Antigovernment protests in Moldova continuedinto a second year in 2016, with thousands takingto the streets to call for early elections. Pavel

Filip, the country’s sixth prime minister in less than a year,faced demands for his resignation, and some protesterssuggested that the only way to resolve Moldova’s endem-ic corruption would be to unify with EU memberRomania. In an apparent concession to protesters, theMoldovan Constitutional Court ruled in March that thecountry’s president should be directly elected rather thanselected by lawmakers. That election, held in two roundson October 30 and November 13, saw pro-Russian candi-date Igor Dodon emerge victorious. Dodon had pledgedan immediate halt to tighter integration with Europe.

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 population (2014): 10.9 (world avg. 19.5).Death rate per 1,000 population (2014): 11.1 (world avg. 8.1).Life expectancy at birth (2014): male 67.5 years; female 75.4years.

DemographyArea: 13,067 sq mi, 33,843 sq km3.Population (2016): 4,097,0005, 6.Density (2016)5, 6: persons per sq mi

313.5, persons per sq km 121.1.Sex distribution (20167)4: male 48.10%;female 51.90%.

Population projection5, 6: (2020) 4,055,000;(2030) 3,871,000.

Major cities (20147): Chi&in+u 674,500;B+l†i 144,900; Tiraspol 133,8078; Bender(Tighina) 91,8828; Rybnitsa (Rîbni†a)47,9498.

Urban-rural (2016)4:

Moldova

Official name: Republica Moldova(Republic of Moldova).

Form of government: unitary parliamen-tary republic with a single legislativehouse (Parliament [101]).

Head of state: President Igor Dodon.Head of government: Prime MinisterPavel Filip.

Capital: Chi&in+u.Official language: Romanian1.Official religion: none.Monetary unit: Moldovan leu (plurallei); valuation (Sept. 1, 2016) 1 U.S.$ =19.77 Moldovan lei; 1 £ = 26.30Moldovan lei2.

Ethnic composition (2004)4, 13:

Age breakdown (20167)4, 9:

Religious affiliation (2005):

Population (20147 estimate)Districts population Districts population Districts population

Anenii-Noi 83,400Basarabeasca 28,700Briceni 73,900Cahul 124,700C+l+ra&i 78,500Cantemir 62,300C+u&eni 91,300Cimi&lia 60,800Criuleni 73,700Dondu&eni 43,700Drochia 88,500Dub+sari (rural) 35,200Edine† 81,600F+le&ti 91,900

Flore&ti 88,700Glodeni 60,400Hînce&ti 121,200Ialoveni 100,700Leova 53,200Nisporeni 66,100Ocni†a 54,900Orhei 125,400Rezina 51,200Rî&cani 68,700Sîngerei 92,600,old+ne&ti 42,400Soroca 100,100,tefan-Vod+ 71,000

Str+&eni 92,100Taraclia 44,000Telene&ti 73,100Ungheni 117,400

MunicipalitiesB+l†i 149,800Chi&in+u 804,500

Autonomous RegionG+g+uzia 161,900

Disputed Territory10

Transdniestria (Stînga Nistrului) 505,153

TOTAL 4,062,8005,11,12

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National economyBudget (2013). Revenue: 36,900,000,000 Moldovan lei (tax revenue

87.2%, of which VAT 44.6%, social insurance 21.0%;nontax revenue 3.7%). Expenditures: 38,651,000,000Moldovan lei (social assistance 32.8%; education 18.3%;health care 13.5%; public order and defense 7.2%).

Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,forestry, fishing (2014): corn (maize) 1,556,200, sugarbeets 1,356,000, wheat 1,101,700, grapes 613,00014, sun-flower seeds 547,500, apples 307,24614, potatoes 268,000;livestock (number of live animals) 713,500 sheep,420,400 pigs, 110,60014 beehives; roundwood (2015)1,371,810 cu m, of which fuelwood 98%; fisheries pro-duction 9,134 (from aquaculture 99%). Mining andquarrying (2013): limestone 253,200; gypsum 120,000.Manufacturing (value added in U.S.$’000,000; 2012)4:

food and beverages 328; textiles and wearing apparel 106; bricks,tiles, and ceramics 69; printing and publishing 21; fabricated metalproducts 18. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr;2013–14) 875,000,000 ([2012] 4,211,000,000), by source (2013): fossilfuels 94.5%; renewable energy 5.5%, of which hydroelectric 5.5%;coal (metric tons; 2011) none (198,000); crude petroleum (barrels;2012) 81,000 ([2011] 87,000); petroleum products (metric tons;2012) 18,000 ([2011] 752,000); natural gas (cu m; 2012) none(1,095,000,000).

Population economically active (2013)4: total 1,235,800; participationrates (2014): age 15 and over, male 44.1%; female 38.6%; unem-ployed 3.9%, of which youth (ages 15–24) 9.8%.

Gross national income (GNI; 2015)4: U.S.$7,888,000,000 (U.S.$2,220per capita); purchasing power parity GNI (U.S.$5,350 per capita).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2014): U.S.$1,002,590,000.Average household size (2011): 2.6.Land use as % of total land area (2011): in temporary crops or leftfallow 55.1%, in permanent crops 9.0%, in pasture 10.7%, forestarea 11.9%.

MilitaryTotal active duty personnel(November 2015): 5,350 (army60.7%, air force 15.0%, logistic sup-port 24.3%); reserve 58,000. Russiantroops in Transdniestria (November2015) c. 1,500. Military expenditureas percentage of GDP (2015): 0.4%;per capita expenditure U.S.$7.

Foreign trade17

Imports (2013): U.S.$5,492,000,000 (mineral products22.9%, machinery and electrical equipment 15.3%,chemicals and chemical products 11.4%, agriculturalproducts and food 11.1%, textiles 7.0%). Major import sources:

Exports (2013): U.S.$2,428,300,000 (agricultural prod-ucts and food 44.2%, textiles 13.6%, machinery andelectrical equipment 13.0%, beverages and spirits10.4%, chemicals and chemical products 6.9%). Major export destinations:

Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads (2015): route length 715 mi, 1,151 km;

passenger-km 180,800,000; metric ton-km cargo959,300,000. Roads (2013): total length (2015) 5,824 mi,9,373 km (paved 95%); passenger-km 3,075,800,000;metric ton-km cargo 3,193,000,000. Vehicles (2013):passenger cars 487,418; trucks and buses 175,507.

Education and healthLiteracy (2015): percentage of total population age 15 andover literate 99.4%; males literate 99.7%; females literate99.1%.

Health (2015): physicians4 13,006 (1 per 273 persons); hos-pital beds4 18,803 (1 per 189 persons); infant mortalityrate (2014) 9.6; undernourished population (2006–08) lessthan 5% of total population based on the consumption ofa minimum daily requirement of 1,930 calories.

1Moldovan, a form of Romanian, is the state (official) language per the constitution (1994), but in 2013 theConstitutional Court ruled in favour of Romanian, as so noted in the Declaration of Independence (1991), as the statelanguage. 2The Transdniestrian ruble is the official currency of Transdniestria. 3Of which Transdniestria 1,607 sq mi(4,163 sq km). 4Excludes Transdniestria. 5Excludes Moldovans abroad. 6Includes Transdniestria. 7January 1. 8WithinTransdniestria. 9Includes Moldovans abroad. 10Breakaway area from 1991 also known as Transnistria orPridnestrovye. 11Detail does not add to total given because of rounding. 12Preliminary results of May 2014 census indi-cated a total (without Transdniestria) of 2,913,281 persons (including 329,108 abroad). 13Transdniestria’s ethnic com-position (2004): Moldovan 31.9%; Russian 30.4%; Ukrainian 28.8%; other 8.9%. 142013. 15Taxes less imputed bankservice charges. 16Unemployed. 17Imports c.i.f.; exports f.o.b. 18Subscribers.

Internet resources for further information:• National Bureau of Statistics www.statistica.md• National Bank of Moldova www.bnm.org/en/search

Structure of gross domestic product and labour force20134

in value’000,000 % of total labour % of labour

Moldovan lei value force force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 12,383.1 12.3 337,900 27.3Mining and quarrying 460.8 0.5 142,400 11.5Manufacturing 11,789.4 11.7Public utilities 2,077.6 2.1 … …Construction 3,372.7 3.4 65,000 5.3Transp. and commun. 10,093.2 10.0 73,200 5.9Trade, hotels 14,915.5 14.8 211,400 17.1Finance, real estate 13,278.1 13.2 … …Pub. admin., defense 3,980.7 4.0 342,800 27.8Services 13,079.4 13.0Other 15,081.115 15.015 63,10016 5.116

TOTAL 100,510.511 100.0 1,235,800 100.0

Communications units unitsnumber per 1,000 number per 1,000

Medium date in ’000s persons Medium date in ’000s persons

TelephonesCellular 2015 3,71318 1,08018

Landline 2015 1,202 350

Internet users 2009 1,295 360Broadband 2015 53418 15618

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