---
title: "Moldova records record population aging with seniors hitting 25.9% "
url: https://moldova1.md/p/86471/moldova-records-record-population-aging-with-seniors-hitting-25-9-
published: 2026-09-29T14:40:00Z
language: en
author: "Ana Cebotari"
section: "Social"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Moldova records record population aging with seniors hitting 25.9% 

> Fenomenul îmbătrânirii demografice se adâncește în Republica Moldova. Un sfert din populația țării are cel puțin 60 de ani. La începutul anului 2026, în R. Moldova locuiau 611.9 mii de vârstnici, o pondere-record de 25.9% din populația cu reședință obișnuită, arată datele Biroului Național de Statistică (BNS).

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/a163ab0d-5d1b-4270-8ec9-6ddbb727f251.jpg)

Fenomenul îmbătrânirii demografice se adâncește în Republica Moldova. Un sfert din populația țării are cel puțin 60 de ani. La începutul anului 2026, în R. Moldova locuiau 611.9 mii de vârstnici, o pondere-record de 25.9% din populația cu reședință obișnuită, arată datele Biroului Național de Statistică (BNS).

Nearly a quarter of Moldova's usually resident population was aged 60 and older at the start of 2026, driven by a persistent demographic aging trend that highlights growing socio-economic and healthcare challenges.

**Deepening demographic imbalance**

Data published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that the number of elderly residents reached 611.9 thousand at the beginning of 2026, accounting for a record 25.9% of the country's population. This represents an increase from 25.2% recorded at the start of 2024.

Women continue to outnumber men among older adults, comprising 60.3% or 368.9 thousand of the total elderly population. Among those aged 80 and above, 38.7 thousand are women, reflecting a wider longevity gap. Statistical indicators for the 2023–2025 period indicate that life expectancy at age 60 rose by 0.3 years for men and 0.5 years for women. By 2025, a 60-year-old woman had an average remaining life expectancy of about 21 years, compared to 16 years for a man.

**Health risks and economic participation**

Cardiovascular diseases remained the leading cause of death among older persons, accounting to 63.6% of total fatalities in this category. Tumors caused 16.7% of deaths, while digestive system diseases accounted for 6%. Furthermore, the incidence of malignant tumors remained high, with 8.8 thousand new cases diagnosed among seniors in 2025, averaging roughly 24 new diagnoses per day.

Economic activity among the elderly decreased, with 87.3 thousand persons aged 60 and older participating economically in 2025, down 11.1% from the previous year. Out of these, 85.8 thousand were employed, predominantly within the 60-to-64 age bracket.

**Pensions and household welfare**

Social protection data at the beginning of 2026 indicated 671.7 thousand registered pensioners nationwide, with 530.2 thousand receiving old-age pensions. Women represented 65.9% of old-age pension beneficiaries. The average monthly old-age pension stood at 4,435.6 lei (approx. €230), marking an 11.3% increase compared to January 2025. A persistent gender pension gap remained visible, with men receiving an average of 4,964.3 lei (approx. €257) compared to 4,162 lei (approx. €216) for women.

Households comprising elderly residents reported an average monthly income of 5,161.6 lei (approx. €267) per person, largely supported by social benefits, which covered 54.9% of total revenues. Average monthly consumption expenditures reached 4,420.8 lei (approx. €229) per person, with food purchases consuming nearly half of the budget.

Despite financial constraints, 74.9% of elderly-only households described their standard of living as satisfactory, while 16.7% rated it as good or very good.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**