Online trade in Moldova grew by more than 40% in 2024, with actual figures twice as high as official data - Veaceslav Ionita
In his analytical commentary, the expert noted that last year Moldova broke the record for the volume of online trade, both in terms of transaction value and the volume of postal items. According to official data, Moldovan citizens paid more than 12.9 billion lei through online card transactions in 2024. For comparison, in 2015, this amount was 1.35 billion lei. In 2025, there are all the prerequisites for this amount to exceed 15 billion lei. At the same time, the number of parcels and packages sent in 2024 reached 12 million, including 9.7 million international shipments (+40% compared to 2023) and 2.3 million domestic shipments (+28%). However, the expert points out that official data only reflect part of the picture. Most domestic orders are paid for not online, but in cash or via POS terminals upon delivery and a significant portion of deliveries are made by private couriers, which are not included in official postal statistics. “A realistic estimate is that the real value of online trade is at least twice as high as the official data, and domestic deliveries are five times higher than those reported by postal companies,” says Veaceslav Ionita. He notes that Moldovan citizens have quickly adapted to new technologies and prefer to shop online without leaving their homes, while physical stores have reoriented themselves and offer online interaction, and postal companies are diversifying their services and increasingly entering the domestic delivery market. At the same time, the economist notes a problem: a serious imbalance and unfair competition between foreign platforms that deliver without paying taxes and local producers who pay taxes and incur high courier delivery costs. This situation hinders the development of local trade and encourages purchases abroad. To overcome this problem, Veaceslav Ionita recommends pursuing a balanced tax policy that avoids unfair competition between foreign and local platforms, reduces domestic delivery costs, and optimizes online payments. // 20.06.2025 — InfoMarket
