Moldova is a small state in southeastern Europe. This is one of the most colorful European countries with the richest cultural traditions. How many permanent residents is the population of Moldova today? And what percentage of them live in cities? You will find answers to these questions in our article.
Population of Moldova and its size
According to the latest demographic data, about 3.5 million people live in the Republic of Moldova. As you know, within the country there is an autonomous entity - the self-proclaimed Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, so the population of Moldova is indicated here without taking into account the population of the PMR.
For all countries of the post-Soviet space, the same demographic problems are characteristic: population decline, high mortality, aging of the nation. The territory of Moldova is no exception, the population of which has been declining since the late 80s of the last century.
Perhaps the main cause of the demographic crisis in this country isdifficult socio-economic situation. Against the backdrop of negative natural growth, the population of Moldova is also actively declining due to powerful emigration flows abroad. Moldovans in search of a better life are sent to more prosperous European countries - to Italy, France, Portugal, Russia.
Key country demographics: latest census
2010-2015 in Moldova is characterized by a not so strong population decline compared to previous years.
In 2004 (in October), the first serious and comprehensive population census was conducted on the territory of the state. As a result, reliable data were obtained on how many people live in Moldova, how many are abroad, what is the age, ethnic and gender structure of the country's population. It should be noted that this census was not conducted on the left bank of the Dniester.
According to the results of the census, the population of the country amounted to 3 million 383 thousand people. It was also found that about 8% of Moldovans are abroad (almost 90% of them are labor migrants). In terms of absolute figures, this number was 367 thousand people.
The gender structure of the population of the Republic is dominated by women (51.9%) - this is exactly the data that the population census provides us with.
2010 in Moldova was distinguished by a slight decrease in the rate of population decline. How it has changed over the past fifty years will be discussed in the following.section.
Population dynamics in Moldova
How has the population of Moldova changed over the past 50 years?
Until the end of the 80s, the population of Moldova steadily increased. So, over a 30-year period (from 1959 to 1989), the number of inhabitants of the country increased by more than one million people! In percentage terms, population growth was almost 40%.
After 1989, the population of Moldova began to decline rapidly. So, if in 1989 there were 3.65 million inhabitants in the state, then in 2014 there were already 3.56 million. More clearly, the dynamics of the population of Moldova can be seen in the following graph.
Population by district and overall level of urbanization in the country
How is the urban and rural population of Moldova distributed? About 61% of Moldovans, according to the 2004 census, live in urban areas, and 39% - in villages. Thus, Moldova is rightly considered the most "rural" country in Europe.
Which regions of the Republic of Moldova are leading in terms of population?
The administrative-territorial structure of the country has 32 districts and 5 municipalities. In terms of the number of residents in the country, the following districts are leading: Hincesti (120 thousand), Cahul (119 thousand), Orhei (116 thousand), Ungen (110 thousand).
Ethnic and linguistic composition of the population
The ethnic composition of the population of Moldova, according toThe most recent census is as follows: about 76% of the population are Moldovans, and their number has grown by almost 6% since the country's independence. They are followed by Ukrainians (8.4%), Russians (5.9%), Gagauzes (4.4%), Romanians (2.2%) and Bulgarians (about 2%). There are only about 12 thousand Gypsies in Moldova (0.36%). Despite this, Moldova is often mistakenly called the "Gypsy" country of Europe.
The ethnic structure of the country's population clearly reflects the results of the processes that have taken place in Moldovan society over the past 15-20 years. Thus, the percentage of Slavic ethnic groups (Ukrainians, Russians) has decreased over the past 20 years, while the number of Romanians and Gagauz, on the contrary, has increased.
Another curious feature should be noted: Russians and Ukrainians in Moldova live mainly in large cities, while Moldovans, Bulgarians and Gagauz live in rural areas.
99, 6% of the 3.5 million people living on the territory of the Republic of Moldova are its citizens. At the same time, over 5,000 residents of the country, according to the 2004 census, do not have citizenship at all.
The language situation in the country is extremely mixed. So, during the 2004 census, respondents were asked two questions:
- What is your native language?
- What is your main language of communication in everyday life?
Thus, about 78% of the inhabitants of Moldova called the Moldavian language their native language, 19% - Romanian, about 2.5% - Russian. ATAt the same time, Moldovan is the main language of communication for only 59% of Moldovans. Another 16% of the country's inhabitants communicate in Romanian and Russian, about 4% - in Ukrainian, about 3% - in Gagauz. True, it should be noted that the differences between the Moldovan and Romanian languages are very insignificant, and this division is more of a political nature than a linguistic one.
Religion in Moldova
Moldova is officially the most believing and most Orthodox country in Europe. Over 93% of the inhabitants of this country consider themselves Orthodox Christians. Next come Baptists (about 1 percent), Adventists and Pentecostals (0.4 percent each).
There are not so many atheists in Moldova - only 76 thousand people (that's just over two percent of the total population of the country).
In conclusion…
The Republic of Moldova is a small state in the southwestern part of Europe. About 3.5 million people live within its borders, and more than 300 thousand Moldovans are abroad.
The urban and rural population of Moldova is distributed over its territory more or less evenly. Thus, about 61% of the country's inhabitants are city dwellers, and 39% live in rural areas. For Moldova, as well as for other countries of the post-Soviet space, the following demographic problems are typical: low birth rate, high mortality rates, aging of the nation (as a result of the first two factors), as well as a significant outflow of young people to other European states.
