According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, the average disposable income per person per month in Moldova rose by 21.2% to 4,252.7 lei in 2022 compared to the previous year. However, when adjusted for inflation, incomes were compressed by 6%. The report showed that over half of Moldovans’ income – 50.7% – comes from salaries, with 20.3% from social benefits and 12% from remittances.
Rural households are more dependent on transfers from abroad, accounting for 13.7% of their income compared to 10.4% for urban populations. In addition, rural areas rely more heavily on social benefits, which make up 23.8% of their income, seven percentage points higher than in urban areas.
The report also showed that urban residents earn an average of 1.5 times more than their rural counterparts, with an average monthly income of 1,826.9 lei compared to 1,225.9 lei for rural residents.
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When it comes to spending, Moldovans spent an average of 3,711.9 lei in 2022, a 22.1% increase compared to the previous year. However, when adjusted for inflation, households spent an average of 5.1% less in real terms. The biggest expenditure was on food, accounting for 41.1% of total spending, followed by housing, water, electricity, and gas bills (16.3%) and clothing and footwear (8.4%). Other expenses included transportation (7.4%), furniture, home appliances, maintenance (5.8%), healthcare (5.1%), and telecommunications (4.0%).
The report also showed that urban households spend 1.6 times more than rural households on consumer goods, with an average of 4,789.7 lei per month compared to 3,004.0 lei for rural households. The size of the household also affected spending, with single-person households spending 1.7 times more per person than households with five or more people. The same trend was observed in households with children, with a household with one child spending an average of 1.5 times more per person than a household with three or more children.
While Moldovan’s disposable income saw a significant increase in 2022, it is important to note that its real earnings shrank when adjusted for inflation. The report highlights the disparities between urban and rural areas and the impact of household size on spending patterns.