Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) in Moldova
Moldova: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) was 56.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
56.3%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
53rd
of 218 countries
All-time high
76.8%
in 1960
All-time low
52.8%
in 1989
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Rural population in Moldova, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Moldova recorded 56.3% for rural population in 2025.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Moldova peaked at 76.8% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 52.8%, in 1989.
That places Moldova 53rd out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) in Moldova, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 76.8% | — |
| 1961 | 76.0% | -1.0% |
| 1962 | 75.5% | -0.6% |
| 1963 | 74.9% | -0.8% |
| 1964 | 74.2% | -0.9% |
| 1965 | 72.8% | -1.9% |
| 1966 | 71.5% | -1.8% |
| 1967 | 70.8% | -1.0% |
| 1968 | 69.9% | -1.3% |
| 1969 | 68.9% | -1.4% |
| 1970 | 68.0% | -1.3% |
| 1971 | 67.2% | -1.2% |
| 1972 | 66.2% | -1.6% |
| 1973 | 65.2% | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 64.5% | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 63.6% | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 62.8% | -1.3% |
| 1977 | 62.1% | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 61.2% | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 60.5% | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 60.0% | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 59.4% | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 58.8% | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 58.1% | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 57.2% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 56.5% | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 55.7% | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 54.7% | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 53.6% | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 52.8% | -1.4% |
| 1990 | 53.0% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 53.1% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 53.6% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 53.9% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 54.1% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 54.3% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 54.9% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 55.1% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 59.3% | +7.6% |
| 1999 | 59.5% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 59.6% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 60.3% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 60.4% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 60.4% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 60.6% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 60.6% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 60.8% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 60.6% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 60.6% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 60.7% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 60.7% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 60.7% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 60.6% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 60.6% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 60.4% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 60.3% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 60.3% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 60.0% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 59.7% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 59.2% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 58.7% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 58.2% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 57.6% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 57.0% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 56.5% | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 56.3% | -0.4% |
Moldova compared with similar countries
- Moldova's 56.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 34.6%, 1.6× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Moldova's 56.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.4%, 1.9× the median. (57 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 73.1% | 68.9% | 76.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 64.1% | 60.5% | 68.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 56.7% | 52.8% | 60.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.1% | 53.0% | 59.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 60.5% | 59.6% | 60.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.2% | 59.2% | 60.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.4% | 56.3% | 58.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Moldova
More agriculture & rural data for Moldova
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.3742 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0001 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.8329 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.2584 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0001 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.9732 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0738 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 635.96 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Moldova?
- Rural population in Moldova was 56.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Moldova?
- The highest recorded value was 76.8% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Moldova?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.8% in 1989.
- How does Moldova rank for rural population?
- Moldova ranks 53rd out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Moldova?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Moldova data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.