According to fresh data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the average monthly gross salary amounted to LE 15987.1, up 9.7% year-on-year and down 2.3% compared to the fourth quarter of 2025.
At the same time, real wages increased by 4.3% in annualized terms. The index of real wages adjusted for inflation amounted to 104.3% compared to the first quarter of 2025. The average number of employees increased by 1.7%. The average wage in the economy for 2026 is projected at 17,400 lei.
In dollar terms, the average salary in Moldova is about $728, which puts the country on the 67th position in the world.
Sectoral wage inequality
The highest salaries remain in the financial, banking and information technology (IT) sectors, while in the public sector (education, culture) incomes remain modest.
The highest values of average monthly wages in the first quarter of 2026 are registered by the NBS in the following activities:
– information and communication – 39374,0 lei;
– financial and insurance activity – 28215,2 lei;
– production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, hot water and air conditioning systems – 22,644.8 lei.
The lowest values of average monthly wages for the same period were recorded in the sectors:
– agriculture, forestry and fishery – 10246,0 lei;
– hotel industry and public catering – 11,331.2 lei;
– art, recreation and leisure – 12,148.2 lei.
In the budgetary sector, in the first quarter of 2026, the average monthly salary amounted to 13,287.9 lei (by 3.7% more than in the first quarter of 2025), and in the real sector – 16,909.6 lei (by 11.4% more than in the first quarter of 2025).
