Country Sheet : Moldova

Information file

Last Update on 20th November 2024

MOLDOVA

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In English - version of 20th November 2024

Geography

Area : 33,851 km²

Borders : 1,885 km (Ukraine 1,202 km, Romania 683 km)

Capital : Chisinau

Official language : Moldovan

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Population

Population : 2,468,023 (2023)

Crude natural change rate : -3.9‰ (2023 est.)

Population repartition: 18% under 15 years old, 16,5% over 65 years old (2023)

Crude net migration rate: -32.3‰ (2023)

Life expectancy: men 66.6 years, women 75.5 years (2023)

Religions: Orthodox 90.1%, other Christian 2.6%, other 0.1% (2014 est.)

Ethnic groups: Moldovan 75.1%, Romanian 7%, Ukrainian 6.6%, Russian 4.1%, Gagauz 4.6%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 0.8% (2014 census)

Source : Eurostat, Moldovan National Bureau of Statistics, National Bank of Moldova

Economy

Currency: Moldovan leu (MDL) (exchange rate November 2024: 1€ = 19.21 MDL)

GDP: $ 16.54 billions (2023)

GDP per capita (PPS): $ 6.650 (2023)

GDP growth : 0.7% (2023)

Inflation: 5.3% (October 2024)

Public debt: 39% of GDP (2024)

Unemployment: 3.9% (June 2024)

Budget balance: -5.2% of GDP (2023)

Source : IMF, World Bank, Moldovan National Bureau of Statistics, National Bank of Moldova

Political system

Republic, parliamentary democracy

Head of State direct elections, for a 4-year term renewable once. Maia Sandu was invested as President on December 24th 2020 and re-elected on November 3rd, 2024.

Prime Minister Elected every 4 years. Dorin Recean (PAS) and his government (absolute majority) received the confidence of the parliament on February 16th 2023.

The Parliament (Parlamentul Republicii Moldova) comprises 101 members elected via direct universal suffrage for a four-year-term with a proportional repartition.

Political representation

Composition of the Parliament (on 27th March 2023)

62 PAS seats (Action and Solidarity Party, Europhile and liberal)
29 seats BECS (Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists, PSRM / PCRM)
5 seats Independent (Șor Party, pro-Russian)
4 seats Renaștere (Renaissance, pro-Russian)
1 MAN seats (National Alternative Movement)
Relations with EU : 2nd July 2014 an Association Agreement was signed between EU and Moldova, which has been in force since September 2014. It includes visa liberalisation and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. On June 23rd 2022, the 27 heads of state or government of the European Union unanimously decided to grant Moldova the status of candidate country to the EU. On December 14th 2023, the 27 heads of state or government decided to open accession negotiations with Moldova. Accession negotiations were officially launched in June 2024.