# Life expectancy: Moldova ten years behind the EU average *Gains over the past decade have not narrowed the gap with the European Union, and the difference between men and women remains among the widest in the region.* - **Published:** 2026-09-25 - **Publisher:** Socium — Foundation for the Study of Society (Chișinău, Republic of Moldova) - **Topic:** Comparative - **URL:** https://socium.md/en/analyses/2026-09-25-life-expectancy-moldova-ten-years-behind-the-eu-average/ - **Data sources:** World Bank, World Development Indicators; National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova (NBS), statistical database **Key figure:** 10.2 years — life expectancy gap between Moldova and the EU average (2024) ## Summary In 2024, a newborn in Moldova could expect to live 71.3 years, 10.2 years less than the EU average and below the global average, according to World Bank data. ## Key findings - Life expectancy at birth in Moldova was 71.3 years in 2024 (World Bank), compared with 81.6 years in the EU-27: a gap of 10.2 years, slightly wider than in 2010 (9.8 years). - Moldova ranks below the global average (73.5 years) and last in its comparison group, behind Ukraine and Georgia (both 74.7 years). - National NBS data show 72.8 years in 2025, with an 8.8-year gap between women (77.2) and men (68.4). - Rural residents live on average 2.3 years less than urban residents (71.8 vs 74.1 years in 2025). ## Real progress, but slower than the neighbours Between 2010 and 2024, life expectancy at birth in the Republic of Moldova rose from 69.9 to 71.3 years, according to the World Bank's development indicators, a gain of about 1.5 years in 14 years. Over the same period Romania gained 3.0 years (from 73.5 to 76.5), Poland 2.2 years and the EU average almost 2 years (from 79.6 to 81.6). In other words, Moldova not only starts from a lower base but is also advancing more slowly than the economies it is most often compared with. The pandemic affected every country in the group, but the impact was most visible in 2021, when life expectancy in Moldova fell to 69.0 years, below its 2010 level. **Life expectancy at birth, 2010–2024 (years) (years)** | Label | Moldova | Romania | EU-27 | World | |---|---|---|---|---| | 2010 | 69.9 | 73.5 | 79.6 | 70.7 | | 2011 | 70.2 | 74.4 | 80.1 | 71 | | 2012 | 70.3 | 74.4 | 80.2 | 71.3 | | 2013 | 70.3 | 75.1 | 80.5 | 71.5 | | 2014 | 70.2 | 74.9 | 80.9 | 71.8 | | 2015 | 70.1 | 74.9 | 80.6 | 72 | | 2016 | 70.2 | 75.2 | 81 | 72.2 | | 2017 | 70.4 | 75.2 | 80.9 | 72.4 | | 2018 | 70.2 | 75.4 | 81 | 72.6 | | 2019 | 70.2 | 75.6 | 81.3 | 72.9 | | 2020 | 69.9 | 74.3 | 80.4 | 72.2 | | 2021 | 69 | 72.8 | 80.3 | 71.2 | | 2022 | 71.5 | 75.2 | 80.7 | 73 | | 2023 | 71.2 | 76.4 | 81.4 | 73.3 | | 2024 | 71.3 | 76.5 | 81.6 | 73.5 | *Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (SP.DYN.LE00.IN)* ## Ten years of life: the gap with the EU The gap with the EU-27 average was 9.8 years in 2010 and 10.2 years in 2024. It has not closed; if anything, it has widened slightly. More important for Moldova's regional position: in 2024 the country was below the global average (73.5 years) and below Ukraine (74.7 years), a country directly affected by war, as well as Georgia (74.7) and Bulgaria (75.8). These comparisons use harmonised World Bank estimates. For domestic analysis, the reference source remains the National Bureau of Statistics, whose figures differ slightly because of the population base used. **Life expectancy at birth in 2024 (years) (years)** | Label | 2024 | |---|---| | EU-27 | 81.6 | | Poland | 78.4 | | Romania | 76.5 | | Bulgaria | 75.8 | | Ukraine | 74.7 | | Georgia | 74.7 | | World | 73.5 | | Moldova | 71.3 | *Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators* ## The gender gap: almost nine years According to NBS, life expectancy at birth reached 72.8 years in 2025, the highest level in the available series. Women can expect to live 77.2 years, men 68.4 years. The 8.8-year gap between the sexes is very large by European standards and typically reflects premature male mortality linked to cardiovascular disease, alcohol consumption and accidents, factors that require separate analysis by cause of death. The territorial gap is smaller but persistent: 74.1 years in urban areas and 71.8 years in rural areas. For rural men, life expectancy is only 67.4 years. **Life expectancy in Moldova by sex and area, 2025 (years) (years)** | Label | Women | Men | |---|---|---| | Total | 77.2 | 68.4 | | Urban | 78.1 | 69.7 | | Rural | 76.6 | 67.4 | *Source: National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova, table POP020700* ## Implications for Moldova Closing the ten-year gap with the EU cannot be achieved through economic growth alone: Ukraine, with a GDP per capita (at purchasing power parity) almost identical to Moldova's in 2024, recorded a life expectancy 3.4 years higher. Premature male mortality is the most obvious lever: halving the gender gap (that is, +4.4 years for men) would raise national life expectancy by roughly two years. For the EU accession process, public health indicators will matter as much as economic ones. Annual monitoring by area, sex and cause of death is a precondition for well-targeted policies. ## Methodology International comparisons use harmonised World Bank estimates (indicator SP.DYN.LE00.IN), available up to 2024. National data by sex and area come from the NBS statistical database (table POP020700), available up to 2025 and calculated on the usually resident population. Differences between the two sources (e.g. 71.3 vs 72.0 years in 2024) reflect different methodologies and population bases. Values are rounded to one decimal place. ## Sources - [World Bank, World Development Indicators](https://data.worldbank.org) - [National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova (NBS), statistical database](https://statbank.statistica.md) ## How to cite Socium. (2026, September 25). Life expectancy: Moldova ten years behind the EU average. Foundation for the Study of Society. https://socium.md/en/analyses/2026-09-25-life-expectancy-moldova-ten-years-behind-the-eu-average/ Licence: [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — reuse with attribution to Socium.