Population and the demographic structure

Usual resident population – people that lived continuously for most of the last 12 months, on the territory of the Republic of Moldova not including temporary absences (for recreation, vacation, visits to relatives and friends, business, medical treatment, religious pilgrimages, etc.).

The estimation of the number of usual resident population is based on the population with usual residence corrected from the Population and Housing Census (RPL) of 2014, to which were added births and subtracted deaths (natural increase), as well as migratory balance (net migration). 

Place of usual residence is defined as the place at which the person has lived continuously for most of the last 12 months, not including temporary absences for poses of recreation, holidays, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage. 

Resident population – number of people residing permanently on the territory concerned, including people who are temporarily absent.

Number of present population for inter-census years, is established based on latest census results and data on natural and migration movement between census day and reference year. In determining this number the change in population number following the administrative territorial reorganization is also taken into account.

Average annual number of resident population – the arithmetic average of resident population at the beginning of the reference year and beginning of the following year.

Average annual number of present population – arithmetic average of present population at the beginning of the reference year and beginning of the following year.

Population Ageing ratio – number of people aged 60 years and above per 100 people.

Demographic load index – number of elderly unable to work per 100 people of working age.

Total demographic dependency ratio represents the number of children aged less than 15 and elder people (aged 60 and over) per 100 persons aged 15-59 at the beginning of reference year.

Young people dependency ratio – the ratio of young people aged 15-59 years at the beginning of reference year.

Elderly dependency ratio – the ratio of elder people aged 15-59 years at the beginning of reference year.

Life expectancy – is an estimate of the average number of years a person would live if age specific mortality rates in a reference year remained unchanged throughout his/her life.

Life expectancy at birth – number of years which shall be lived in average by those born in this period, if during their life the death rate for every age will be the same as in year of birth.

Vital statistics

Born-alive is the product of conception, expelled or removed completely from the mother's body, independent of pregnancy duration, which, after such separation, shows a sign of life (breathing, heart activity, pulsation of the umbilical cord or muscle contractions dependent on the will).

Born-alive rank refers to the numerical order of a born-alive in the total number of live births of the mother.

Deceased is the person whose vital functions have ceased completely after a certain time after birth.

Marriage is the union between a man and a woman, made according to the law of the country.

Divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage concluded by a final decision of the judiciary.

Infant mortality rate indicates the number of children who died under one year old per 1,000 live births in a reference year.

Total fertility rate - average number of children given birth by a woman during her fertile life, under conditions of fertility during that year.

Gross reproduction rate - average number of girls given birth by a woman who would not be subjected to mortality risk, during her fertile life, under conditions of fertility during that year.

Age specific mortality rate – frequency of deaths by ages per 1000 people of a certain age.

Standardized mortality rates – adjusted rates remove the effect of different structure of population, which allows valid comparisons between two or more populations.

Natural increase – the difference between the number of live births and number of deaths during the year.

Positive natural increase (growth) – number of live births exceeds the number of deaths.

Negative natural increase (decrease) – number of deaths exceeds the number of live births.

Population migration

Migration - territorial movement of persons, accompanied by change of residence.

Immigrant - foreign citizen or stateless person who has obtained the right to settle down permanently or temporarily in the Republic of Moldova.

Emigrant - Moldovan national who has left abroad to settle down permanently or temporarily in another state.

Repatriate - Moldovan national and / or the person who was born in Moldova and his/her followers, and the person who previously lived continuously in the country for at least 10 years and has the right to settle down permanently in the Republic of Moldova under the law.

Migration increase – the difference between the number of immigrants and emigrants in a region.