Moldova

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 584,330 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (2017 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

total: 2,492,444 | percent of population: 71% (July 2016 est.)

Telephone system

general assessment: the mobile market has extended the reach of service to outside the cities and across most of the country; endeavors to join the EU have promoted regulatory issues to be in line with EU principles and standards; market is competitive with 80 ISPs active; LTE services available and mobile broadband growth (2018) | domestic: competition among mobile telephone providers has spurred subscriptions; little interest in expanding fixed-line service 33 per 100; mobile-cellular teledensity sits at 105 per 100 persons (2018) | international: country code - 373; service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3 (Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 1,143,852 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 3,662,968 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 105 (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

vegetables, fruits, grapes, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, tobacco; beef, milk; wine

Budget

revenues: 2.886 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 2.947 billion (2017 est.) | note: National Public Budget

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Central bank discount rate

6.5% (31 December 2017) | 9% (31 December 2016) | note: this is the basic rate on short-term operations

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.36% (31 December 2017 est.) | 14.28% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance

-$602 million (2017 est.) | -$268 million (2016 est.)

Debt - external

$6.549 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $6.138 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

26.8 (2015 est.) | 26.8 (2014 est.)

Economy - overview

Despite recent progress, Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe. With a moderate climate and productive farmland, Moldova's economy relies heavily on its agriculture sector, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, wheat, and tobacco. Moldova also depends on annual remittances of about $1.2 billion - almost 15% of GDP - from the roughly one million Moldovans working in Europe, Israel, Russia, and elsewhere. With few natural energy resources, Moldova imports almost all of its energy supplies from Russia and Ukraine. Moldova's dependence on Russian energy is underscored by a more than $6 billion debt to Russian natural gas supplier Gazprom, largely the result of unreimbursed natural gas consumption in the breakaway region of Transnistria. Moldova and Romania inaugurated the Ungheni-Iasi natural gas interconnector project in August 2014. The 43-kilometer pipeline between Moldova and Romania, allows for both the import and export of natural gas. Several technical and regulatory delays kept gas from flowing into Moldova until March 2015. Romanian gas exports to Moldova are largely symbolic. In 2018, Moldova awarded a tender to Romanian Transgaz to construct a pipeline connecting Ungheni to Chisinau, bringing the gas to Moldovan population centers. Moldova also seeks to connect with the European power grid by 2022. The government's stated goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented progress. Moldova experienced better than expected economic growth in 2017, largely driven by increased consumption, increased revenue from agricultural exports, and improved tax collection. During fall 2014, Moldova signed an Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU (AA/DCFTA), connecting Moldovan products to the world’s largest market. The EU AA/DCFTA has contributed to significant growth in Moldova’s exports to the EU. In 2017, the EU purchased over 65% of Moldova’s exports, a major change from 20 years previously when the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) received over 69% of Moldova’s exports. A $1 billion asset-stripping heist of Moldovan banks in late 2014 delivered a significant shock to the economy in 2015; the subsequent bank bailout increased inflationary pressures and contributed to the depreciation of the leu and a minor recession. Moldova’s growth has also been hampered by endemic corruption, which limits business growth and deters foreign investment, and Russian restrictions on imports of Moldova’s agricultural products. The government’s push to restore stability and implement meaningful reform led to the approval in 2016 of a $179 million three-year IMF program focused on improving the banking and fiscal environments, along with additional assistance programs from the EU, World Bank, and Romania. Moldova received two IMF tranches in 2017, totaling over $42.5 million. Over the longer term, Moldova's economy remains vulnerable to corruption, political uncertainty, weak administrative capacity, vested bureaucratic interests, energy import dependence, Russian political and economic pressure, heavy dependence on agricultural exports, and unresolved separatism in Moldova's Transnistria region.

Exchange rates

Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - | 18.49 (2017 est.) | 19.924 (2016 est.) | 19.924 (2015 est.) | 19.83 (2014 est.) | 14.036 (2013 est.)

Exports

$1.858 billion (2017 est.) | $2.045 billion (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities

foodstuffs, textiles, machinery

Exports - partners

Romania 24.6%, Russia 13.7%, Italy 9.1%, Germany 6.2%, Ukraine 5.3%, UK 4.6%, Poland 4.6% (2017)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$9.556 billion (2017 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$23.72 billion (2017 est.) | $22.69 billion (2016 est.) | $21.75 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

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.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 17.7% (2017 est.) | industry: 20.3% (2017 est.) | services: 62% (2017 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$6,700 (2017 est.) | $6,400 (2016 est.) | $6,100 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars

GDP - real growth rate

4.5% (2017 est.) | 4.3% (2016 est.) | -0.4% (2015 est.)

Gross national saving

13.5% of GDP (2017 est.) | 15.9% of GDP (2016 est.) | 14.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4.2% | highest 10%: 22.1% (2014 est.)

Imports

$4.427 billion (2017 est.) | $3.635 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - commodities

mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles

Imports - partners

Romania 15.5%, Ukraine 11.4%, Russia 10.6%, China 10.4%, Germany 8.9%, Italy 6.9%, Turkey 6.1% (2017)

Industrial production growth rate

3% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.6% (2017 est.) | 6.4% (2016 est.)

Labor force

1.295 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 32.3% | industry: 12% | services: 55.7% (2017 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$18.42 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $9.723 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $50.47 million (31 December 2014 est.)

Population below poverty line

9.6% (2015 est.)

Public debt

31.5% of GDP (2017 est.) | 35.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.803 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $2.206 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of broad money

$2.026 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.406 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$252.7 million (31 December 2017) | $206.1 million (31 December 2016)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$3.701 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $3.581 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$2.135 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.942 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$2.026 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.406 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

30.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

4.1% (2017 est.) | 4.2% (2016 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

7.653 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

20 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

4.4 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

86% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

12% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

4 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

515,000 kW (2016 est.) | note: excludes Transnistria

Electricity - production

5.49 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption

2.52 billion cu m (2017 est.) | note: excludes breakaway Transnistria

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

2.52 billion cu m (2017 est.) | note: excludes breakaway Transnistria

Natural gas - production

11.33 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

NA cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

18,000 bbl/day (2016 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.)

Area

total: 33,851 sq km | land: 32,891 sq km | water: 960 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Maryland | Area comparison map: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Europe :: Moldova Print Image Description slightly larger than Maryland

Climate

moderate winters, warm summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

mean elevation: 139 m | lowest point: Dniester (Nistru) 2 m | highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m

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-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

2,283 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 1,885 km | border countries (2): Romania 683 km, Ukraine 1202 km

Land use

agricultural land: 74.9% (2011 est.) | arable land: 55.1% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 9.1% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 10.7% (2011 est.) | forest: 11.9% (2011 est.) | other: 13.2% (2011 est.)

Location

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

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

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

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Moldova | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Constitution

history: previous 1978; latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994 | 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 several times, last in 2010; note – in early 2016, the Moldovan Constitutional Court decision returned the country to direct presidential elections, reversing a 2000 constitutional amendment that allowed Parliament to select the president (2016)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Dereck J. HOGAN (since 15 October 2018) | telephone: [373] (22) 40-8300 | embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009 | mailing address: use embassy street address | FAX: [373] (22) 23-3044

Diplomatic representation in the US

Charge D'Affairs Carolina PEREBINOS (since October 2019) | chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 | FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204

Executive branch

chief of state: President Igor DODON (since 23 December 2016); note – in 2017-19, DODON was temporarily suspended several times by the Moldovan Constitutional Court for rejecting ministerial appointments and for refusing to sign legislation | head of government: Prime Minister Ion CHICU (since 14 November 2019) | 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 13 November 2016 (next to be held in fall 2020); 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: Igor DODON elected president; percent of vote - Igor DODON (PSRM) 52.2%, Maia SANDU (PAS) 47.8%; Ion CHICU designated prime minister; Parliament vote - 62 of 101

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

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, EAEC (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

Judicial branch

highest courts: 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 | elections: last held on 24 February 2019 (next scheduled for February 2023) | election results: percent of vote by party - PSRM 31.2%, ACUM (PPDA + PAS) 26.8%, PDM 23.6%, PS 8.3%, other 10.1%; seats by party - PSRM 35, ACUM (PPDA + PAS) 26, PDM 30, PS 7, independent 3; composition - men 78, women 23, percent of women 22.8%

National anthem

name: "Limba noastra" (Our Language) | lyrics/music: Alexei MATEEVICI/Alexandru CRISTEA | note: adopted 1994

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

represented in Parliament: Action and Solidarity Party or PAS [Maia SANDU] Democratic Party of Moldova or PDM [Vladimir PLAHOTNIUC] Dignity and Truth Platform or PPDA [Andrei NASTASE] NOW Platform or ACUM (PPDA + PAS) Shor Party or PS [Ilan SHOR] Socialist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PSRM [Zinaida GRECEANII] not represented in Parliament, participated in recent elections (2014-2019): Anti-Mafia Movement or MPA [Sergiu MOCANU] Centrist Union of Moldova or UCM [Mihai PETRACHE] Christian Democratic People's Party or PPCD [Victor CIOBANU] Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN] Conservative Party or PC [Natalia NIRCA] Democracy at Home Party or PDA [Vasile COSTIUC] Democratic Action Party or PAD [Mihai GODEA] Ecologist Green Party or PVE [Anatolie PROHNITCHI] European People’s Party of Moldova or EPPM [Iurie LEANCA] Law and Justice Party or PLD [Nicolae ALEXEI] Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova or PLDM [Tudor DELIU] Liberal Party or PL [Dorin CHIRTOACA] "Motherland" Party or PP [Sergiu BIRIUCOV] National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia PAVLICENKO] Our Home Moldova or PCNM [Grigore PETRENCO] Our Party or PN [Renato USATII] Party of National Unity [Anatol SALARU] People’s Party of Moldova or PPRM [Alexandru OLEINIC] Regions Party of Moldova or PRM [Alexandr KALININ] Socialist People’s Party of Moldova or PPSM [Victor STEPANIUC]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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, whose population is roughly equally composed of ethnic Ukrainians, Russians, and Moldovans. Years of Communist Party rule in Moldova from 2001-2009 ultimately ended with election-related violent protests and a rerun of parliamentary elections in 2009. Since then, a series of pro-European ruling coalitions have governed Moldova. As a result of the country's most recent legislative election in February 2019, parliamentary seats are split among the left-leaning Socialist Party (35 seats), the former ruling Democratic Party (30 seats), and the center-right ACUM bloc (26 seats). Parliament voted in Prime Minister Ion CHICU and his cabinet on 14 November 2019, two days after voting to remove his predecessor, ACUM co-leader Maia SANDU, who had been in office since June 2019.

Military and security forces

National Army: Land Forces Command, Air Forces Command (includes air defense unit); Carabinieri Troops (a component of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that also has official status as a service of the Armed Forces during wartime) (2017)

Military expenditures

0.35% of GDP (2018) | 0.37% of GDP (2017) | 0.44% of GDP (2016) | 0.35% of GDP (2015) | 0.35% of GDP (2014)

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; male registration required at age 16; 1-year service obligation; note - Moldova intends to abolish military conscription by 2021. (2019)

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.29% (male 324,002 /female 304,737) | 15-24 years: 11.84% (male 210,988 /female 196,063) | 25-54 years: 43.29% (male 752,758 /female 735,471) | 55-64 years: 13.5% (male 213,410 /female 250,755) | 65 years and over: 13.08% (male 176,252 /female 273,284) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Europe :: Moldova Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Moldova. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate

11.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.2% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

59.5% (2012)

Current Health Expenditure

9% (2016)

Death rate

12.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 34.5 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 21.2 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 13.4 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 7.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 96.9% of population | rural: 81.4% of population | total: 88.4% of population | unimproved: urban: 3.1% of population | rural: 18.6% of population | total: 11.6% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

6.7% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.6% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

<1000 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

17,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital bed density

5.8 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant mortality rate

total: 11.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 13.4 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 71.3 years (2018 est.) | male: 67.4 years | female: 75.4 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 99.4% | male: 99.7% | female: 99.1% (2015)

Major urban areas - population

504,000 CHISINAU (capital) (2019)

Maternal mortality rate

19 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

total: 37 years (2018 est.) | male: 35.3 years | female: 38.9 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

24 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

noun: Moldovan(s) | adjective: Moldovan

Net migration rate

-9.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

18.9% (2016)

Physicians density

3.2 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

3,437,720 (July 2018 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

-1.06% (2018 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 87.8% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 67.1% of population (2015 est.) | total: 76.4% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 12.2% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 32.9% of population (2015 est.) | total: 23.6% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years | male: 11 years | female: 12 years (2015)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.85 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female | total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.57 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 7.4% | male: 7.5% | female: 7.2% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 42.7% of total population (2019) | rate of urbanization: -0.07% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

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): 6,779 applicants for forms of legal stay other than asylum (Ukraine) (2015) | stateless persons: 4,451 (2018)

Airports

7 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 5 (2017) | over 3,047 m: 1 (2017) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 2 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013) | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

ER (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 151 | by type: bulk carrier 3, container ship 3, general cargo 113, oil tanker 8, other 24 (2018)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 3 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12 (2015) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,005,942 (2015) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 489,630 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

1916 km gas (2014)

Railways

total: 1,171 km (2014) | standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2014) | broad gauge: 1,157 km 1.520-m gauge (2014)

Roadways

total: 9,352 km (2012) | paved: 8,835 km (2012) | unpaved: 517 km (2012)

Waterways

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