Share of population living in rural areas in Republic of Moldova
Republic of Moldova: Share of population living in rural areas was 46.6% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Republic of Moldova, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Republic of Moldova stood at 46.6%.
That represents a change of up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Republic of Moldova peaked at 50.4% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 37.8%, in 1990.
Republic of Moldova ranks 35th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Republic of Moldova, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 50.4% | — |
| 1955 | 48.1% | -4.5% |
| 1960 | 45.6% | -5.2% |
| 1965 | 43.2% | -5.3% |
| 1970 | 41.4% | -4.3% |
| 1975 | 40.2% | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 39.2% | -2.7% |
| 1985 | 38.3% | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 37.8% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 38.7% | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 38.8% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 40.2% | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 42.4% | +5.5% |
| 2015 | 44.5% | +4.9% |
| 2020 | 46.6% | +4.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 49.3% | 48.1% | 50.4% | 2 |
| 1960s | 44.4% | 43.2% | 45.6% | 2 |
| 1970s | 40.8% | 40.2% | 41.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 38.7% | 38.3% | 39.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 38.3% | 37.8% | 38.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 39.5% | 38.8% | 40.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 43.4% | 42.4% | 44.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 46.6% | 46.6% | 46.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Republic of Moldova
More population data for Republic of Moldova
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.9131 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.8797 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.9131 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.4425 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2118 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.9% (2100)
- Population density 45.12 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 62,192 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.9% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate -0.7875 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Republic of Moldova?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Republic of Moldova was 46.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Republic of Moldova?
- The highest recorded value was 50.4% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Republic of Moldova?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.8% in 1990.
- How does Republic of Moldova rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Republic of Moldova ranks 35th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Republic of Moldova?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Republic of Moldova data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.