The National Bureau of Statistics presents information on the situation of the elderly in 2025.

Demographic situation

At the beginning of 2026, 611.9 thousand people² aged 60 and over lived in the Republic of Moldova, representing 25.9% of the total usually resident population. At the beginning of 2026, the population aging coefficient stood at 25.9%, indicating a high level of demographic aging.

On January 1, 2026, the ratio of men to women aged 60 and over was 66 men per 100 women, showing no significant change compared to January 1, 2024.

Life expectancy for the population aged 60 increased by 0.3 years for men and 0.5 years for women during the 2023–2025 period.

The main causes of mortality among the elderly were circulatory system diseases (63.6% of all deaths in this age group), neoplasms (16.7%), and digestive system diseases (6.0%).

Health status

According to data from the National Agency for Public Health, 11.7 thousand new cases of malignant neoplasms were recorded in 2025, 75.2% of these occurred in persons aged 60 and over. Malignant neoplasms were more common among men, with an average of 1,973 new cases per 100 thousand men aged 60 and over, compared to 1,082 new cases per 100 thousand women in the same age group.

Nationwide, 1.2 thousand new cases of active tuberculosis were recorded in 2025, with nearly one in four cases (26.0%) occurring in persons aged 55 and over. Men aged 55–64 were the most affected by active tuberculosis, accounting for 81.2% of the total new cases within this age group.

Social protection

According to data from the National Office of Social Insurance, as of January 1, 2026, the total number of pensioners accounted for 671.7 thousand, of whom 530.2 thousand (78.9% of the total) were old-age pensioners. As of January 1, 2026, the average old-age pension amounted to 4,435.6 lei, representing an 11.3% increase compared to January 1, 2025, and a 70.9% increase compared to January 1, 2022.

As of January 1, 2026, the minimum old-age pension amounted 3,055.7 lei, covering 20.1% of the subsistence minimum for pensioners. Additionally, approximately 24.1% of old-age pensioners were employed at the time their pension was granted.

Labor market

According to Labour Force Survey data, the number of economically active older persons (aged 60 and over) accounted for 87.3 thousand in 2025, an 11.1% decrease compared to 2024. In 2025, the employed population aged 60 and over accounted for 85.8 thousand persons, representing 11.1% of the total employed population.

One in five employed older persons was engaged in agricultural activities, declaring either a peasant household farm or farmland as their main place of employment. Specifically, 28.9% of men were employed in the agricultural sector, 13.1% in manufacturing, 9.3% in education, and 7.9% in construction.

Among women, the occupational distribution was as follows: 24.0% were employed in education, 16.4% in health and social work, 12.7% in trade, and 12.4% in agriculture.

Living standards of households with elderly people

According to data from the Household Budget Survey, in 2025, 44.5% of all households included at least one person aged 60 and over. Out of these, 73.6% consisted exclusively of elderly persons, while the remaining households also included other members. Among households consisting exclusively of elderly members, 61.8% were located in rural areas and 38.2% in urban areas.

On average, elderly households had a mean monthly income of 5,161.6 lei per person. Households in urban areas were in a better financial position, with an average monthly income of 6,197.6 lei per person, compared to 4,459.6 lei per person in rural areas.

Social benefits were the primary source of income for these households, accounting for 54.9% of their monthly income. Household spending was predominantly allocated to food consumption needs (46.8%), followed by expenses for housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels (19.2%), clothing and footwear (6.4%), and health (6.0%).

Out of the total households consisting exclusively of elderly persons, 74,9% assessed their standard of living as satisfactory, 16,7% as good or very good, and 8,4% declared their household's standard of living as bad or very bad.

More detailed information is available in Romanian language.

Notes:

¹ The information is presented excluding data on the population of the administrative-territorial units on the left bank of the river Nistru, the municipality of Bender (including Proteagailovca village), Chițcani commune (including Merenești and Zahorna villages), Cremenciug and Gîsca villages of Căușeni district, Corjova commune (including Mahala village) of Dubăsari district, as well as Roghi village within Molovata Nouă commune, Dubăsari district, with the exception of data on the disability of the elderly, which also includes persons from the left bank of the river Nistru and the municipality of Bender who applied for disability assessment, as well as data on the number of pensioners entitled to receive pensions.

² Data on the usually resident population is estimated based on the results of the 2024 Population and Housing Census. Data as of January 1, 2026, are preliminary.

Usual residence is defined as the place where a person has predominantly lived for the past 12 months, regardless of temporary absences (for recreation, holidays, visits to relatives and friends, business, medical treatment, religious pilgrimages, etc.).