--- title: "Record millionaires, 31% poverty: \"We must increase middle class\"" url: https://radiomoldova.md/p/83279/record-millionaires-31-poverty--we-must-increase-middle-class- published: 2026-08-17T18:24:12Z language: en author: "Dumitru Petruleac" section: "Economic" source: radiomoldova.md --- # Record millionaires, 31% poverty: "We must increase middle class" > The number of millionaires in the Republic of Moldova increased to nearly 10,000 by 2025. President Maia Sandu argues that this growth should not be seen as a sign of wealth concentration. During the "La 360 de grade" program on Radio Moldova, she emphasized that individuals who earn their income honestly and pay taxes deserve appreciation. ![](https://storage.radiomoldova.md/images/206868d6-40ef-469b-953a-72ed917882d9.jpg) The number of millionaires in the Republic of Moldova increased to nearly 10,000 by 2025. President Maia Sandu argues that this growth should not be seen as a sign of wealth concentration. During the "La 360 de grade" program on Radio Moldova, she emphasized that individuals who earn their income honestly and pay taxes deserve appreciation. At the same time, Maia Sandu reaffirmed that the authorities' priority remains the development of the middle class and the support of citizens in difficulty. *"I think this approach sounds a bit socialist, because people who earn this money honestly, people who pay taxes, who do not evade taxes, they must be appreciated for the fact that they succeed. Because if no one succeeds and pays taxes into the budget, then we have nothing to pay for social assistance, the head of state mentioned. Maia Sandu believes that even a figure of one million lei should not necessarily be seen as a very large fortune, especially for businessmen who have invested in the development of their companies. *"I don't think the numbers are very high for those who say they are millionaires in lei. First of all, a million in lei may sound like a lot to many people and it's true, it's a lot, but for business people, who do serious business, who have invested a lot in this, I don't think it's a very large amount,"* added the head of state. **Sandu: Moldova needs a larger middle class** The president says that the authorities' objective should be to increase the number of people in the middle class who earn sufficient income from economic activity. *"We need to see how to have more, how to have more people in this middle class, because I consider the middle class to be mostly, if we are talking about a million lei. Of course, if we are talking about several million lei, then we can talk about something else*, Maia Sandu said. Regarding the 31% of people living on the poverty line, President Maia Sandu admitted that there are indeed jobs that are not well paid. However, on the other hand, we have people who do not want to get a job, preferring to stay on social assistance, and entrepreneurs and farmers complain about the lack of labor. *"We have people who do not have well-paid jobs, but here it is still a dilemma, because, on the other hand, we see business people, including in rural areas, farmers, who complain that they do not have a workforce. And we also have many situations in which people do not want to get a job, because it is more convenient to come social assistance. So here we need to analyze a little more who are those who are on the poverty line”*, added the head of state. According to Maia Sandu, individuals with health problems and disabilities require special consideration, and the state must provide them with more consistent support. For those who are capable of working, the president emphasizes that a different approach is necessary. *"If there are people with health issues or disabilities, we clearly need to do everything possible to increase support for these individuals. However, for those who are able to work but do not put in the effort, the situation is different,"* the official stated. The head of state addressed the challenges faced by families with children, noting that limited access to childcare services may prevent parents from finding employment. *"We need to assess the situation for families with children, including the number of children they have. It's crucial to determine if a lack of childcare options is hindering parents' ability to work. Additionally, there's the ongoing issue of aligning job offers with demand. Often, job opportunities exist in one area while potential workers are located in another,"* the official stated. **Support for low-income individuals** The president acknowledged that rising inflation and energy prices in recent years have significantly affected the financial situation of many households. She emphasized that the government has worked to implement social programs aimed specifically at assisting low-income individuals. *"It's true that due to recent inflation and increasing energy costs, many people are facing serious financial challenges. I want to emphasize that our government has taken several steps to better assist those with low incomes. Most of our compensation programs have been directed at low-income individuals, ensuring they receive the support they need,"* the president explained. Among the measures that Maia Sandu says were promoted to support vulnerable families is the free school meals program. The president says that she personally insisted on this program, which is also intended for children from vulnerable families. *"A program that I insisted on and which is very expensive and which you will not find in many European countries is the free school feeding program. So up to and including middle school. This is primarily aimed at children from socially vulnerable families who sometimes went to school hungry. Now the state has offered itself specifically to cover these categories"*, the president of the country said. Finally, Maia Sandu said that the authorities must more precisely identify the causes of poverty and adapt support to the situation of each category. Also, the state's objective must be to enable people able to work to get a job and earn sufficient income. *"Ultimately, we want all those who are able to work to work and earn"*, concluded Maia Sandu. In the Republic of Moldova, nearly 10,000 individuals earn over 1 million lei per year. According to data published by the State Tax Service in the Report on Income Tax Declarations for the fiscal year 2025, the number of high earners reached 9,643. This figure represents an increase of 1,624 from 2024 and 3,229 from 2023, indicating a 50% rise in just two years. Among these individuals, the youngest is 16, while the oldest is 88. The absolute poverty rate in the Republic of Moldova was 31.1% in 2025, with the poverty threshold estimated at 3,764 lei per month for a single person. As reported in May of this year, 15.1% of citizens lived below the extreme poverty threshold, which is set at 3,036 lei. However, the actual poverty rate may be higher, as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has implemented a new calculation methodology that includes medical service expenses.