The Human Truth Foundation

Moldova (Republic of Moldova)

https://www.humantruth.info/moldova.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

#moldova

Moldova
Republic of Moldova
Flag
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index62nd best
CapitalChisinau
Land Area 32 854km21
LocationEurope
Population4.1m2
Life Expectancy68.85yrs (2017)3
GNI$14 875 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesMD, MDA, 4985
Internet Domain.md6
CurrencyLeu (MDL)7
Telephone+3738

1. Overview

#romania #russia #ukraine

Part of Romania during the interwar period, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although the country has been independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Nistru River supporting a Transnistrian separatist region composed of a Slavic majority population (mostly Ukrainians and Russians), but with a sizeable ethnic Moldovan minority. One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist, Vladimir VORONIN, as its president in 2001. VORONIN served as Moldova's president until he resigned in September 2009, following the opposition's gain of a narrow majority in July parliamentary elections and the Communist Party's (PCRM) subsequent inability to attract the three-fifths of parliamentary votes required to elect a president. Four Moldovan opposition parties formed a new coalition, the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), which has acted as Moldova's governing coalition since. Moldova experienced significant political uncertainty between 2009 and early 2012, holding three general elections and numerous presidential ballots in parliament, all of which failed to secure a president. Following November 2010 parliamentary elections, a reconstituted AEI-coalition consisting of three of the four original AEI parties formed a government, and in March 2012 was finally able to elect an independent as president.

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)9

Book CoverLong-forgotten and little-known, Moldova struggles to throw off its post-communist trappings and reputation as one of the poorest nations in Europe. Only vaguely known in Europe and all but anonymous to the rest of the world, Moldova remains a mysterious and misunderstood land: part Romanian, part Russian, all Soviet. Once at the very edge of the USSR, Moldova has gone it alone since the early ´90s. Independence has been economically painful and Moldova has been racked by civil war between the central government and the secessionist Russian-speaking region known as Transdniestr, which continues to exist as a state within a state today.Moldova gets a tiny number of tourists and isn´t particularly well set up for travellers, but this is one of its greatest charms. Its out-of-the-way aspect makes travel in Moldova a challenge and an adventure, but the unhurried and timeless way of life, where there is always time to chat in the shade of summer´s fruit trees, are part of its appeal.

Sights may be few and far between in the gently undulating landscape, but look no further for adventure: this is Eastern Europe´s last unknown land.

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)10

2. Moldova National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
Value11
1Switzerland0.962
2Norway0.961
3Iceland0.959
...
77Ukraine0.773
78Macedonia0.770
79China0.768
80=Moldova0.767
80=Palau0.767
80=Dominican Rep.0.767
83Cuba0.764
84Peru0.762
Europe Avg0.87
World Avg0.72
q=191.
Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.Higher is better
PPP $11
1Liechtenstein$146 830
2Singapore$90 919
3Qatar$87 134
...
77Maldives$15 448
78Libya$15 336
79Bosnia & Herzegovina$15 242
80Moldova$14 875
81Georgia$14 664
82Colombia$14 384
83Brazil$14 370
84Azerbaijan$14 257
Europe Avg$40 512
World Avg$20 136
q=193.
Social & Moral
Development Index
12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1Denmark26.9
2Norway29.1
3Sweden29.9
...
59Mexico77.1
60Peru78.1
61Tunisia78.4
62Moldova78.5
63Ukraine78.5
64Barbados78.8
65Seychelles78.9
66Northern Cyprus79.1
Europe Avg55.7
World Avg89.0
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Moldova's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Moldova's population is predicted to fall to 3 147 000 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 1.80. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account13. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.14

Population2
Pos.2018
Population2
1China1.4b
2India1.4b
3USA327.1m
...
127Panama4.2m
128Croatia4.2m
129Kuwait4.1m
130Moldova4.1m
131Georgia4.0m
132Eritrea3.5m
133Uruguay3.4m
134Bosnia & Herzegovina3.3m
World Avg39.0m
q=195.
Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
127Philippines69.3
128Turkmenistan69.3
129Guatemala69.2
130Moldova68.8
131Nepal68.4
132Laos68.1
133Timor-Leste (E. Timor)67.7
134Sao Tome & Principe67.6
World Avg71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
15
Pos.202215
1US Virgin Islands2.00
2Ecuador2.00
3Nepal2.01
...
25Romania1.81
26Mexico1.80
27=Montenegro1.80
27=Moldova1.80
29Bahrain1.80
30France1.79
31N. Korea1.79
32Malaysia1.79
World Avg2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.
Old-Age Dependency Ratio
Lower is better
16
Pos.2016
Per 10016
1Uganda04.3
2Mali04.5
3=Chad04.7
...
126Costa Rica22.6
127Israel22.9
128Sri Lanka23.7
129Moldova24.7
130China25.3
131Mauritius25.9
132Uruguay26.8
133Cyprus26.9
World Avg18.3
q=185.

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.2017
%17
1UAE88.4%
2Kuwait75.5%
3Qatar65.2%
...
98Togo3.6%
99Uzbekistan3.6%
100Rwanda3.6%
101Moldova3.5%
102Slovakia3.4%
103Turkmenistan3.4%
104Iran3.3%
105Kyrgyzstan3.3%
World Avg9.4%
q=195.
Emigrants18
Pos.2010
%18
1Dominica104.8%
2Palestine68.4%
3Samoa67.3%
...
23St Lucia23.3%
24Macedonia21.9%
25Sao Tome & Principe21.9%
26Moldova21.5%
27Fiji21.3%
28Portugal20.8%
29Lesotho20.5%
30El Salvador20.5%
World Avg11.5%
q=192.

4. Moldova's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #moldova #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Compared to Europe (2025)19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank19
1Sweden7.8
2Netherlands8.7
3Denmark8.8
...
38Ukraine75.3
39Macedonia77.4
40Georgia81.4
41Moldova83.7
42Albania86.0
43Bosnia & Herzegovina88.0
44Kosovo96.1
45Turkey98.8
46Armenia99.1
Europe Avg47.37
q=49.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank19
1Sweden7.8
2Netherlands8.7
3Denmark8.8
...
80Thailand83.0
81Timor-Leste (E. Timor)83.5
82Paraguay83.7
83Moldova83.7
84Tuvalu83.8
85St Vincent & Grenadines84.8
86Namibia85.9
87Albania86.0
World Avg89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark20. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia20.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe20, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia20.

For more, see:

4.1. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

#freedom #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #moldova #politics #slavery

Press Freedom
Higher is better
21
Pos.202521
1Norway92.31
2Estonia89.46
3Netherlands88.64
...
32Suriname74.49
33Slovenia74.06
34Armenia73.96
35Moldova73.36
36Costa Rica73.09
37Montenegro72.83
38Slovakia71.93
39Timor-Leste (E. Timor)71.79
Europe Avg70.63
World Avg54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.
Moldova is one of only 19 countries who in 2025 had better press freedom than in the 2010s.
Slavery in the 2020s
Lower is better
22
Pos.Total
Per 100022
1=Switzerland0.50
1=Norway0.50
3=Germany0.60
...
133=Kyrgyzstan8.70
133=Syria8.70
135Armenia8.90
136=Moldova9.50
136=Venezuela9.50
138Jordan10.00
139Bosnia & Herzegovina10.10
140=Papua New Guinea10.30
Europe Avg5.64
World Avg7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.
Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
Lower is better
23
Pos.2014
Rank23
1Hong Kong1
2Switzerland2
3New Zealand3
...
66Brunei66
67Serbia67
68Guatemala68
69=Moldova69
69=Namibia69
71Bolivia71
72Indonesia72
73Turkey73
Europe Avg33.9
World Avg79.7
q=159.
Freedom in the World
Lower is better
Pos.2024
Score
1=Norway1.0
1=Canada1.0
1=Cape Verde1.0
...
87=Peru3.0
87=Paraguay3.0
87=Malawi3.0
87=Moldova3.0
87=Montenegro3.0
87=Macedonia3.0
87=India3.0
87=Fiji3.0
Europe Avg2.2
World Avg3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.
Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better
24
Pos.2009
Treaties24
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
...
64=Greece19
64=Ireland19
66=Lithuania18
66=Moldova18
66=Kyrgyzstan18
66=Philippines18
66=Algeria18
66=Malta18
Europe Avg19.5
World Avg15.1
q=194.
HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better
25
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty25
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
...
131Central African Rep.11.87
132Thailand11.89
133Congo, (Brazzaville)11.91
134Moldova11.99
135Kyrgyzstan12.04
136Botswana12.05
137Estonia12.06
138Gambia12.12
Europe Avg9.09
World Avg10.02
q=195.

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Moldova stated:

No visible progress was made in reducing instances of torture and other ill-treatment in detention. Impunity continued for past human rights violations by law enforcement agencies. New “temporary†restrictions on public assemblies were introduced. The rights of LGBTI people were not fully realized, leading to cases of harassment, discrimination and violence. Some refugee reception centres turned away religious and ethnic minority refugees. In the breakaway Transdniestria region, prosecution and imprisonment for peaceful dissent continued.

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)26

4.2. Gender Equality Datasets

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #prejudice #women

Moldova is on the way towards ending gender inequality, even though women were prevented equal voting and standing rights until quite late.

See:

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
27
Pos.202227
1Denmark0.01
2Norway0.01
3Switzerland0.02
...
38Bosnia & Herzegovina0.14
39Latvia0.15
40Malta0.15
41Moldova0.17
42Kazakhstan0.18
43Slovakia0.18
44Russia0.18
45USA0.18
Europe Avg0.12
World Avg0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.
Gender Biases
Lower is better
28
Pos.2022
%28
1Sweden31.829
2New Zealand34.430
3Australia37.030
...
36S. Korea89.930
37Mexico90.230
38Belarus90.429
39Moldova90.731
40Colombia91.230
41Bolivia91.330
42Russia91.430
43Turkey91.630
Europe Avg69.08
World Avg83.93
q=88.
Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.Total
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
181Namibia1989
182Samoa1990
183Kazakhstan1993
184=Moldova1994
184=Oman1994
186Qatar2003
187Kuwait2005
188Saudi Arabia0
Europe Avg1895
World Avg1930
q=189.

4.3. Prejudice Datasets

#antisemitism #freethought #homosexuality #religious_tolerance

Anti-Semite Opinions
Lower is better
32
Pos.2014
%32
1Laos0
2Philippines3
3Sweden4
...
43=Montenegro29
43=Spain29
45=Venezuela30
45=Moldova30
45=Russia30
45=Bolivia30
49=Georgia32
49=Kazakhstan32
Europe Avg29.9
World Avg36.8
q=101.
LGBT Equality in the 2020s
Higher is better
33
Pos.Total
Score33
1=Germany4.88
1=Spain4.88
3Portugal4.81
...
86=Nicaragua0.23
86=Vietnam0.23
88Bhutan0.21
89Moldova0.20
90Slovakia0.18
91Romania0.12
92Cuba0.08
93Guatemala0.08
Europe Avg1.77
World Avg-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.
Homosexuality in Moldova has been legal since July 10, 1995, when Soviet-era sodomy laws were repealed which had made being a male homosexual punishable by 5 years' prison. Same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned, civil unions are not recognized, but discrimination protections have expanded since 2012. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Moldova had legal protections against anti-LGBT employment discrimination. Social acceptance remains low, though Pride marches in Chiè™inău have become increasingly visible, with state police having to face off against violent Christian Orthodox groups.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
34
Pos.202134
1=Belgium1.0
1=Taiwan1.0
1=Netherlands1.0
...
87=Venezuela2.8
88=Uganda3.0
88=Belize3.0
88=Moldova3.0
88=Mexico3.0
88=Tuvalu3.0
88=Australia3.0
88=Lesotho3.0
Europe Avg2.6
World Avg3.0
q=196.

5. Moldova's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #moldova #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Europe (2025)35
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank35
1Monaco10.3
2Liechtenstein30.1
3Sweden42.3
...
40Romania86.3
41Armenia86.5
42Bosnia & Herzegovina89.8
43Moldova95.3
44Turkey96.1
45Ukraine96.1
46Georgia96.7
47Kosovo102.3
48Azerbaijan103.9
Europe Avg86.87
q=48.
Health (2025)35
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank35
1Monaco10.3
2Liechtenstein30.1
3Japan37.3
...
97French Polynesia93.1
98Fiji93.8
99Lebanon94.5
100Moldova95.3
101Cape Verde95.9
102Argentina96.1
103Turkey96.1
104Ukraine96.1
World Avg97.57
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan36. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan36.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean36, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia36.

For more, see:

5.1. Health Datasets

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #moldova #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #suicide

Moldova is a pretty unhealthy country. Moldova does better than average in its fertility rate15, its adolescent birth rate37 (but high for Europe) and in childhood mortality in the 2020s38. But that's it. Moldova has problems. It does worse than average in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance39, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-201540, the prevalence of overweight adults41 (still low for Europe), its average life expectancy11 (the lowest in Europe), its smoking rate42 and in delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s43. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for its suicide rate44 and in its alcohol consumption rate45 (the worst in Europe). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Moldova improved by just +2.9yrs in the 30 years from 1990, significantly less than almost everywhere else in the world. Moldova's peak fertility rate was 3.33 in 1960.

Life Expectancy
Higher is better
11
Pos.2021
Years11
1Monaco85.9
2Hong Kong85.5
3Japan84.8
...
127Philippines69.3
128Turkmenistan69.3
129Guatemala69.2
130Moldova68.8
131Nepal68.4
132Laos68.1
133Timor-Leste (E. Timor)67.7
134Sao Tome & Principe67.6
Europe Avg78.36
World Avg71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.
Alcohol Consumption
Lower is better
45
Pos.2016
Per Capita45
1Bangladesh0.0
2Kuwait0.0
3Libya0.0
...
182Latvia12.9
183=Luxembourg13.0
183=Ireland13.0
185=Nigeria13.4
185=Germany13.4
187Czechia14.4
188Lithuania15.0
189Moldova15.2
Europe Avg10.3
World Avg6.2
q=189.
Fertility Rate
2.0 is best
15
Pos.202215
1US Virgin Islands2.00
2Ecuador2.00
3Nepal2.01
...
25Romania1.81
26Mexico1.80
27=Montenegro1.80
27=Moldova1.80
29Bahrain1.80
30France1.79
31N. Korea1.79
32Malaysia1.79
Europe Avg1.53
World Avg2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s
Lower is better
42
Pos.Total
%42
1Nigeria3.3%
2Ghana3.4%
3Panama5.2%
...
131Chile28.8%
132Russia29.2%
133Mongolia29.6%
134Moldova29.7%
135Marshall Islands29.9%
136Czechia30.0%
137Romania30.1%
138Belarus30.2%
Europe Avg27.0%
World Avg20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Moldova sits amongst only 10 countries in the world that saw its smoking rate increase over the 2010s, compared to the previous decade.

Suicide Rate44
Pos.2013
Per 100k44
1Haiti0
2Grenada0
3Egypt0.1
...
71Austria30.9
72Uruguay32.3
73France33.2
74Moldova35.7
75Switzerland36.2
76Croatia36.4
77Estonia37.9
78Serbia38.1
Europe Avg26.99
World Avg20.93
q=91.
Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
Lower is better
39
Pos.2017
Rank39
1Sweden1
2Ireland2
3Denmark3
...
84Indonesia84
85Bolivia85
86Kyrgyzstan86
87Moldova87
88Syria88
89Azerbaijan89
90Uganda90
91Chile91
Europe Avg47.4
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Overweight Adults
Lower is better
41
Pos.1976
%41
1Bangladesh4.7
2Vietnam5.1
3Nepal5.4
...
117Colombia32.7
118Tunisia32.8
119Cyprus33.0
120Moldova33.4
121Peru33.5
122Netherlands33.7
123Albania33.8
124Syria34.3
Europe Avg38.2
World Avg27.1
q=191.
Adult Obesity
Lower is better
46
Pos.2022
%46
1Vietnam2.1%
2Timor-Leste (E. Timor)2.2%
3Ethiopia2.4%
...
104Guatemala25.2%
105Iran25.3%
106Bosnia & Herzegovina25.5%
107Moldova25.6%
108Serbia26.1%
109Belarus26.6%
110Albania26.6%
111Estonia26.7%
Europe Avg25.9%
World Avg24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate
Lower is better
37
Pos.2022
Per 100037
1Hong Kong1.6
2Denmark1.8
3S. Korea2.1
...
80Morocco25.5
81Fiji26.1
82Slovakia26.6
83Moldova27.2
84Iran29.7
85Georgia29.7
86Thailand31.6
87Tuvalu31.7
Europe Avg11.4
World Avg43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.
Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s)
Higher is better
43
Pos.Total
Avg %43
1=Luxembourg99.0
1=Oman99.0
1=Niue99.0
...
150Barbados87.3
151Namibia87.2
152Estonia87.1
153Moldova87.0
154Timor-Leste (E. Timor)86.1
155Micronesia85.8
156Panama85.7
157Ukraine85.3
Europe Avg93.2
World Avg88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.
7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015)
Higher is better
40
Pos.2015
Avg %40
1=Hungary99.0
1=China99.0
3Uzbekistan98.9
...
111=Lesotho91.7
112Malawi91.7
113Mexico91.6
114Moldova91.5
115Iceland91.5
116Trinidad & Tobago91.4
117Jamaica90.9
118Burkina Faso90.6
Europe Avg92.7
World Avg88.3
q=194.
Infant Mortality (2020s)
Lower is better38
Pos.Total
Per 100038
1San Marino2.11
2Finland2.59
3Luxembourg2.60
...
81Armenia15.18
82Bahamas15.20
83British Virgin Islands15.26
84Moldova15.77
85Colombia15.90
86Ecuador15.98
87=Belize16.05
87=Iran16.05
Europe Avg6.30
World Avg32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Moldova's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #moldova #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Europe (2025)47
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank47
1Switzerland45.0
2Denmark50.4
3Liechtenstein56.8
...
32Lithuania89.5
33Albania91.5
34=Monaco92.1
34=Moldova92.1
36Malta92.2
37Ukraine94.8
38=Iceland96.9
39=Estonia97.0
40Montenegro97.3
Europe Avg86.45
q=48.
Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)47
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank47
1Sri Lanka34.9
2Uruguay43.2
3Switzerland45.0
...
125Albania91.5
126St Vincent & Grenadines92.0
127=Monaco92.1
127=Moldova92.1
129S. Africa92.2
130Malta92.2
131Sao Tome & Principe92.7
132Palestine92.7
World Avg84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"48. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

Moldova comes 127th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is calculated from 21 data sets. Moldova does better than average for its forested percent change 2000-202049 and in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population50. When it comes to most other metrics, Moldova does not do well. It does worse than average when it comes to reducing annual meat consumption per person51 (still good for Europe), its environmental performance52 (amongst the lowest in Europe), energy to GDP efficiency53 (amongst the highest in Europe) and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020
Higher is better
49
Pos.Total49
1Guernsey82.6%
2Bahrain75.2%
3Iceland64.7%
...
24Italy13.8%
25Fiji12.9%
26France12.5%
27Moldova11.9%
28Palestine11.5%
29Kyrgyzstan11.1%
30Serbia10.6%
31Turkey10.0%
Europe Avg8.2%
World Avg-0.1%
q=234.
Environmental Performance
Higher is better
52
Pos.201852
1Switzerland87.4
2France84.0
3Denmark81.6
...
109Ukraine52.9
110Guatemala52.3
111Maldives52.1
112Moldova52.0
113Botswana51.7
114Honduras51.5
115Sudan51.5
116Oman51.3
Europe Avg69.6
World Avg56.4
q=180.
Energy to GDP Efficiency
Lower is better
53
Pos.2022
Avg53
1Rwanda0.25
2Chad0.26
3Tanzania0.31
...
140Serbia1.79
141Paraguay1.79
142Jamaica1.83
143Moldova1.88
144S. Africa1.97
145Kuwait2.02
146Barbados2.04
147Libya2.05
Europe Avg1.25
World Avg1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.
International Accords on the Environment
Higher is better
Pos.Total
Avg Rate
1Sweden83%
2Canada82%
3Norway81%
...
147Qatar51%
148Vanuatu50%
149Equatorial Guinea50%
150Moldova50%
151Bahrain50%
152Swaziland50%
153Kuwait49%
154Lebanon49%
Europe Avg62.7%
World Avg57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.
Rational Beliefs on the Environment
Higher is better
50
Pos.2011
%50
1Argentina78.3%
2Greece77.6%
3Brazil77.1%
...
65Canada41.2%
66Serbia41.1%
67Ghana40.4%
68Moldova40.4%
69Cameroon39.0%
70Uganda38.6%
71Sierra Leone38.6%
72France38.4%
Europe Avg33.6%
World Avg39.9%
q=145.
Meat Consumption
Lower is better
51
Pos.2021
kg51
1Congo, DR03.0
2Burundi03.5
3Bangladesh04.3
...
106Colombia60.9
107Slovenia61.2
108Bulgaria61.8
109Moldova61.9
110Costa Rica62.2
111China63.6
112Uruguay62.8
113Jamaica63.4
Europe Avg71.1
World Avg52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

In the 2010s, Moldova increased its meat consumption by over 20kgs per person per year, one of only 11 countries to do so, and putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.51

7. Moldova's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #metric #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Europe (2025)54
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank54
1Vatican City1.0
2Finland4.8
3Belgium8.5
...
40Montenegro49.1
41Bosnia & Herzegovina49.5
42Georgia51.9
43Moldova54.1
44Andorra56.8
45Armenia58.9
46Azerbaijan60.6
47Macedonia63.8
48UK64.5
Europe Avg31.28
q=49.
Modernity & Learning (2025)54
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank54
1Vatican City1.0
2Finland4.8
3Belgium8.5
...
56Bosnia & Herzegovina49.5
57Georgia51.9
58Mexico53.2
59Moldova54.1
60Cuba54.3
61Peru55.0
62Costa Rica55.8
63Uzbekistan55.9
World Avg80.33
q=194.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are The Vatican City, Finland and Belgium55. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia55. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots56.

Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.

Bill Emmott (2017)57

23 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe55, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia55.

For more, see:

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation

Research & Development
Higher is better
Pos.2016
% RDP PPP
1S. Korea4.2958
2Israel4.1158
3Japan3.5858
...
72=Montenegro0.3859
72=Chile0.3858
72=Ghana0.3860
75Moldova0.3559
76Ecuador0.3461
77Bosnia & Herzegovina0.3359
78Iran0.3160
79=Nepal0.3060
Europe Avg1.32
World Avg0.84
q=126.
Intellectual Endeavours
Lower is better
39
Pos.2017
Rank39
1Ukraine1
2Czechia2
3Hungary3
...
44S. Korea44
45Morocco45
46Belarus46
47Moldova47
48Montenegro48
49Norway49
50Fiji50
51Dominica51
Europe Avg31.3
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Metric System Adoption Rate
Higher is better
62
Pos.2025
%62
1=Slovakia100
1=Poland100
1=Portugal100
...
83=Morocco95
83=Montenegro95
83=Malta95
83=Moldova95
83=Mexico95
83=Philippines95
83=Tajikistan95
83=S. Africa95
Europe Avg97
World Avg92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1922, as part of the USSR. Progression:

Religiosity
Lower is better
63
Pos.2018
%63
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
39Azerbaijan38
40Chile41
41=Croatia42
41=Moldova42
43Argentina43
44Mexico45
45Kyrgyzstan47
46Kosovo48
Europe Avg25.8
World Avg54.3
q=106.
IQ
Higher is better64
Pos.200664
1=Hong Kong108
1=Singapore108
3S. Korea106
...
32=Ukraine97
32=Russia97
32=Belarus97
35=Moldova96
35=Uruguay96
35=Slovenia96
35=Slovakia96
39=Portugal95
Europe Avg96.6
World Avg85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education #english #maths #science

Secondary Education
Higher is better
65
Pos.201865
1=Luxembourg100.0%
1=Estonia100.0%
1=Austria100.0%
...
17Palau97.1%
18New Zealand96.9%
19Switzerland96.5%
20Moldova96.4%
21Germany96.3%
22Russia95.9%
23Croatia95.7%
24Azerbaijan95.6%
Europe Avg88.3%
World Avg63.0%
q=169.
Length of Schooling
Higher is better
66
Pos.2021
Years66
1Australia21.1
2New Zealand20.3
3Greece20.0
...
75Albania14.4
76Cuba14.4
77Colombia14.4
78Moldova14.4
79Serbia14.4
80Luxembourg14.4
81China14.2
82Romania14.2
Europe Avg16.1
World Avg13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.
Maths, Science & Reading
Higher is better
67
Pos.2015
Score67
1Singapore1655
2Hong Kong1598
3Japan1586
...
49Uruguay1290
50Turkey1273
51Trinidad & Tobago1269
52Moldova1264
53Montenegro1256
54=Costa Rica1247
54=Mexico1247
56=Albania1245
Europe Avg1417
World Avg1389
q=70.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#it_security #modernity #technology #the_internet

Internet Users
Higher is better
68
Pos.201668
1Iceland100%
2Faroe Islands99%
3Norway98%
...
99Armenia50%
100Iran49%
101Tunisia48%
102Moldova48%
103=Paraguay47%
103=Fiji47%
105Tonga47%
106Nigeria46%
Europe Avg76.7%
World Avg48.1%
q=201.
IT Security
Lower is better
69
Pos.201369
1=Ireland0.11
1=Luxembourg0.11
1=Belize0.11
...
27Chile0.66
28Guinea-Bissau0.67
29Uzbekistan0.69
30Moldova0.71
31Zambia0.76
32Kenya0.77
33Cameroon0.77
34Burkina Faso0.79
Europe Avg0.80
World Avg0.98
IPv6 Uptake
Higher is better
70
Pos.2017
Ratio70
1Belgium55.4
2Germany41.8
3Switzerland35.1
...
60Iceland0.3
61Turkey0.3
62=Uruguay0.3
62=Moldova0.3
64UAE0.3
65Seychelles0.2
66Puerto Rico0.2
67Indonesia0.2
Europe Avg8.11
World Avg3.82
q=176.
Digital Quality of Life
Higher is better
71
Pos.202471
1Germany77.9%
2Finland76.9%
3France73.9%
...
62Albania46.7%
63Azerbaijan46.0%
64Macedonia45.7%
65Moldova45.5%
66S. Africa45.4%
67Kuwait44.9%
68Montenegro44.9%
69Morocco44.8%
Europe Avg61.0%
World Avg48.4%
q=121.

8. Moldova's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #corruption #happiness #internationalism #morals #politics

On the Corruption Index, Moldova scored on average 33.8 over the 2012-2016 period. Over the 10 years since then, it improved by 5.2 points.

World Giving Index
Higher is better
72
Pos.2022
%72
1Indonesia68.0
2Kenya61.0
3USA59.0
...
79=Cameroon37.0
79=Iraq37.0
79=Croatia37.0
79=Moldova37.0
79=Israel37.0
79=Mauritius37.0
79=Lithuania37.0
86=Panama36.0
Europe Avg39.0
World Avg39.6
q=125. Also scored for 2010s.
Corruption
Higher is better
73
Pos.2022
Points73
1Denmark90.0
2=Finland87.0
2=New Zealand87.0
...
89=India40.0
89=Guyana40.0
91=Belarus39.0
91=Moldova39.0
91=Colombia39.0
94=Ethiopia38.0
94=Brazil38.0
94=Argentina38.0
Europe Avg57.61
World Avg42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.
Happiness
Higher is better
74
Pos.2024
Score74
1Finland7.7
2Denmark7.5
3Iceland7.5
...
77Mongolia5.8
78Mauritius5.8
79Libya5.8
80Moldova5.8
81Greece5.8
82Venezuela5.7
83Indonesia5.6
84Algeria5.6
Europe Avg6.37
World Avg5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.
Creativity & Culture
Lower is better
39
Pos.2017
Rank39
1Belgium1
2Netherlands2
3Estonia3
...
43St Vincent & Grenadines43
44Cyprus44
45Japan45
46Moldova46
47Greece47
48Australia48
49Seychelles49
50Grenada50
Europe Avg35.0
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Passport Reach (2020s)
Higher is better75
Pos.Total
Q75
1Singapore192.2
2Japan192.0
3S. Korea190.7
...
83Marshall Islands124.3
84Kiribati123.5
85Palau120.8
86Moldova120.7
87Micronesia119.7
88Bosnia & Herzegovina119.0
89Russia117.7
90Georgia117.5
Europe Avg160.7
World Avg108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.
Open Trading, Aid & Development
Lower is better
39
Pos.2017
Rank39
1Ireland1
2Denmark2
3Sweden3
...
19Malaysia19
20Nicaragua20
21Portugal21
22Moldova22
23Hungary23
24Jordan24
25Mauritius25
26Zimbabwe26
Europe Avg42.6
World Avg82.0
q=163.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index
Lower is better
76
Pos.2023
Score76
1Iceland1.12
2Denmark1.31
3Ireland1.31
...
54Argentina1.84
55Madagascar1.85
56Namibia1.86
57Moldova1.87
58Chile1.87
59Gambia1.89
60Greece1.89
61Bosnia & Herzegovina1.89
Europe Avg1.70
World Avg2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.
Peacekeeping & Security
Lower is better
39
Pos.2017
Rank39
1Samoa1
2S. Africa2
3Tunisia3
4Egypt4
5Nigeria5
6Uruguay6
7Indonesia7
8Brunei8
9Moldova9
10Morocco10
11Oman11
12Tanzania12
Europe Avg84.6
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Refugees & UN Treaties
Lower is better
39
Pos.2017
Rank39
1Austria1
2Germany2
3Netherlands3
...
61Philippines61
62Indonesia62
63Uganda63
64Moldova64
65Mozambique65
66=Burkina Faso66
66=Kyrgyzstan66
68Iran68
Europe Avg37.8
World Avg82.0
q=163.
Impact of Terrorism
Lower is better
77
Pos.2019
Score77
1Togo0.00
2Mongolia0.00
3Swaziland0.00
...
23Norway0.08
24Lesotho0.10
25Liberia0.11
26=Moldova0.12
26=Serbia0.12
26=Estonia0.12
29New Zealand0.14
30Uruguay0.17
Europe Avg1.62
World Avg2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Poverty (2020s)
Lower is better
78
Pos.Total
%78
1Malaysia0.01%
2Bhutan0.01%
3Cyprus0.02%
...
9Belgium0.06%
10Netherlands0.07%
11France0.08%
12Moldova0.09%
13Finland0.09%
14Luxembourg0.09%
15Switzerland0.11%
16Ireland0.15%
Europe Avg1.20%
World Avg11.40%
q=106. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.
Inequality in Life Expectancy
Lower is better79
Pos.201979
1Iceland2.40
2=Singapore2.50
2=Hong Kong2.50
...
75Iran9.20
76Mauritius9.40
77=Seychelles9.60
77=Moldova9.60
79=Jamaica10.00
79=Samoa10.00
81Tonga10.40
82Mexico10.50
Europe Avg4.86
World Avg14.59
q=184.
Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient)
Lower is better
80
Pos.2023
%80
1Slovakia24.1%81
2Slovenia24.3%81
3Belarus24.4%82
4Ukraine25.6%82
5=Moldova25.7%81
5=Netherlands25.7%81
7Iceland26.1%83
8Czechia26.2%81
9=Kyrgyzstan26.4%84
9=UAE26.4%85
11=Syria26.6%84
11=Azerbaijan26.6%86
Europe Avg30.7%
World Avg36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.
Multidimensional Poverty
Lower is better
87
Pos.2018
Severity87
1Armenia.001
2Ukraine.001
3Serbia.001
...
9Maldives.003
10Albania.003
11Thailand.003
12Moldova.004
13Palestine.004
14Tunisia.005
15St Lucia.007
16Libya.007
Europe Avg.004
World Avg.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)63
Pos.Lower is better
%63
1China3
2Estonia6
3Czechia7
...
39Azerbaijan38
40Chile41
41=Croatia42
41=Moldova42
43Argentina43
44Mexico45
45Kyrgyzstan47
46Kosovo48
47=Tajikistan50
47=Romania50
49Georgia51
50=Armenia53
50=USA53
52Bosnia & Herzegovina54
53=Greece56
53=Paraguay56
World Avg54.3
q=106.
Disbelief In God (2007)88
Pos.Higher is better
%88
1Vietnam81
2Japan65
3Sweden64
...
45=Croatia7
45=Kyrgyzstan7
45=Cambodia7
48=Moldova6
48=Italy6
50=Laos5
50=Ireland5
50=Mozambique5
53=Zimbabwe4
53=Namibia4
53=Iran4
53=Mexico4
53=Portugal4
53=Romania4
53=Argentina4
53=Georgia4
World Avg9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:89:

20102020
Christian97.9%99.5%
Unaffiliated1.31%0.234%
Muslim0.133%0.181%
Other0.662%<0.1%
Jewish<0.1%<0.1%
Buddhist<0.1%<0.1%
HinduNoneNone

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 99.7% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (6%). This is due to the so-called 'Census Effect', whereby many put down a religion for cultural reasons rather than because it reflects their beliefs. In highly Christian countries, as many as half of those who say they're a Christian lack any connection to a Church, and do not hold Christian beliefs (such as believing in God!).

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 99.8% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 42% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)90.

Links: