Explorarea impactului migrației internaționale și interne asupra distribuției regionale a populației

Abstract

This paper examines how internal and external migration bring about changes in the population structure of various regions in Moldova. In conjunction with the increasing international migration flows, there have also been shifts in the spatial distribution of the population across regions. While population migration from small urban centers to large urban centers and foreign countries has risen, we also observe the movement of rural populations to small and medium-sized cities. Using revised population data for Moldova and information on internal and international migration, we estimated net migration rates for each distinct region of Moldova, categorized by sex, age, and residence. The research findings reveal that the population of Moldova decreased by -274.2 thousand people, or - 9,6%, between 2014 and 2021. International migration is more prevalent in the Central and Southern regions and among populations aged 0-19 and 20-59. Internal migration plays a crucial role in maintaining the population of the capital and other significant municipalities. The population in central districts experiences a smaller decline due to more intense internal migration, whereas the population in the South decreases because of both high internal and international migration. The study was conducted as part of the Project (2020-2023) 20.80009.0807.21 „Migration, demographic changes, and situation stabilization policies”.