26 December, 2019 – The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) launched a new project to modernize the collection and production of population data statistics. The two-year project is supported by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDS) and aims to revise population number per age and sex, for 2014 – 2019, for all localities of the Republic of Moldova, based on the international definition of “usual residence”.

In addition, NBS will estimate internal and international migration for each rayon, based on the administrative data on change of usual residence from Agency for Public Services and border crossing data at the individual level from Border Police.
In the framework of the same project, NBS will receive technical support in modernization of the ICT infrastructure required for new methods of data collection and processing.

The project, with a total budget of 566,620 USD, is implemented in the period of December 2019 – December 2021, and will strengthen institutional development of NBS, as part of the National Strategy for Development of Statistical System 2020 and will improve NBS capacities to produce and disseminate quality and reliable demographic data, in alignment with international standards.

These efforts are aligned with 2030 development agenda and UN Framework of Cooperation for Sustainable Development signed between Moldovan Government and UN Moldova.

In July 2019, NBS launched the revised population number of the Republic of Moldova for 2014 – 2018 (preliminary data for 2018), including data on international migration at national level. Thus, preliminary number of population with usual residence for 2018 was 2.68 million people, and net international migration was minus 48.6 thousand people.

Note: *usual residence – the place at which the person has lived continuously for most of the last 12 months, not including temporary absences for holidays or work assignments.