Identity
Name origin: named for the Moldova River in neighboring eastern Romania.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Moldova
EuropeLand of Contrasts
The numbers tell two very different stories about Moldova. Think you can explain the gap?
The numbers tell two very different stories about Moldova. It leads on education spending (#15) while trailing on fertility rate. Think you can explain the gap?
47.0, 29.0 - Europe
Area
34K km²
Pop.
3.58M
Stats
128
Reality brief
Moldova is a country in Europe with a population of 3.58M and an area of 33,847 km². Life expectancy is 71.2 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
University Enrollment Rate
74.71%#44globally
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Human Development Index
0.79#86globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Internet Users (%)
80%#120globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
GDP Per Capita
$16,465.93#104globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$18,614.99#105globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Population Density
85.44 /km²#115globally
How many people live in each square kilometer of land.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Moldova
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Geography
Size snapshot: slightly larger than Maryland.
CIA 2026
Culture
Major languages include Moldovan/Romanian 80.2% (official) (56.7% Moldovan; 23.5% Romanian), Russian 9.7%, Gagauz 4.2% (a Turkish language), Ukrainian 3.9%, and more.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Moldova
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Alcohol Consumption
11.08 L/adult/yr#14globallyTop stat
Liters of pure alcohol the average adult aged 15+ consumes per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Education Spending (% GDP)
6.6% of GDP#15globallyTop stat
Government education spending as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
5.7 per 1k#19globallyTop stat
The number of hospital beds available per 1,000 people.
Women in Parliament (%)
40.82%#23globallyTop stat
The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #126 in tourist arrivals
#12629.0KTourist Arrivals
How many international tourists visit the country each year.
Keeps unemployment rate unusually low
#1771.4%Unemployment Rate
The percentage of the workforce that is unemployed but actively looking for work.
Only ranks #209 in fertility rate
#2091.3 children/womanFertility Rate
The average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime based on current birth rates.
Keeps inequality (gini) unusually low
#9926.8Inequality (Gini)
A measure of income inequality where 0 means everyone earns the same and 100 means one person has everything.
Only ranks #217 in coastline length
#2170 kmCoastline Length
Total coastline length from CIA World Factbook.
Compared with the region
How Moldova Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Moldova
Europe avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $18,614.99
- Region avg
- $57,483.02
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Moldova$18,614.99
Europe$57,483.02
World$31,844.55
-42% below worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 71.2 years
- Region avg
- 80.0 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Moldova71.2 years
Europe80.0 years
World73.7 years
-3% below worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.79
- Region avg
- 0.89
- World avg
- 0.74
Moldova0.79
Europe0.89
World0.74
+6% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 80%
- Region avg
- 90.13%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Moldova80%
Europe90.13%
World70.29%
+14% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Moldova
Country briefing
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.
Read the full Factbook note
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.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
- Climate
- moderate winters, warm summers
- Terrain
- rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
- Natural Resources
- lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, limestone, arable land
- Natural Hazards
- landslides
- Size Comparison
- slightly larger than Maryland
People & Culture4 facts
- 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)
- Religions
- Orthodox 90.1%, other Christian 2.6%, other 0.1%, agnostic <0.1%, atheist 0.2%, unspecified 6.9% (2014 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.)
- Major Cities
- 488,000 CHISINAU (capital) (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian)
- Capital Coordinates
- 47 00 N, 28 51 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Moldova
- Name Origin
- named for the Moldova River in neighboring eastern Romania; the river's name probably comes from the Indoeuropean root word mel, meaning "dark" or "black"
- Independence
- 27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
- National Symbols
- aurochs (type of wild cattle)
- National Anthem
- "Limba noastra" (Our Tongue)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 1 (cultural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- 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
- Industries
- sugar processing, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles
- Agricultural Products
- wheat, maize, sunflower seeds, grapes, apples, sugar beets, barley, milk, rapeseed, potatoes (2023)
- Export Partners
- Romania 31%, Ukraine 13%, Italy 6%, Germany 6%, Czechia 4% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- insulated wire, garments, refined petroleum, seed oils, wheat (2023)
- Import Partners
- Romania 16%, Ukraine 13%, China 11%, Turkey 8%, Germany 7% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, natural gas, cars, packaged medicine, plastic products (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense4 facts
- Military Forces
- Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova (Forțele Armate ale Republicii Moldova): National Army (comprised of Land Forces, Air Force) Ministry of Internal Affairs: General Inspectorate of Police (GPI), Border Police Department, Carabinieri Troops Department (2025)
- Military Service
- 18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; male registration required at age 16; 12-month service obligation; conscientious objectors can perform non-military service in public institutions for a longer period (up to 24 months) (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 88% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 1.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 3.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 6.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- state-owned national radio-TV broadcaster operates 1 TV and 1 radio station; total of nearly 70 terrestrial TV channels and about 50 radio stations; Russian and Romanian channels are available (2019)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Demographics12 statsBest: #8
Death Rate
Elderly Population (%)
Median Age
Dependency Ratio
Population Density
Population
Teen Birth Rate
Youth Population (%)
Land Area
Urban Population (%)
Birth Rate
Fertility Rate
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #14
Education & Future6 statsBest: #15
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #19
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Doctors (per 1,000)
Suicide Rate
Smoking Rate
Health Spending (% GDP)
Obesity Rate
Infant Mortality
Child Mortality
Life Expectancy
Society & Equality2 statsBest: #23
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #39
Lowest Elevation
2.0 m#39
Land Border Length
1.9K km#92
Highest Elevation
430 m#194
Coastline Length
0 km#217
Wealth & Economy10 statsBest: #68
Inflation Rate
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
GDP (Nominal)
High-Tech Exports (%)
Government Debt (% GDP)
Youth Unemployment Rate
GDP Growth Rate
Unemployment Rate
Environment9 statsBest: #71
Irrigated Land
2.1K km²#71
Electricity Access (%)
Renewable Energy (%)
Total CO2 Emissions
CO2 Per Capita
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Forest Area
Protected Land (%)
Forest Coverage (%)
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #87
Technology3 statsBest: #96
Energy1 statsBest: #140
Electric Generating Capacity
779.0K kW#140
Keep exploring
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Moldova
#44 in University Enrollment Rate
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Top 20% globally
74.71%
Frequently Asked Questions about Moldova
What is the population of Moldova?
Moldova has a population of 3.58M, ranking #132 globally by population.
What continent is Moldova in?
Moldova is located in Europe. It has an area of 33,847 km².
What is the life expectancy in Moldova?
Life expectancy in Moldova is 71.2 years, ranking #143 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Moldova?
Moldova's GDP per capita (PPP) is $18,614.99, ranking #105 globally.
What is Moldova known for in global statistics?
Moldova ranks particularly high in University Enrollment Rate (#44), Human Development Index (#86), Internet Users (%) (#120).
What is Moldova's Human Development Index?
Moldova has an HDI of 0.785, ranking #86 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Moldova?
Moldova has a population density of 85.4 people per km², ranking #115 globally.