Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Moldova
Moldova: Number of people living in urban and rural areas was 1.31 million people in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1.31 million people
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
147th
of 236 countries
All-time high
2.09 million people
in 1989
All-time low
438,152 people
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Moldova, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in urban and rural areas in Moldova is 1.31 million people, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas in Moldova peaked at 2.09 million people in 1989 and was at its lowest, 438,152 people, in 1950.
Moldova ranks 147th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Moldova, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 438,152 people | — |
| 1951 | 459,279 people | +4.8% |
| 1952 | 481,881 people | +4.9% |
| 1953 | 505,987 people | +5.0% |
| 1954 | 531,542 people | +5.1% |
| 1955 | 558,487 people | +5.1% |
| 1956 | 586,763 people | +5.1% |
| 1957 | 616,239 people | +5.0% |
| 1958 | 646,615 people | +4.9% |
| 1959 | 679,296 people | +5.1% |
| 1960 | 714,296 people | +5.2% |
| 1961 | 755,130 people | +5.7% |
| 1962 | 784,978 people | +4.0% |
| 1963 | 820,140 people | +4.5% |
| 1964 | 857,562 people | +4.6% |
| 1965 | 919,460 people | +7.2% |
| 1966 | 979,917 people | +6.6% |
| 1967 | 1.02 million people | +4.1% |
| 1968 | 1.07 million people | +4.6% |
| 1969 | 1.12 million people | +4.8% |
| 1970 | 1.16 million people | +4.0% |
| 1971 | 1.21 million people | +3.5% |
| 1972 | 1.26 million people | +4.3% |
| 1973 | 1.31 million people | +3.9% |
| 1974 | 1.35 million people | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 1.40 million people | +3.6% |
| 1976 | 1.44 million people | +3.4% |
| 1977 | 1.49 million people | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 1.54 million people | +3.4% |
| 1979 | 1.58 million people | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 1.62 million people | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 1.66 million people | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 1.70 million people | +2.4% |
| 1983 | 1.75 million people | +2.9% |
| 1984 | 1.80 million people | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 1.85 million people | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 1.91 million people | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 1.97 million people | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 2.05 million people | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 2.09 million people | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 2.09 million people | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 2.09 million people | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 2.07 million people | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 2.05 million people | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 2.03 million people | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 2.02 million people | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 1.98 million people | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 1.96 million people | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 1.76 million people | -10.1% |
| 1999 | 1.73 million people | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 1.71 million people | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 1.66 million people | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 1.64 million people | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.62 million people | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 1.60 million people | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 1.57 million people | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 1.54 million people | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 1.52 million people | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 1.49 million people | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 1.46 million people | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 1.43 million people | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 1.40 million people | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 1.37 million people | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 1.34 million people | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 1.32 million people | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 1.30 million people | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 1.29 million people | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 1.28 million people | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 1.27 million people | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 1.27 million people | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 1.27 million people | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 1.26 million people | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 1.29 million people | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 1.32 million people | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 1.32 million people | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 1.31 million people | -0.8% |
Moldova compared with similar countries
- Moldova's 1.31 million people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.47 million people, 29% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Moldova's 1.31 million people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.89 million people, 34% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 550,424 people | 438,152 people | 679,296 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 903,842 people | 714,296 people | 1.12 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.37 million people | 1.16 million people | 1.58 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.84 million people | 1.62 million people | 2.09 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.98 million people | 1.73 million people | 2.09 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.58 million people | 1.46 million people | 1.71 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.33 million people | 1.27 million people | 1.43 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.30 million people | 1.26 million people | 1.32 million people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Moldova
More population data for Moldova
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.4425 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.9131 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.9% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 62,192 people (2100)
- Population density 45.12 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.9% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2118 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.7142 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas in Moldova?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas in Moldova was 1.31 million people in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas recorded in Moldova?
- The highest recorded value was 2.09 million people in 1989.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas recorded in Moldova?
- The lowest recorded value was 438,152 people in 1950.
- How does Moldova rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas?
- Moldova ranks 147th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas rising or falling in Moldova?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Moldova data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.