According to the health ministry, there were about 2,000 fewer births in 2025 than the year before.
The decline in the number of births has led authorities to downsize or even close some maternity hospitals due to the low number of patients and the high costs of running them. An example is the maternity hospital in Vulcanesti, which stopped operating earlier this year and pregnant women are being redirected to the maternity hospital in Cahul.
Data by territory confirm the downward trend. In Drochia, only 58 births were registered last year, almost 100 fewer than in 2024. In Vulcanesti 63 births were recorded, in Cimislia 120, and in Riscani 159. In some cases, hospital managers asked the Ministry of Health to suspend the activity of maternity hospitals.
Experts point to two main reasons: the decline in the birth rate and the mass migration of young women. Currently, a woman in Moldova has an average of 1.2 children, compared to 2.4-2.5 in the past.
Experts warn that the decline in birth rate will continue in the next 5-6 years, and stabilization may occur only after 2030.
At the same time, most births take place in the capital. The Mother and Child Institute in Chisinau registered more than 4,200 births last year, being the main center for complicated cases in the whole country.
In total, more than 30,100 births were registered nationwide in 2025, about 3,200 fewer than the previous year. The statistics also show a slight predominance of boys over girls.
