2023 Edition

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.  

Area

land

32,891 sq km

total

33,851 sq km

water

960 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Maryland

Climate

moderate winters, warm summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Dealul Balanesti 430 m

lowest point

Dniester (Nistru) 2 m

mean elevation

139 m

Geographic coordinates

47 00 N, 29 00 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

2,155 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

Romania 683 km; Ukraine 1202 km

total

1,885 km

Land use

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.)

Location

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Major rivers (by length in km)

Dunărea (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Czechia, 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)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

landslides

Natural resources

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, limestone, arable land

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

Terrain

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

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.)

Birth rate

8.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

56% (2020)

Current health expenditure

6.8% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

67% (2023 est.)

Death rate

14.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

20.4

potential support ratio

4.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

39.6

youth dependency ratio

29.7

Drinking water source

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

Education expenditures

6.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.6 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

5.7 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant mortality rate

female

11.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

16.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

14.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.9 years

male

65.8 years

total population

69.7 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.5% (2021)

male

99.7%

total population

99.6%

Major urban areas - population

488,000 CHISINAU (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

40.8 years

male

38.1 years

total

39.4 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

25.2 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Moldovan

noun

Moldovan(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.9% (2016)

Physicians density

3.1 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

3,250,532 (2023 est.)

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

Population growth rate

-0.58% (2023 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2021)

male

14 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.89 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

6.2% (2020 est.)

male

51.7% (2020 est.)

total

29% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.25 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

43.4% of total population (2023)

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)

Capital

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

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

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

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Executive branch

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

2020: Maia SANDU elected president; percent of vote (second round results) - Maia SANDU (PAS) 57.7%, Igor DODON (PSRM) 42.3%2016: Igor DODON elected president; percent of vote 52.1%, and Maia SANDU 47.9%

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

head of government

Prime Minister Dorin RECEAN (since 16 February 2023)

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

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

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

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

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

Legal system

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

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

election results

2021: percent of vote by party - PAS 52.8%, BECS (PSRM+PCRM) 27.1%, SOR 5.7%; seats by party - PAS 63, BECS 32, SOR 6; composition as of April 2023 - men 62, women 39, percent of women 38.6%

elections

last held on 11 July 2021 (next scheduled in July 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Alexei MATEEVICI/Alexandru CRISTEA

name

"Limba noastra" (Our Language)

note

note: adopted 1994

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Struve Geodetic Arc

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 August (1991)

National symbol(s)

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

Political parties and leaders

Party of Action and Solidarity or PAS [Igor GROSU]Communist Party or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]Socialist Party or PSRM [Igor DODON]SOR Party [llan SHOR]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

maize, wheat, sunflower seeds, grapes, apples, sugar beets, milk, potatoes, barley, plums/sloes

Budget

expenditures

$3.754 billion (2019 est.)

note

note: National Public Budget

revenues

$3.582 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

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

Current account balance 2019

-$1.106 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$886.899 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$1.699 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$7.16 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$7.232 billion (2019 est.)

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

Exchange rates

Currency

Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

18.499 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

16.802 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

17.573 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

17.322 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

17.68 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$3.662 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$3.222 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$4.197 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

insulated wiring, wheat, sunflower seeds, rolled iron, wine, corn, seats (2021)

Exports - partners

Romania 27%, Russia 9%, Italy 9%, Germany 9%, Turkey 6%, Poland 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

42.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption

19% (2017 est.)

household consumption

85.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-70.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.9% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.4% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

17.7% (2017 est.)

industry

20.3% (2017 est.)

services

62% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$11.982 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

26 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

22.1% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%

4.2%

Imports

Imports 2019

$6.608 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$5.918 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$7.915 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, insulated wiring, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment (2019)

Imports - partners

Romania 20%, Russia 10%, Ukraine 9%, Germany 8%, China 7%, Turkey 6%, Italy 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.67% (2021 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

4.84% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

3.77% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

5.11% (2021 est.)

Labor force

810,000 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

7.3% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2018

27.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

24.95% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

33.01% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$34.715 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$32.153 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$36.637 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

3.68% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-7.38% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

13.94% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$13,000 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$12,200 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$14,000 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$3.06 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$3.784 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$3.902 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

17.41% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

5.1% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

3.82% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

3.96% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

14.7%

male

5.3%

total

8.6% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

374,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

4.773 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

2.968 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

8.114 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

133,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

133,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

4.591 billion kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports

629 million kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

594,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

571 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

93.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

4.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

1.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

40.398 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

2.802 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

2.802 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

57,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

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.)

refined petroleum consumption

22,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

275 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

18,160 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

232 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

18 (2020 est.)

total

719,001 (2020 est.)

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 country code

.md

Internet users

percent of population

61% (2021 est.)

total

1.891 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line service is 33 per 100; mobile-cellular teledensity is 127 per 100 persons (2021)

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)

international

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

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

33 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

1,000,228 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

127 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

3,900,179 (2021 est.)

Airports

7 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

5

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

2

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

ER

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 5, container ship 2, general cargo 79, oil tanker 7, other 33

total

126 (2022)

National air transport system

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)

Pipelines

2,026 km gas (2021) (2021)

Railways

broad gauge

1,157 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge

standard gauge

14 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total

1,171 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

8,835 km (2012)

total

9,352 km (2012)

unpaved

517 km (2012)

Waterways

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

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 forcesthe 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 unitsMoldova 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)

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) (2023)

note

note 1: the Carabinieri is a quasi-militarized gendarmerie responsible for protecting public buildings, maintaining public order, and other national security functionsnote 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 and security service personnel strengths

approximately 6,500 active 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 small amounts of donated material from other nations, including the US (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

0.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

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 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 (2023)

note

note: as of 2019, women made up about 20% of the military's full-time personnel

Disputes - international

Moldova-Romania: none identified 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, Russian, and Ukrainian troops

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

112,810 (Ukraine) (as of 3 December 2023)

stateless persons

1,701 (2022)

Air pollutants

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.)

Climate

moderate winters, warm summers

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

Land use

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.)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Dunărea (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Czechia, 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)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.26% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

12.27 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

580 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

160 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

43.4% of total population (2023)

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.)