Over 121,000 Moldovans officially declare living abroad
A total of 121,393 citizens from the Republic of Moldova reported to the authorities by March 1 that they had moved abroad for permanent residence. The majority of them settled in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the USA, and Germany.
The State Population Register's data on citizens of the Republic of Moldova who have relocated for permanent residence abroad indicate that this number is 2,711 higher than the figure recorded on March 1, 2025.
Currently, there are 42,361 citizens of the Republic of Moldova residing in the Russian Federation. This marks an increase of 1,557 compared to last year, but it is 4,642 fewer than the number reported on March 1, 2022, just days after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine ranks second among countries where Moldovans have settled permanently. However, the number of Moldovans in Ukraine has decreased over the last four years. As of today, 25,978 Moldovans declare Ukraine as their permanent place of residence, down from 26,644 on March 1, 2022. Notably, there has been a 55% increase in the last year.
Other prominent countries where Moldovans have established permanent residency include the USA (18,379), Germany (15,220), and Israel (7,878).
Top ten countries where Moldovan citizens have relocated for permanent residence:
- Russian Federation - 42,361
- Ukraine - 25,978
- USA - 18,379
- Germany - 15,220
- Israel - 7,878
- Belarus - 3,293
- Italy - 2,393
- Canada - 819
- Austria - 722
- Czech Republic - 547
In total, Moldovan citizens have settled in 105 countries, including individual residents in places like Liechtenstein, Rwanda, Mexico, Cuba, and Ghana.
It is noted that, on average, around 2,000 individuals annually inform the authorities about their decision to permanently settle in other countries.
According to ASP data, by January 2012, 95,518 citizens of the Republic of Moldova were officially residing abroad. Some official estimates suggest that about 1 million Moldovans currently live outside the country. However, the vast majority have not relinquished their residency in the Republic of Moldova.
