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

Health

be 33.8% less likely to die by suicide

Russia has a suicide rate of 21.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Moldova, it is 14.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 2.1 years less

In Russia, the average life expectancy is 73 years (68 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Moldova, that number is 71 years (67 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 26.6% more likely to be obese

In Russia, 17.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Moldova, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 63.1% less spent on your healthcare

Russia spends $3,204 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Moldova spends $1,181 as of 2023.

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have 21.4% fewer doctors per person

Russia has 51.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Moldova has 40.2 as of 2023.

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have 10.1% less access to essential health services

Russia scores 79 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Moldova scores 71 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 29.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Russia, 2.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Moldova, that number is 1.5% as of 2025.

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be 4.7 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Russia, 7.2% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Moldova, however, that number is 33.6% as of 2024.

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make 50.9% less money

Russia has a GDP per capita of $17,547 as of 2025, while in Moldova, the GDP per capita is $8,622 as of 2025.

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Life

have 26.1% more children

In Russia, there are approximately 8.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Moldova, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Russia, approximately 9.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Moldova, 19.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 3.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In Russia, approximately 4.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Moldova, on the other hand, 15.1 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 18.0% less likely to have internet access

In Russia, approximately 94.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Moldova, about 77.4% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 57.7% more on education

Russia spends 4.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Moldova spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Safety

be 62.5% less likely to be murdered

Russia has a homicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Moldova, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 14.2% less likely to die in a road accident

In Russia, road accidents kill 10.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Moldova, they kill 9.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 3.0 times more strain on fresh water

Russia withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Moldova withdraws 13% as of 2022.

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use 66.9% less electricity

Russia uses 7,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Moldova uses 2,412 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 75.5% less CO2

Russia emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Moldova emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 48.7% more likely to die from air pollution

In Russia, air pollution causes 39.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Moldova, it causes 58.0 as of 2019.

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

Moldova: At a glance

Moldova is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 32,891 sq km. Part of Romania during the interwar period, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although the country has been independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Nistru River supporting the separatist region of Transnistria, composed of a Slavic majority population (mostly Ukrainians and Russians), but with a sizeable ethnic Moldovan minority. One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a communist, Vladimir VORONIN, as its president in 2001. VORONIN served as Moldova's president until he resigned in September 2009, following the opposition's gain of a narrow majority in July parliamentary elections and the Communist Party's (PCRM) subsequent inability to attract the three-fifths of parliamentary votes required to elect a president and, by doing so, put into place a permanent government. Four Moldovan opposition parties formed a new coalition, the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), iterations of which have acted as Moldova's governing coalitions since. Moldova experienced significant political uncertainty between 2009 and early 2012, holding three general elections and numerous presidential ballots in parliament, all of which failed to secure a president. Following November 2010 parliamentary elections, a reconstituted AEI-coalition consisting of three of the four original AEI parties formed a government, and in March 2012 was finally able to elect an independent as president. As of late May 2013, the ruling coalition - comprised of two of the original AEI parties and a splinter group from a third - is called the Pro-European Coalition. In November 2013, the Moldovan Government initialed an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU), advancing the coalition's policy priority of EU integration.
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