Infant mortality in Moldova shows an alarming upward trend and remains significantly higher than in European Union countries. Former PAS MP and founder of the civic movement “Construim inCREDere,” Olesea Stamate, raised the issue in an interview with Exclusiv TV.
According to data she presented, Moldova records 11.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, compared to 8.7 in 2020 — the highest level in the past five years. She also reported that 279 children die before reaching one year of age in 2024.
“We have a very high rate. It is three times higher than the European Union average. International organizations consider this indicator essential when assessing a society’s level of development. Hans Rosling, in his book Factfulness, calls it the ‘ultimate indicator’ of how a state functions, or the society’s thermometer,” Olesea Stamate said.
She also pointed out a contradiction between announced reforms and statistical reality: “As long as we announce reforms, modern equipment, and European integration across all sectors, while the indicators show a different picture, it is normal to ask what is happening.”
Stamate calls on the government to answer three key questions: what drives the increase, where systemic problems exist, and what concrete measures authorities will take.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Moldova records an infant mortality rate of 11.8 per 1,000 live births in 2024, compared to 10 in 2023. In EU countries, the rate remains more than three times lower, at up to 3.5 per 1,000 live births. The main causes include perinatal conditions (birth complications, severe prematurity) and congenital malformations. UNICEF notes that around 20–25% of these deaths could be prevented through early medical intervention.