Rigorous social research in Moldova.
Socium is an independent research centre in Chișinău. We turn official statistics and field data into clear evidence on Moldova, the EU and the region, and deliver evaluations, surveys and analysis for international partners.
Latest
New data-driven analyses every week: Moldova, the EU, global trends and comparisons. Every figure comes from official sources and is verified before publication.
Moldova's population falls by 1.75% in 2025, the steepest decline among the countries compared
In 2025, Moldova's population falls by 1.75%, against −0.13% in Bulgaria, −0.17% in Romania and +0.2% in the EU. It is the steepest decline among the countries compared, despite fertility above the EU average.
ComparativePISA 2022: 1.7% of Moldova's pupils are top performers, against 13.7% in the OECD
In PISA 2022 Moldova scored 414 points in mathematics, 58 below the OECD average, and only 1.7% of pupils reached levels 5-6 in at least one subject. Education: 6.6% of GDP (2023).
MoldovaThe gender gap: women in Moldova live 8.8 years longer than men
In 2025 life expectancy stood at 77.2 years for women and 68.4 years for men (NBS). Yet the employment rate of women aged 15–64 was 47.4%, 6.0 percentage points below that of men.
GlobalIncome inequality: Moldova's Gini at 26.8 in 2023 — 12.7 points below Bulgaria
With a Gini index of 26.8 in 2023, Moldova has the most equal distribution among regional countries with recent data, yet its GDP per capita at PPP stands at 77.8% of the world average (2025).
ComparativeRemittances: Moldova at 9.4% of GDP in 2025, below Georgia and 10.9 times the EU average
In 2025, remittances accounted for 9.4% of GDP in Moldova, against 11.2% in Georgia, 2.5% in Romania and 0.9% in the EU. The share is 57% lower than in 2014 (22.1%).
MoldovaMoldova's villages are ageing: average age 42.1 in rural areas, 2.9 years above towns in 2026
NBS data: the average age in rural areas rose from 37.7 years (2015) to 42.1 years (2026), against 39.2 years in towns. The rural population fell by 27.1% in 11 years, the urban population by 1.3%.
ComparativeGDP per capita: Moldova at 30.5% of the EU average and 39% of Romania's level in 2025
In 2025 Moldova's GDP per capita at PPP stood at 19,996 international dollars — 30.5% of the EU average and 39.3% of Romania's level. The relative gap is narrowing; the absolute gap is widening.
How we support development partners
From a single research question to full M&E systems. We work with international organisations, donors, implementing partners, government and the private sector.
Monitoring & Evaluation
Programme and project evaluations aligned with OECD-DAC criteria and donor requirements.
Surveys & field research
Nationally and locally representative data collection across Moldova, including Gagauzia and hard-to-reach groups.
Data analysis & statistics
Rigorous analysis of survey, administrative and official statistics.
Dashboards & data systems
Interactive dashboards and automated data pipelines for programme teams.
Policy research & briefs
Evidence for policy dialogue, programming and advocacy.
Capacity building
Training for partners, government and civil society in working with data.
A local partner that works to international standards
Nationwide field capacity
Data collection across all regions of Moldova, including Gagauzia, rural areas and vulnerable groups.
Trilingual team
Research instruments, fieldwork and reporting in Romanian, Russian and English.
International standards
OECD-DAC evaluation criteria, ethical research protocols and data protection compliant with GDPR principles.
Data-first
Official statistics, open data pipelines and reproducible analysis behind every conclusion.
Planning a study, evaluation or survey in Moldova?
We design and deliver baseline and endline studies, evaluations, nationally representative surveys and data analysis for development partners, from inception report to final presentation.