
Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova (Forțele Armate ale Republicii Moldova): National Army (comprised of Land Forces, Air Force) Ministry of Internal Affairs: General Inspectorate of Police (GPI), Border Police Department, Carabinieri Troops Department (2025) note: the Carabinieri is a quasi-militarized gendarmerie responsible for protecting public buildings, maintaining public order, and other national security functions; the GPI is the primary law enforcement body, responsible for internal security, public order, traffic, and criminal investigations
the military's inventory is limited and almost entirely comprised of Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, it has received small amounts of donated equipment from some Western European nations and the US (2025)
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 of those 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 guard a depot of Soviet-era ammunition and train separatist forces Moldova is constitutionally neutral but has maintained a relationship with NATO since 1992 and since 2022 has enhanced bilateral security cooperation with some NATO members; it 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; in 2024, Moldova signed a security and defense partnership agreement with the EU; it maintains close security relations with Romania, a member of the EU and NATO (2025)
18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; male registration required at age 16; 12-month service obligation; conscientious objectors can perform non-military service in public institutions for a longer period (up to 24 months) (2025) note: as of 2024, women made up about 23% of the military's full-time personnel