Children constitute 21.5% of the population with permanent residence in Moldova.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), on the eve of the International Children's Day, which is a holiday in Moldova, presented traditional data on the situation of children in the country. According to statistics, at the beginning of 2024, 508.7 thousand children (0-17 years old) are registered in Moldova, which is by 4.3% less than in the previous year. Over 5 years, the population of this age category has decreased by 11%. In 2023, 24 thousand children were born in Moldova, which is 11% less than in the previous year. The birth rate amounted to 9.8 children per thousand inhabitants, and this indicator decreased by 2.3 p.p. over 5 years. The NBS noted that the average age of first-born mothers is 25.3 years, with 23.9 years in the country's villages and 27.3 years in cities. About 18.4% of children in 2023 were born out of wedlock, with a higher proportion of out-of-wedlock births in rural areas than in villages - 21.4% vs. 14.1%. In 2023, 31.3 thousand people received lump-sum benefits at the birth of a child - almost 12% less than in the previous year. At the same time, almost 17% of beneficiaries are insured in the social insurance system, while 14.5 thousand are uninsured. The average amount of lump-sum allowance at childbirth amounted to 10,932 lei. Childcare allowance was received by 102.3 thousand people: for a child up to 3 years old, the average amount of allowance amounted to 4,020.2 lei for insured persons and 1,000 lei for uninsured persons (up to 2 years old). The NBS notes that the monthly childcare allowance for uninsured persons does not cover the subsistence minimum, which is 1110 lei for children up to 1 year old, 2403.1 lei for 1-6 years old, and 3165 lei for 7-17 year olds. Social allowances for disability were paid to 11.4 thousand children, of which 46% were severely disabled. The average monthly allowance for children with disabilities was 1,781.1 lei, or 24 times more than in 2019. Survivor benefits were paid to 5.8 thousand children, its average amount was 1,411 lei. In Moldova, preschool children can attend one of 1479 institutions; about 99% of them are state kindergartens. Only 14 kindergartens belong to private individuals. Last year, 129.6 thousand people attended kindergartens - 2.8% less than in the previous year. The highest coverage of children with preschool education is in Chisinau (90.1%), and the lowest in the south (85.4%). General primary and secondary education is provided in 1201 educational institutions, including 7 special schools for children with mental and physical disabilities. The country's schools and lyceums were attended by 334.4 thousand children - by 0.1% less than in 2022. Statistical data indicate an increase in the share of children with special educational needs - 11 thousand students, 95% of whom study in regular schools. There are also 119 art schools in the country, attended by 23.6 thousand children, 52 houses of creativity for children - 32.3 thousand children, as well as technical creativity centers, centers for young naturalists and young tourists. // 31.05.2024 - InfoMarket.
