How many Moldovans live in each country — the full, sourced table

On 11 August we published the map “Născuți în Moldova” (“Born in Moldova”) — how many people born in the Republic of Moldova live today in each country of the world. We promised that every figure would carry a source, a year and a definition. This article keeps that promise in full: the complete table, across 50 countries — the most complete picture of the Moldovan diaspora built on a single definition — with the source of every figure and the explanations that don't fit in an image.

The number that sums it all up: at least 1,453,923 people born in the Republic of Moldova live today in other countries — roughly 1.45 million. For every two residents of the country — one more lives abroad.

In short — data verified at the source, 10–11 August 2026.

1. At least 1.45 million people born in the Republic of Moldova live in other countries — and that is a lower bound, not an inflated estimate.
2. We count by place of birth, not citizenship — otherwise hundreds of thousands of Moldovans holding Romanian passports would vanish from the statistics.
3. In Europe, excluding Russia and Türkiye: 1,170,354 people, in 35 countries.
4. Children born abroad are NOT included. The real diaspora is larger than any map.
5. On the map, grey does not mean zero — it means no statistical source reports a figure for that country.

The world map

The maps are labelled in Romanian — the table below carries everything in English. Both maps, at maximum quality and uncompressed, can be downloaded as documents from our Telegram channel (posts in Romanian).

Why we count by place of birth, not citizenship

Because a Moldovan holding a Romanian passport disappears from any statistic based on citizenship. The clearest example is Germany: only 37,500 Moldovan citizens — but 165,000 people born in the Republic of Moldova, according to Germany's official household survey (Destatis, Mikrozensus 2024). The rest are still ours, simply with a different passport in their pocket.

That is why, across the whole map and the whole table below, there is one single definition: people born in the Republic of Moldova, whatever their citizenship — what international statistics call foreign-born. The same rule for Moscow as for Rome, Berlin or New York.

The complete table: 50 countries, each with its source

The backbone of the data is the UN's International Migrant Stock 2024 matrix. Wherever a national institute measures better — through a census or a population register — we used the national figure, and that is written on each row. Years differ from country to country; the year sits next to every figure.

Europe, excluding Russia and Türkiye — 1,170,354 people, 35 countries

Outside Europe (including Russia and Türkiye) — 283,569 people, 15 countries

Europe, enlarged

This map, too, can be downloaded uncompressed, as a document, from our Telegram channel.

The figures that need an explanation

Romania — why two figures? The annual series of Romania's statistical institute estimates 386,473 people born in the Republic of Moldova as of 1 January 2025. The 2021 Romanian census, however, counted 71,705. Both figures are official, and the institutions have not reconciled them — the annual estimate comes from a statistical model and has not been adjusted to the census result. We would rather show you both than choose for you.

Russia — why “only” 166,000? Because the figures in circulation measure different things: ~78,000 — Moldovan citizens “temporarily present” (Russian migration databases, 2022); 166,187 — people born in Moldova living in Russia (UN estimate, mid-2024) — the figure in the table; 189,444 — born in Moldova at the 2021 Russian census; ~500,000 — the figure put forward on the Russian side, which includes people with dual citizenship and people who no longer live there. We chose the same definition as for every other country: place of birth plus current residence.

Ukraine — why a 2020 value? The last Ukrainian census dates from 2001, and after 24 February 2022 no estimate is credible any more. We kept the last pre-war value — an “updated” figure would have been an invention.

Israel — why is the figure incomplete? Those who left in the 1990s were recorded on arrival as coming from the “USSR”, not from Moldova. The figure of 10,053 certainly understates reality.

Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands — these six countries are entirely missing from the UN matrix for Moldovan origin (merged into an “others” category). We filled them in from national sources: the Mikrozensus survey in Germany, the ACS survey in the United States, the 2021 censuses in the United Kingdom, population registers elsewhere.

The method, in four lines

1. One definition everywhere: people born in the Republic of Moldova, not citizens.
2. Backbone: the UN's International Migrant Stock 2024. Wherever a national institute measures better (census or register), we used the national figure — it is written in the table.
3. Grey on the map = a country for which no source reports a figure. Grey does not mean zero.
4. Years differ across countries — the year is written next to each figure. The 1.45 million total is a lower bound.

What this map does not say

Two things, said by us before others say them.

One: the map does not explain the difference between the Republic of Moldova's two censuses. The stock of 1.45 million accumulated over more than thirty years, and the definitions of the two measurements do not interlock. The census showed the emptying; this map shows where the people born in Moldova live today. Two photographs, not an equation.

Two: children born abroad to Moldovan parents are not in these figures — a child born in Padua or London is no longer “born in Moldova”, however Moldovan their home may be. The real diaspora is therefore larger than any map built on place of birth. And if you miss your home village — below, we tell you how to receive its aerial image for free.

Frequently asked questions

How many Moldovans live outside the Republic of Moldova?

At least 1.45 million people born in the Republic of Moldova live in other countries, according to the UN (International Migrant Stock 2024) and national statistical sources, with reference years between 2020 and 2026. It is a lower bound: children born abroad are not included, and for many countries no source reports a figure.

In which countries do most Moldovans live?

Romania — 386,000 (INS estimate; the 2021 census counted 71,700), Italy — 219,000, Russia — 166,000 (UN estimate; publicly circulated figures range from 78,000 to 500,000), Germany — 165,000, Ukraine — 152,000 (pre-war estimate), then the United States and the United Kingdom with 56,000 each and France with 54,000.

Why count by place of birth and not by citizenship?

Because a Moldovan holding a Romanian passport disappears from citizenship-based statistics. Germany, for instance, has only 37,500 Moldovan citizens — but 165,000 people born in the Republic of Moldova, according to the official Mikrozensus 2024 survey.

Are children born abroad included?

No. The “born in Moldova” definition cannot include diaspora children already born in another country. The real Moldovan diaspora is larger than the figures in this article.

What do the grey countries on the map mean?

That no statistical source reports a figure for people born in Moldova in that country. Grey does not mean zero.

Where can I download the maps at maximum quality?

From our Telegram channel, t.me/CodrumGeodata — both maps (the world and Europe) are attached as documents, so they download uncompressed.

What is free, from us

On our Telegram channel — t.me/CodrumGeodata (posts in Romanian) — you will find the maps from this article at maximum quality, as documents. And if you would like an aerial image of your home village — from the country's official orthophoto — tap here: @codrum_md_bot. The bot immediately asks for the village and district (it speaks Romanian and Russian); if it doesn't, send it the word SAT. It is free, with no strings attached. To see what the delivered images look like: the archive of published villages (in Romanian).

If you have someone dear in Padua, London or Lisbon — send them this table. And if you want to do something concrete for your village, also read our guide to hometown associations (in Romanian).

Sources: UN — International Migrant Stock 2024 (CC BY 3.0 IGO) · Eurostat · INS (Romania) · Destatis (Germany) · US Census Bureau · ONS and NISRA (United Kingdom) · CSO (Ireland) · ELSTAT (Greece) · INE (Portugal) · GUS (Poland) · CZSO (Czechia) · Statistik Austria · Statbel (Belgium) · CBS (Netherlands) · SCB (Sweden) · Statistics Denmark · SSB (Norway) · the Baltic and Nordic statistical institutes · boundaries: Natural Earth · Maps: © CODRUM. Data verified at the source on 10–11 August 2026. Informational document; not an official document. Every figure in this article has a source and a year. If you find one that doesn't — write to us and we will correct it publicly.