Moldova

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.  

land

32,891 sq km

total

33,851 sq km

water

960 sq km

slightly larger than Maryland

moderate winters, warm summers

0 km (landlocked)

highest point

Dealul Balanesti 430 m

lowest point

Dniester (Nistru) 2 m

mean elevation

139 m

47 00 N, 29 00 E

landlocked; well-endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

2,155 sq km (2020)

border countries

Romania 683 km; Ukraine 1202 km

total

1,885 km

agricultural land

74.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 55.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 9.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 10.7% (2018 est.)

forest

11.9% (2018 est.)

other

13.2% (2018 est.)

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

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

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Europe

none (landlocked)

landslides

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, limestone, arable land

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

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

0-14 years

14.8% (male 266,493/female 266,166)

15-64 years

70.2% (male 1,225,535/female 1,300,640)

65 years and over

15% (2024 est.) (male 206,221/female 334,473)

beer

1.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.25 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

7.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

3.57 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

8.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

56% (2020)

6.8% of GDP (2020)

67% (2023 est.)

14.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

20.4

potential support ratio

4.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

39.6

youth dependency ratio

29.7

improved: rural

rural: 87% of population

improved: total

total: 92.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 13% of population

unimproved: total

total: 7.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.1% of population

6.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Moldovan 75.1%, Romanian 7%, Ukrainian 6.6%, Gagauz 4.6%, Russian 4.1%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 0.8% (2014 est.)

0.61 (2024 est.)

5.7 beds/1,000 population (2014)

female

11.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

16 deaths/1,000 live births

total

13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Moldovan/Romanian 80.2% (official) (56.7% Moldovan; 23.5% Romanian), Russian 9.7%, Gagauz 4.2% (a Turkish language), Ukrainian 3.9%, Bulgarian 1.5%, Romani 0.3%, other 0.2% (2014)

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.

note

note: data represent mother tongue; as of March 2023, "Romanian" replaced "Moldovan" as the name of Moldova's official language

female

74.4 years

male

66.1 years

total population

70.1 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.5% (2021)

male

99.7%

total population

99.6%

488,000 CHISINAU (capital) (2023)

12 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

41.3 years

male

38.6 years

total

39.9 years (2024 est.)

25.2 years (2019 est.)

adjective

Moldovan

noun

Moldovan(s)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

18.9% (2016)

3.1 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

female

1,901,279 (2024 est.)

male

1,698,249

total

3,599,528

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

-0.58% (2024 est.)

Orthodox 90.1%, other Christian 2.6%, other 0.1%, agnostic <0.1%, atheist 0.2%, unspecified 6.9% (2014 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 83.1% of population

improved: total

total: 89.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 16.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 10.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1% of population

female

15 years (2021)

male

14 years

total

14 years

0-14 years

1 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.62 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.89 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

6.2% (2020 est.)

male

51.7% (2020 est.)

total

29% (2020 est.)

1.26 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

0.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

43.4% of total population (2023)

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)

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

geographic coordinates

47 00 N, 28 51 E

name

Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian)

note

note: pronounced KEE-shee-now (KIH-shi-nyov)

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

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

history

previous 1978; latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994

conventional long form

Republic of Moldova

conventional short form

Moldova

etymology

named for the Moldova River in neighboring eastern Romania

former

Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

Republica Moldova

local short form

Moldova

chief of mission

Ambassador Kent D. LOGSDON (since 16 February 2022)

email address and website

ChisinauACS@state.govhttps://md.usembassy.gov/

embassy

103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009

FAX

[373] (22) 233-044

mailing address

7080 Chisinau Place, Washington DC  20521-7080

telephone

[373] (22) 408-300

chancery

2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Viorel URSU (since 12 December 2022)

email address and website

washington@mfa.gov.mdhttps://sua.mfa.gov.md/en

FAX

[1] (202) 667-2624

telephone

[1] (202) 667-1130

cabinet

Cabinet proposed by the prime minister-designate, nominated by the president, approved through a vote of confidence in Parliament

chief of state

President Maia SANDU (since 24 December 2020)

election results

2024: In the second round of presidential elections, incumbent Maia SANDU (PAS) wins 55.4% of the vote, Alexandr STOIANOGLO (PSRM) 44.6; turnout is 54.3%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%

elections/appointments

president directly elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 3 November 2024 (next to be held in 2028); 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

head of government

Prime Minister Dorin RECEAN (since 16 February 2023)

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

note: one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Paraguay and Saudi Arabia

parliamentary republic

27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

note: Moldova is an EU candidate country whose satisfactory completion of accession criteria is required before being granted full EU membership

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

civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts

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

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 - men 58, women 40, percent of women 40.8%

elections

last held on 11 July 2021 (next to be held in July 2025)

lyrics/music

Alexei MATEEVICI/Alexandru CRISTEA

name

"Limba noastra" (Our Language)

note

note: adopted 1994

selected World Heritage Site locales

Struve Geodetic Arc

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

Independence Day, 27 August (1991)

aurochs (a type of wild cattle); national colors: blue, yellow, red

Bloc of Communists and Socialists or BCSParty of Action and Solidarity or PAS

18 years of age; universal

wheat, maize, sunflower seeds, grapes, sugar beets, apples, milk, potatoes, barley, plums (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

expenditures

$4.684 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$4.487 billion (2022 est.)

Moody's rating

B3 (2010)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance 2021

-$1.699 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$2.482 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$1.974 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external 2022

$1.899 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

Currency

Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

17.573 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

17.322 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

17.68 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

18.897 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

18.164 (2023 est.)

Exports 2021

$4.197 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$5.981 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$5.865 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, insulated wire, garments, seed oils, corn (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Romania 27%, Ukraine 15%, Italy 7%, Turkey 6%, Germany 5% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

35.5% (2023 est.)

government consumption

18.1% (2023 est.)

household consumption

85.3% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-59.6% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

19.7% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

1.1% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

7.6% (2023 est.)

industry

17.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

61.1% (2023 est.)

$16.539 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

25.7 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

highest 10%

22.1% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

4.3% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2021

$7.915 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$10.265 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$9.867 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, natural gas, cars, plastic products, insulated wire (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Romania 23%, Russia 11%, Ukraine 10%, China 8%, Turkey 7% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-11.74% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

sugar processing, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

5.11% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

28.74% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

13.42% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

1.464 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

31.1% (2022 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

34.52% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$40.708 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$38.666 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$38.969 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

13.93% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

-5.02% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

0.78% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$15,700 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$15,200 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$15,700 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

15.48% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

14.04% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

12.27% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$3.902 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$4.474 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$5.453 billion (2023 est.)

18.94% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

0.79% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

0.91% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

1.62% (2023 est.)

female

3.4% (2023 est.)

male

5% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

4.2% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

293,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

3.991 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

3.035 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

7.319 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

120,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

121,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

5.579 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

94 million kWh (2022 est.)

imports

936 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

625,000 kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

576.529 million kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

biomass and waste

0.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

90.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

5.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

1.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

34.021 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

consumption

2.344 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

2.344 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

10,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

22,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2020 est.)

total

719,001 (2020 est.)

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)

.md

percent of population

61% (2021 est.)

total

1.891 million (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line service is 29 per 100; mobile cellular tele density is 127 per 100 persons (2022)

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; 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 glidepath 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 Korea; the internet market is developing rapidly, and though the penetration rate is well below the average for most European countries there are many opportunities for further development; 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, and the sector accounts for the majority of total telecoms revenue; the launch of LTE services has opened up a new revenue growth opportunity centered on mobile broadband; 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 (2024)

international

country code - 373; service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3 - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

29 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

951,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

127 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

4.17 million (2022 est.)

11 (2024)

ER

by type

bulk carrier 1, container ship 1, general cargo 44, oil tanker 7, other 22

total

75 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

640,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

1,135,999 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

21

number of registered air carriers

6 (2020)

2,026 km gas (2021) (2021)

broad gauge

1,157 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge

standard gauge

14 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total

1,171 km (2014)

total

9,488 km (2022)

558 km (2011) (in public use on Danube, Dniester and Prut Rivers)

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 Transnistrian separatist forcesMoldova 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 (2024)

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), General Police Inspectorate (GPI), General Inspectorate of the Border Police (2024)

note

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; prior to 2012, the Border Police were under the armed forces and known as the Border Troops

approximately 6,500 active-duty troops; approximately 2,000 Carabinieri (2023)

the military's inventory is limited and almost entirely comprised of Soviet-era equipment; in recent years, it has received donated equipment from Western European nations and the US (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; male registration required at age 16; 12-month service obligation (2024)

note

note: as of 2024, women made up about 23% of the military's full-time personnel

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 (country of origin)

116,855 (Ukraine) (as of 7 April 2024)

stateless persons

1,701 (2022)

carbon dioxide emissions

5.12 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

3.29 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

12.37 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

moderate winters, warm summers

heavy use of agricultural chemicals has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion and declining soil fertility from poor farming methods

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

agricultural land

74.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 55.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 9.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 10.7% (2018 est.)

forest

11.9% (2018 est.)

other

13.2% (2018 est.)

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

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)

12.27 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

580 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

160 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

0.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

43.4% of total population (2023)

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.)