If you lived in Romania instead of Moldova, you would:

Health

live 5.1 years longer

In Moldova, the average life expectancy is 71 years (67 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 2.2 times more spent on your healthcare

Moldova spends $1,181 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Romania spends $2,614 as of 2023.

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be 32.0% less likely to die by suicide

Moldova has a suicide rate of 14.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Romania, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 45.4% more likely to be obese

In Moldova, 22.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 32.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 45.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Moldova, 33.6% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Romania, however, that number is 18.4% as of 2024.

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make 2.6 times more money

Moldova has a GDP per capita of $8,622 as of 2025, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $22,538 as of 2025.

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be 4.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Moldova, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Romania, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.

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Life

be 36.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Moldova, approximately 19.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Romania, 12.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 60.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Moldova, approximately 15.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Romania, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 29.2% fewer children

In Moldova, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Romania, there are 7.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 18.0% more likely to have internet access

In Moldova, approximately 77.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Romania, about 91.3% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 50.0% less on education

Moldova spends 6.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Romania spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 15.3% less on healthcare

Moldova spends 6.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Romania, that number is 5.7% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 56.3% less likely to be murdered

Moldova has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Romania, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 20.8% more home broadband

Moldova has 29.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Romania has 35.8 as of 2024.

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live with 39.3% less strain on fresh water

Moldova withdraws 13% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Romania withdraws 8% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 20.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In Moldova, air pollution causes 58.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Romania, it causes 46.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this

Romania: At a glance

Romania is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 229,891 sq km. The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
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How big is Romania compared to Moldova? See an in-depth size comparison.

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