Recent data indicates an alarming rate of aging among Moldova’s population, with an accelerated rise in the country’s average age. This year, the average age of the population reached 41.5 years, up by 0.6 years from the previous year, when it was 40.5 years, notes economist Veceslav Ionitsa in an analysis on his blog.
Since the Declaration of Independence, the population average age has increased by more than nine years, reflecting the demographic aging trend in Moldova. Three major factors drive this accelerated aging: the extremely low birth rate, migration of young people out of the country, and rising life expectancy, bani.md reports.
“Population aging is a major problem for Moldova, influenced by the low birth rate and the high wave of migration,” Ionita pointed out.
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“Despite these negative trends, rising life expectancy is a positive indicator, reflecting improvements in living conditions and health services over recent decades.”
Moldova is witnessing the largest wave of emigration in its history, while the birth rate has plunged to an all-time low. “For at least 200 years, we haven’t had so few new-born children, even when the population was below one million,” a demography expert pointed out.
The acceleration of the aging process over the past two years has accentuated the worrying trend. While in the past, the average age increased by 0.1-0.2 years per year, recently it has increased by 0.3 years, and last year there was a significant increase of 0.6 years.
