On January 31, 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the draft Government decision establishing the reference date for the Population and Housing Census (RPL) in the year 2024 and the period for data collection. Thus, the Population and Housing Census will take place between April 8th and July 7th, 2024. The reference moment for the Census will be at 00:00 on April 8, 2024.
The data on population and housing within the Census will be collected both directly, through the enumeration of individuals, and indirectly, using relevant administrative and/or private data sources.
For the financing of the organization and implementation of the Population and Housing Census (RPL) in 2024, the state budget allocates funds in the amount of 244.3 million lei.
Additionally, the National Bureau of Statistics (BNS) receives assistance for the preparation and conduct of RPL 2024 under the project "Support for the National Bureau of Statistics in conducting the Population and Housing Census of 2024," funded by the European Union and co-financed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The project commenced its activities in June 2023, with a duration of 30 months. The total value of the project is 2.075 million EUR, of which 2 million EUR is the contribution of the European Union, and 75 thousand EUR is the contribution of UNFPA. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the governments of Switzerland, India, as well as other development partners, will also provide assistance in this complex exercise.
The Population and Housing Census is a comprehensive statistical survey organized once every 10 years. The RPL aims to provide publicly relevant information about the resident population and housing for the formulation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies, supporting decisions on human development, scientific research, and business environment development.
For the first time, the Census will be conducted using tablets, applying new methods of data collection, representing a modern alternative to the traditional paper-based statistical data collection. BNS, with the support of local authorities and other partners, is set to hire over 4,000 enumerators nationwide who will undergo training in the population enumeration process.
The information collected during the Census will be used to calculate the number of the resident population of the Republic of Moldova on the reference date of the census, disaggregated at a detailed territorial level, for the development of other census indicators, and for the establishment of the survey base for population research conducted by the BNS, among other purposes.
According to Law No. 231/2022 on the Population and Housing Census, Article 7, individuals' participation in the Census is mandatory.
