Today there are 139 active publishing houses registered in Moldova, which annually produce about 2.5 thousand titles of books (mainly in Romanian language). With a total annual production volume of 98-100 million lei, the Moldovan book market is limited and actually displaced by imported products, the share of which on the shelves of bookstores remains dominant. In per capita terms, this is only 40 lei per year, well below regional averages.
The state supports the publication of 80-90 titles annually, distributing 20,000-25,000 copies to libraries, but the selection procedures are assessed as rigid and the number of copies as insufficient.
The Ministry of Culture notes that even the exemption of book production from VAT has not yet led to significant changes in the industry.
The development of the industry is hampered by internal factors
The book market is affected by the limited range of genres does not meet the demands of the modern reader. Also affected is the almost complete lack of funded promotion of local authors. Finally, the industry suffers from a lack of modern distribution platforms for electronic and audiobooks.
The low number of online publications and the lack of digital channels confirm that the industry is slowly adapting to modern forms of cultural consumption.
Financial plan to revitalize the industry
The 2026-2030 program envisages an allocation of 67 million lei to support the sector (translations, publishing books and periodicals). With a gradual increase of 12 million in 2026 to 15 million in 2030. The goal is to produce at least 80 titles of books annually, promote authors and translators, and develop reading programs.
However, out of the total amount of 67 million lei, only 38 million lei are guaranteed by the state budget. The remaining 29 million lei (more than 40% of the budget) remain in the category of “uncovered expenses”.
