Population and Demographics of Moldova
Population declining at 1.05% in 2024 · 16.21% aged 65 or older
In Moldova, the 2024 age structure includes 19.79% children and 16.21% older adults, with the 2050 medium scenario below the 2024 total. The 2000-to-2024 series records a 28.3% decrease, which is more informative than a single annual rate alone. Looking ahead, 2.35 million is projected for 2050 under the medium scenario, compared with 3.04 million in 2024.
Population Over Time in Moldova
Between 2000 and 2024, Moldova's population decreased by about 1.20 million, moving from 4.235M to 3.035M. The UN medium projection places 2050 at 2.352M, about 22.5% below the 2024 reference point. The chart connects dated reference points only and should not be read as an annual interpolated series.
Age Structure and Sex Balance
The balance between children, working-age adults and older residents gives Moldova a maturing age profile. Children under 15 account for 19.79% of residents, people 65+ for 16.21%, and the 15 to 64 group for 64.00%. The youngest and oldest broad age groups are relatively close in size.
Population by broad age group
The 2024 World Bank sex-share indicator gives Moldova a female share of 54.0% and a male share of 46.0%. Females exceed males by 8.0 percentage points.
Female and male population share
Females made up 54% of the population in the World Bank's 2024 series, compared with 46% males.
What Is Shaping Population Change
In the latest harmonized estimates, Moldova shows -1.05% population change and fertility of 1.7, and 64.00% of residents fall in the broad 15-to-64 age group.
Moldova's longer population series shows -28.3% change across 2000 to 2024, and the UN medium scenario changes the 2024 total by -22.5% through 2050; neither series alone identifies the separate contributions of births, deaths and migration.
2024 estimate for Moldova. The world comparison value is 2.25 children per woman.
Moldova vs. World
A same-year comparison shows Moldova at -1.05% annual growth, 1.7 children per woman and a median age of 38, against world values of +0.87%, 2.25 and 30.6.
| Indicator | Moldova | World | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual population change | -1.05% | +0.87% | 2024 |
| Total fertility rate | 1.7 | 2.25 | 2024 |
| Median age | 38 | 30.6 | 2024 |
The comparison is intentionally narrow: each row uses the 2024 country table and its matching world value rather than mixing sources or observation years.
Key Takeaways
At 3.035M, the 2024 population is paired with an annual change rate of -1.05%.
The 2024 age structure is 19.79% under 15, 64.00% aged 15 to 64 and 16.21% aged 65 or older.
The World Bank 2024 sex-share series is 54.0% female and 46.0% male.
The 2050 medium projection is 2.352M, 22.5% below the 2024 estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Moldova?
The 2024 harmonized population estimate for Moldova is 3,034,961 people.
Is the population of Moldova growing or declining?
In the 2024 estimate, Moldova's population is declining, with annual change of -1.05%.
What percentage of the population of Moldova is aged 65 or older?
People aged 65 or older account for 16.21% of Moldova's 2024 population in the UN WPP-based broad age data.
What is the projected population of Moldova in 2050?
The UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium projection puts Moldova's 2050 population at 2,351,809.
What is the fertility rate in Moldova?
The 2024 harmonized fertility estimate for Moldova is 1.7 children per woman.
Sources & methodology
This profile uses United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 as the primary framework for globally comparable population, age, fertility and projection data. The World Bank is the primary source for the female population share. Some country values were accessed through secondary retrieval interfaces that republish or organize UN data; those interfaces are identified below as secondary and are not treated as the original statistical publishers.
View sources used for this page
Primary global framework for the population estimates and projections.
Harmonized 2024 country table based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized broad age shares based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Harmonized reference for the 2000 population point.
Harmonized 2050 country projection based on UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Used for the 2024 female share; the male share is calculated as the remainder to 100%.