Real progress, but slower than the neighbours
Between 2010 and 2024, life expectancy at birth in the Republic of Moldova rose from 69.9 to 71.3 years, according to the World Bank's development indicators, a gain of about 1.5 years in 14 years.
Over the same period Romania gained 3.0 years (from 73.5 to 76.5), Poland 2.2 years and the EU average almost 2 years (from 79.6 to 81.6). In other words, Moldova not only starts from a lower base but is also advancing more slowly than the economies it is most often compared with.
The pandemic affected every country in the group, but the impact was most visible in 2021, when life expectancy in Moldova fell to 69.0 years, below its 2010 level.
Life expectancy at birth, 2010–2024 (years)
View data table
| Moldova | Romania | EU-27 | World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 69.9 | 73.5 | 79.6 | 70.7 |
| 2011 | 70.2 | 74.4 | 80.1 | 71 |
| 2012 | 70.3 | 74.4 | 80.2 | 71.3 |
| 2013 | 70.3 | 75.1 | 80.5 | 71.5 |
| 2014 | 70.2 | 74.9 | 80.9 | 71.8 |
| 2015 | 70.1 | 74.9 | 80.6 | 72 |
| 2016 | 70.2 | 75.2 | 81 | 72.2 |
| 2017 | 70.4 | 75.2 | 80.9 | 72.4 |
| 2018 | 70.2 | 75.4 | 81 | 72.6 |
| 2019 | 70.2 | 75.6 | 81.3 | 72.9 |
| 2020 | 69.9 | 74.3 | 80.4 | 72.2 |
| 2021 | 69 | 72.8 | 80.3 | 71.2 |
| 2022 | 71.5 | 75.2 | 80.7 | 73 |
| 2023 | 71.2 | 76.4 | 81.4 | 73.3 |
| 2024 | 71.3 | 76.5 | 81.6 | 73.5 |
Ten years of life: the gap with the EU
The gap with the EU-27 average was 9.8 years in 2010 and 10.2 years in 2024. It has not closed; if anything, it has widened slightly.
More important for Moldova's regional position: in 2024 the country was below the global average (73.5 years) and below Ukraine (74.7 years), a country directly affected by war, as well as Georgia (74.7) and Bulgaria (75.8).
These comparisons use harmonised World Bank estimates. For domestic analysis, the reference source remains the National Bureau of Statistics, whose figures differ slightly because of the population base used.
Life expectancy at birth in 2024 (years)
View data table
| 2024 | |
|---|---|
| EU-27 | 81.6 |
| Poland | 78.4 |
| Romania | 76.5 |
| Bulgaria | 75.8 |
| Ukraine | 74.7 |
| Georgia | 74.7 |
| World | 73.5 |
| Moldova | 71.3 |
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Request a proposalThe gender gap: almost nine years
According to NBS, life expectancy at birth reached 72.8 years in 2025, the highest level in the available series. Women can expect to live 77.2 years, men 68.4 years.
The 8.8-year gap between the sexes is very large by European standards and typically reflects premature male mortality linked to cardiovascular disease, alcohol consumption and accidents, factors that require separate analysis by cause of death.
The territorial gap is smaller but persistent: 74.1 years in urban areas and 71.8 years in rural areas. For rural men, life expectancy is only 67.4 years.
Life expectancy in Moldova by sex and area, 2025 (years)
View data table
| Women | Men | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 77.2 | 68.4 |
| Urban | 78.1 | 69.7 |
| Rural | 76.6 | 67.4 |
Implications for Moldova
Closing the ten-year gap with the EU cannot be achieved through economic growth alone: Ukraine, with a GDP per capita (at purchasing power parity) almost identical to Moldova's in 2024, recorded a life expectancy 3.4 years higher.
Premature male mortality is the most obvious lever: halving the gender gap (that is, +4.4 years for men) would raise national life expectancy by roughly two years.
For the EU accession process, public health indicators will matter as much as economic ones. Annual monitoring by area, sex and cause of death is a precondition for well-targeted policies.
Methodology
International comparisons use harmonised World Bank estimates (indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN), available up to 2024. National data by sex and area come from the NBS statistical database (table POP020700), available up to 2025 and calculated on the usually resident population. Differences between the two sources (e.g. 71.3 vs 72.0 years in 2024) reflect different methodologies and population bases. Values are rounded to one decimal place.