Aging workforce: Only 1 in 10 teachers in Moldova are early-career professionals
Over the past seven years, the primary and secondary education system in the Republic of Moldova has undergone a gradual restructuring.
Driven by demographic shifts, migration, and network reorganization, the landscape of Moldovan schooling is fundamentally changing.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveals that while dozens of schools have closed, the total student population has remained relatively stable. However, this stability masks a massive internal migration toward the capital and a significant linguistic shift.
Urbanization and school closures
The number of educational institutions dropped from 1,255 in the 2019-2020 academic year to 1,173 in 2025-2026—a net loss of 82 schools. This reduction primarily affected primary schools and small gymnasiums in rural areas.
Despite these closures, the total number of students saw a slight increase of approximately 1,500, reaching 334,611. This is due to heavy concentration in urban centers. Chisinau now hosts 109,955 students, compared to 91,933 seven years ago. Today, nearly one in three Moldovan students is enrolled in the capital’s schools.
Regional decline vs. capital growth
While Chisinau expands, the regions are witnessing a steady exodus. The Northern region saw a decline from 84,198 to 78,436 students, while the South dropped from 44,494 to 39,728.
This urban-rural divide is most visible at graduation. In 2025, over 80% of high school graduates (9,848 out of 12,050) originated from urban environments, highlighting the deepening gap in educational density.
Romanian and English on the rise
The linguistic landscape is also consolidating. In the 2025-2026 academic year, 81.2% of students (271,521) are taught in Romanian, up from 80.6% in 2021. Meanwhile, the number of students studying in Russian has declined to 18.7%.
In Gagauzia, Russian remains dominant at over 91%, though Romanian-language instruction in the region grew from 7% to nearly 9% in just four years.
Foreign language preferences have shifted even more dramatically. Nearly 9 out of 10 students now choose English, with 266,939 students enrolled compared to 233,876 seven years ago. Conversely, Russian as a foreign language plummeted from 100,227 to 73,360 students.
A workforce anchored by veterans
Moldova’s teaching staff is increasingly characterized by long-term experience and a lack of new entrants. The total number of educators fell by over 1,600 in seven years, leaving 25,818 professionals in the system.
Teachers with over 20 years of experience remain the backbone of the system. They represent more than half of the total workforce (14,768 individuals).
The most critical data point concerns the next generation. Educators with less than two years of experience number only 1,276. Combined with those having 2-5 years of experience, early-career professionals make up less than 11% of the total staff. Effectively, only one in ten teachers in Moldova is a newcomer to the profession.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
