Introduction
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 2001-09 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.
Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.
Geography
Location
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Geographic coordinates
47 00 N, 29 00 E
Map references
Europe
Land boundaries
total: 1,885 km
border countries (2): Romania 683 km; Ukraine 1202 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
moderate winters, warm summers
Terrain
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Elevation
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m
lowest point: Dniester (Nistru) 2 m
mean elevation: 139 m
Natural resources
lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, limestone, arable land
Land use
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.)
Irrigated land
2,155 sq km (2020)
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)
Population distribution
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
Natural hazards
landslides
Geography - note
landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Moldovan(s)
adjective: Moldovan
Ethnic groups
Moldovan 75.1%, Romanian 7%, Ukrainian 6.6%, Gagauz 4.6%, Russian 4.1%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 0.8% (2014 est.)
Languages
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.
Religions
Orthodox 90.1%, other Christian 2.6%, other 0.1%, agnostic <0.1%, atheist 0.2%, unspecified 6.9% (2014 est.)
Age structure
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)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 39.6
youth dependency ratio: 29.7
elderly dependency ratio: 20.4
potential support ratio: 4.9 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 39.4 years (2023 est.)
male: 38.1 years
female: 40.8 years
comparison ranking: total 63
Population distribution
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
Urbanization
urban population: 43.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
488,000 CHISINAU (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
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.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
25.2 years (2019 est.)
Infant mortality rate
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
comparison ranking: total 101
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 69.7 years (2023 est.)
male: 65.8 years
female: 73.9 years
comparison ranking: total population 179
Gross reproduction rate
0.6 (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
56% (2020)
Drinking water source
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.)
Current health expenditure
6.8% of GDP (2020)
Physicians density
3.1 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density
5.7 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Sanitation facility access
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.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
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.)
comparison ranking: total 54
Tobacco use
total: 29% (2020 est.)
male: 51.7% (2020 est.)
female: 6.2% (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 35
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
67% (2023 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.6%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.5% (2021)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2021)
Environment
Environment - current issues
heavy use of agricultural chemicals has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion and declining soil fertility from poor farming methods
Environment - international agreements
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
Climate
moderate winters, warm summers
Land use
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.)
Urbanization
urban population: 43.4% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
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.)
Waste and recycling
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.)
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)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 160 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 580 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
12.27 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
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
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
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)
Administrative divisions
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)
Independence
27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
Constitution
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
Legal system
civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
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 in second round; percent of vote in second round - Maia SANDU (PAS) 57.7%, Igor DODON (PSRM) 42.3%
2016: Igor DODON elected president in second round; percent of vote - Igor DODON (PSRM) 52.1%, Maia SANDU (PAS) 47.9%
Legislative branch
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 to be held in July 2025)
election results:
percent of vote by party - PAS 52.8%, BECS 27.1%, SOR 5.7%, other 14.4%; seats by party - PAS 63, BECS 32, SOR 6; composition as of February 2024 - men 58, women 40, percent of women 40.8%
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); 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
Political parties and leaders
Bloc of Communists and Socialists or BECS (coalition includes PCRM and PSRM)
Communist Party or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]
Party of Action and Solidarity or PAS [Igor GROSU]
Socialist Party or PSRM [Igor DODON]
SOR Party [llan SHOR]
International organization participation
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
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
Diplomatic representation from the US
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/
Flag description
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
National symbol(s)
aurochs (a type of wild cattle); national colors: blue, yellow, red
National anthem
name: "Limba noastra" (Our Language)
lyrics/music: Alexei MATEEVICI/Alexandru CRISTEA
note: adopted 1994
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Struve Geodetic Arc
Economy
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$33.789 billion (2022 est.)
$35.573 billion (2021 est.)
$31.223 billion (2020 est.)
note: data in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 135
Real GDP growth rate
-5.02% (2022 est.)
13.93% (2021 est.)
-8.28% (2020 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 209
Real GDP per capita
$13,300 (2022 est.)
$13,700 (2021 est.)
$11,800 (2020 est.)
note: data in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 122
GDP (official exchange rate)
$14.508 billion (2022 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
28.74% (2022 est.)
5.11% (2021 est.)
3.77% (2020 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 209
Credit ratings
Moody's rating: B3 (2010)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 17.7% (2017 est.)
industry: 20.3% (2017 est.)
services: 62% (2017 est.)
comparison rankings: services 108; industry 147; agriculture 56
GDP - composition, by end use
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.)
Agricultural products
maize, wheat, sunflower seeds, grapes, apples, sugar beets, milk, potatoes, barley, plums/sloes
Industries
sugar processing, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles
Industrial production growth rate
-10.43% (2022 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 211
Labor force
1.486 million (2022 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
comparison ranking: 135
Unemployment rate
0.91% (2022 est.)
0.79% (2021 est.)
1.21% (2020 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
comparison ranking: 6
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 8.6% (2021 est.)
male: 5.3%
female: 14.7%
comparison ranking: total 166
Population below poverty line
31.1% (2022 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
25.7 (2021 est.)
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
comparison ranking: 172
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 4.3%
highest 10%: 22.1% (2021 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Remittances
14.04% of GDP (2022 est.)
15.48% of GDP (2021 est.)
16.27% of GDP (2020 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Budget
revenues: $3.582 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $3.754 billion (2019 est.)
note: National Public Budget
Public debt
34.52% of GDP (2022 est.)
32.12% of GDP (2021 est.)
33.96% of GDP (2020 est.)
note: central government debt as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 156
Taxes and other revenues
18.94% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 96
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$2.482 billion (2022 est.)
-$1.699 billion (2021 est.)
-$886.72 million (2020 est.)
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 154
Exports
$5.981 billion (2022 est.)
$4.197 billion (2021 est.)
$3.222 billion (2020 est.)
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 129
Exports - partners
Romania 24%, Russia 9%, Turkey 8%, Germany 7%, Italy 7% (2021)
Exports - commodities
insulated wiring, sunflower seeds, wine, corn, seats (2021)
Imports
$10.265 billion (2022 est.)
$7.915 billion (2021 est.)
$5.918 billion (2020 est.)
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
comparison ranking: 119
Imports - partners
Romania 18%, Russia 13%, Ukraine 11%, China 9%, Germany 7% (2021)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, cars, insulated wiring, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$4.474 billion (2022 est.)
$3.902 billion (2021 est.)
$3.784 billion (2020 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
comparison ranking: 114
Exchange rates
Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
18.897 (2022 est.)
17.68 (2021 est.)
17.322 (2020 est.)
17.573 (2019 est.)
16.802 (2018 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Electricity
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.)
comparison rankings: imports 82; exports 129; installed generating capacity 146; transmission/distribution losses 87; consumption 129
Electricity generation sources
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.)
Coal
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.)
Petroleum
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.)
Natural gas
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.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
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.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 112
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 951,138 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 71
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 3,900,179 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 127 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 133
Telecommunication systems
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
Broadcast media
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 users
total: 1.891 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 61% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 135
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 719,001 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 80
Transportation
National air transport system
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
2,026 km gas (2021) (2021)
Railways
total: 1,171 km (2014)
standard gauge: 14 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
broad gauge: 1,157 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge
comparison ranking: total 87
Merchant marine
total: 75 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 1, general cargo 44, oil tanker 7, other 22
comparison ranking: total 102
Military and Security
Military and security forces
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) (2024)
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 expenditures
0.55% of GDP (2023 est.)
0.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
0.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
0.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
0.4% of GDP (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 158
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 6,500 active-duty troops; approximately 2,000 Carabinieri (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the military's inventory is limited and almost entirely comprised of older Russian and Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, it has received donated equipment from other nations, including the US (2024)
Military service age and obligation
18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; male registration required at age 16; 12-month service obligation (2024)
note: as of 2021, women made up about 20% of the military's full-time personnel
Military - note
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)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
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, and Russian troops
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 116,855 (Ukraine) (as of 10 March 2024)
stateless persons: 1,701 (2022)
Illicit drugs
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