MigrantoMoldovan Diaspora
864.3K Moldovans live abroad — the #74 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 62% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Italy | 218594 |
| Russia | 166187 |
| Ukraine | 154284 |
| Romania | 80610 |
| France | 54287 |
| Spain | 25841 |
| Portugal | 25458 |
| Canada | 22355 |
| Ireland | 19842 |
| Turkey | 16824 |
| Greece | 10886 |
| Israel | 10053 |
| Czech Republic | 9622 |
| Belarus | 7408 |
| Belgium | 6913 |
| Kazakhstan | 6912 |
| Austria | 5626 |
| Bulgaria | 4324 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 2533 |
| Denmark | 2447 |
| Latvia | 1572 |
| Australia | 1471 |
| Norway | 1365 |
| Poland | 1312 |
| Estonia | 1146 |
| Cyprus | 990 |
| Lithuania | 986 |
| Tajikistan | 790 |
| Hungary | 701 |
| Luxembourg | 679 |
| Georgia | 496 |
| Slovenia | 447 |
| Finland | 406 |
| Slovakia | 199 |
| Malta | 172 |
| Iceland | 171 |
| Azerbaijan | 111 |
| Serbia | 103 |
| Croatia | 100 |
| Dominican Republic | 12 |
| Bolivia | 9 |
| Liechtenstein | 7 |
| Costa Rica | 5 |
| Guinea | 1 |
By destination region
Europe is the leading destination region at 93%
801.7K
28.5K
22.4K
10.2K
1.5K
26
1
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Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Moldova.
France is the fastest-growing major destination
Emigration to France has increased by 207% since 2015, rising from 17.7K to 54.3K in 9 years.
A significant share of the population lives abroad
1 in 3 residents of Moldova has emigrated — 864.3K out of 2.4M, representing 36.0% of the population.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
7 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: France, Spain, Ireland — France rose from outside the top 20 to rank #5.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 46% to 25%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 634901 |
| 1995 | 606003 |
| 2000 | 563893 |
| 2005 | 628876 |
| 2010 | 717352 |
| 2015 | 745934 |
| 2020 | 812653 |
| 2024 | 864257 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Italy | Russia | Ukraine | Romania | France |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2207 | 292807 | 180029 | 59189 | 237 |
| 1995 | 3687 | 289707 | 174541 | 50041 | 385 |
| 2000 | 5965 | 276101 | 171185 | 41905 | 971 |
| 2005 | 56357 | 285390 | 156418 | 38717 | 4161 |
| 2010 | 123348 | 284108 | 149246 | 37617 | 8004 |
| 2015 | 158746 | 239444 | 149745 | 47430 | 17693 |
| 2020 | 200676 | 198728 | 152249 | 65456 | 33951 |
| 2024 | 218594 | 166187 | 154284 | 80610 | 54287 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Moldova as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Moldova
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Moldovans move to?
Most Moldovans have moved to Italy, Russia and Ukraine — these three countries account for about 62% of all Moldovans living abroad.
How many Moldovans live abroad?
Around 864.3K Moldovans live abroad, making it the #74-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Moldova lives abroad?
About 36% of the population of Moldova lives abroad — that's 864.3K out of a total population of 2.4M.
How has emigration from Moldova changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Moldova has grown from 745.9K to 864.3K people, a growth of about 16%.
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