Economy - overview:
Despite recent progress, Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe. With a moderate climate and productive farmland, Moldova's economy relies heavily on its agriculture sector, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova also depends on annual remittances of about $1.12 billion from the roughly one million Moldovans working in Europe, Russia, and other former Soviet Bloc countries.With few natural energy resources, Moldova imports almost all of its energy supplies from Russia and Ukraine. Moldova's dependence on Russian energy is underscored by a more than $5 billion debt to Russian natural gas supplier Gazprom, largely the result of unreimbursed natural gas consumption in the breakaway region of Transnistria. Moldova and Romania inaugurated the Ungheni-Iasi natural gas interconnector project in August 2014. The 43-kilometer pipeline between Moldova and Romania, allows for both the import and export of natural gas. Several technical and regulatory delays kept gas from flowing into Moldova until March 2015. Romanian gas exports to Moldova are largely symbolic. Moldova hopes to build a pipeline connecting Ungheni to Chisinau, bringing the gas to Moldovan population centers.The government's stated goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented progress. Moldova experienced better than expected economic growth in 2014 due to increased agriculture production, to economic policies adopted by the Moldovan government since 2009, and to the receipt of EU trade preferences. Moldova signed an Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU during fall 2014, connecting Moldovan products to the world’s largest market. Still, a $1 billion asset-stripping heist of Moldovan banks in late 2014 delivered a significant shock to the economy in 2015; a subsequent bank bailout increased inflationary pressures and contributed to the depreciation of the leu. Moldova’s growth has also been hampered by endemic corruption and a Russian import ban on Moldova’s agricultural products.Over the longer term, Moldova's economy remains vulnerable to corruption, political uncertainty, weak administrative capacity, vested bureaucratic interests, higher fuel prices, Russian political and economic pressure, and unresolved separatism in Moldova's Transnistria region.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$18.54 billion (2016 est.) $18.18 billion (2015 est.) $18.26 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
country comparison to the world: 149
[see also: GDP country ranks ]

GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.65 billion (2015 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]

GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2016 est.) -0.5% (2015 est.) 4.8% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,200 (2016 est.) $5,100 (2015 est.) $5,100 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
country comparison to the world: 170
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]

Gross national saving:
18.2% of GDP (2016 est.) 18% of GDP (2015 est.) 22.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 89.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 20.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 23.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 1.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 43%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -78.1% (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 14.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 21.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 64.7% (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]

Agriculture - products:
vegetables, fruits, grapes, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, tobacco; beef, milk; wine

Industries:
sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles

Industrial production growth rate:
3.5% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]

Labor force:
1.253 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 30.5%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 12.2%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 57.3% (2014 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]

Unemployment rate:
6.3% (2016 est.) 5.2% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]

Population below poverty line:
20.8% (2013 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.3%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 26% (2010 est.)
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28.5 (2013) 33.2 (2003)
country comparison to the world: 129
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]

Budget:
revenues: $2.297 billion
[see also: Budget revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $2.456 billion
[see also: Budget expenditures country ranks ]
note: National Public Budget (2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues:
34.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-2.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]

Public debt:
44.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.4% (2016 est.) 9.7% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]

Central bank discount rate:
19.5% (31 December 2015) 6.5% (31 December 2014)
note: this is the basic rate on short-term operations
country comparison to the world: 7
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
15% (31 December 2016 est.) 14.2% (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]

Stock of narrow money:
$1.095 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $1.188 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]

Stock of broad money:
$3.402 billion (31 December 2015 est.) $4.685 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]

Stock of domestic credit:
$2.003 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $2.162 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$9.723 million (31 December 2014 est.) $50.47 million (31 December 2014 est.) $51.46 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]

Current account balance:
-$189 million (2016 est.) -$304 million (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]

Exports:
$1.45 billion (2016 est.) $1.507 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
[see also: Exports country ranks ]

Exports - commodities:
foodstuffs, textiles, machinery

Exports - partners:
Romania 23.1%, Italy 10.2%, Turkey 9.4%, Russia 8%, Germany 6.6%, Belarus 6.4% (2015)

Imports:
$3.45 billion (2016 est.) $3.595 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
[see also: Imports country ranks ]

Imports - commodities:
mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles

Imports - partners:
Russia 22.7%, Romania 18.1%, Ukraine 11.5%, Germany 7%, Italy 4.8%, Turkey 4.4% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.85 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $1.757 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]

Debt - external:
$6.362 billion (31 December 2016 est.) $6.207 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$3.647 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $3.615 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$108.2 million (31 December 2012) $88.42 million (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 99
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]

Exchange rates:
Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - 20.4 (2016 est.) 19.83 (2015 est.) 19.83 (2014 est.) 14.036 (2013 est.) 12.11 (2012 est.)