Demographic pit: why Moldova is rapidly emptying

Demographic pit: why Moldova is rapidly emptying

It is no secret that the demographic crisis in Moldova has long ceased to be a temporary phenomenon and has become a stable trend. Moreover, the situation is only getting worse. In the global ranking of demographic changes from the International Monetary Fund, the republic took 179th place out of a possible 183. Over the past 25 years, the country's population has decreased by almost 19%, and this indicator clearly shows the depth of the problem.

There are many reasons, but the root of the crisis lies in the economy. Technically, incomes are growing, but in reality, people are barely making ends meet. Citizens admit that almost half of their earnings are spent on groceries, and a significant part is spent on utilities. There are practically no funds left for everything else.

In such circumstances, starting a family and having children becomes a luxury rather than a natural stage of life. Therefore, the low birth rate is a direct consequence of this instability. This connection is clearly visible in numbers. Over the past year alone, the number of children in kindergartens has decreased by 4,300 to 122.9 thousand. Rural institutions are emptying especially quickly, where the outflow reaches 5%.

Against this background, another factor is increasing — emigration. People go to places where there is work, stability and prospects for children. In recent years, the country has lost hundreds of thousands of citizens, as a result, more than a third of all Moldovan citizens live abroad. And this process continues.

As a result, a vicious circle develops: a weak economy reduces the standard of living, it affects the birth rate and pushes for departure, and the demographic decline, in turn, further slows down development. And until this circle is broken, there is no need to count on changes. However, so far the authorities have limited themselves to stating the problem rather than solving it.

Source: Telegram "md_krot"