Moldovans “without religion”: Number increased 70 times in a decade
In the Republic of Moldova, after the significant majority of individuals identifying as Orthodox Christians (94.3%), the second-largest group is people without a declared religion, accounting for 1.5% of the population (approximately 37,000 individuals).
The 2024 Census data reveals a significant change in the number of citizens identifying as "without religion." In 2014, this figure was just 286, but by 2024, it has surpassed 20,000, marking an increase of approximately 70 times.
A notable trend is also observed in the "free-thinking" category. The number of individuals who base their beliefs—religious or otherwise—solely on reason and science has risen dramatically from 17 in 2014 to 440 in 2024, a 26-fold increase.
Meanwhile, the number of agnostics—those who believe that the existence or non-existence of God is impossible to know or prove—has increased fivefold, growing from 419 to 2,117.
Atheists, who do not believe in the existence of any deity, represent the second largest group among those without a declared religion. Their numbers climbed from 5,364 in 2014 to 14,211 in 2024, a 2.5-fold increase.
Overall, the total number of people without a declared religion has increased sixfold, rising from 6,086 to 36,819.
Among those who specified their religious affiliation, Orthodox Christians traditionally rank first, with over 2.2 million adherents (94.3%). This number is approximately 80,000 fewer than what was recorded in 2014.
Following the Orthodox Christians are the Baptists, who number over 26,000 believers—an increase of approximately 2,000 compared to 2014.
In third place are the Jehovah's Witnesses, with 16,500 members.
Official data also indicate a significant decrease in the number of individuals who hesitated to declare their religious affiliation. In 2014, there were nearly 166,000 of these individuals, while in 2024, that number dropped to just 18,000.
