Editing Moldova (section)

=== Diaspora and emigration ===
{{Further|Moldovan diaspora}}{{See also|Emigration from Moldova}}
Emigration is a mass phenomenon in Moldova and has a major impact on the country's [[demographics]] and economy. It is estimated that more than between 1.2 and 2 million Moldovan citizens (over 25% of the population) are living and working abroad.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bunguri |first=Ernest |date=15 November 2020 |title=Moldova: How the diaspora keeps Europe's poorest nation afloat |url=https://www.euronews.com/2020/11/15/moldova-how-the-diaspora-of-europe-s-poorest-nation-keeps-its-economy-afloat |access-date=3 August 2023 |website=[[Euronews]] |language=en |archive-date=3 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803180405/https://www.euronews.com/2020/11/15/moldova-how-the-diaspora-of-europe-s-poorest-nation-keeps-its-economy-afloat |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=17 May 2023 |title=Moldova: unleashing diaspora potential |url=https://www.mieux-initiative.eu/en/news-events/news/313-moldova-unlocking-diaspora-potential#:~:text=Furthermore%2C%20Moldova%20has%20some%20of,high%20priority%20for%20the%20government. |access-date=3 August 2023 |website=Mieux Initiative |archive-date=2 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230802105259/https://www.mieux-initiative.eu/en/news-events/news/313-moldova-unlocking-diaspora-potential#:~:text=Furthermore%2C%20Moldova%20has%20some%20of,high%20priority%20for%20the%20government. |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Moldovan economy is still heavily reliant on their remittance payments. Moldovans are found across the [[Balkans|Balkan]] region, Western Europe, and North America. Among the most notable Moldovan [[diaspora]] populations are: 285,000 in [[Romania]] (2020), 258,600 in [[Ukraine]] (2002) 156,400 in Russia (2010), 188,923 in Italy (2019), 122,000 in Germany (2022), 26,300 in France (2019), and 20,470 in Canada (2021).

Current trends indicate that the population of Moldova will continue to fall with emigration remaining both chronic and higher than immigration or natural birth rates. In 2020, net emigration fell to a low of 7,000 {{Clarify|reason=Shouldn't there be some mention of the impact of the worldwide pandemic in 2020 on emigration numbers?|date=January 2025}}, but by 2022, 43,000 more people left the country than came, though this is slightly down from net emigration of 45,000 in 2021. [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russia's invasion]] of neighbouring Ukraine and the economic impact on Moldova may have been a key contributing factor in the rise from 2020 to 2022. However, there are indications that the invasion of Ukraine and the country's moves towards [[Accession of Moldova to the European Union|accession to the European Union]] may have led to a rise in the number of Moldovan emigrants returning to their country of birth, seeking to help the country join the EU.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Ceapai |first1=Alla |last2=Jankowiak |first2=Celine |date=31 May 2023 |title=Returning Young Moldovan Diaspora Powers EU Membership Dream |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/returning-young-moldovan-diaspora-powers-eu-membership-dream-ac5f9935 |access-date=3 August 2023 |website=[[Barron's (newspaper)|Barron's]] |language=en-US |archive-date=3 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803180409/https://www.barrons.com/news/returning-young-moldovan-diaspora-powers-eu-membership-dream-ac5f9935 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Moldovan diaspora also had significant influence on recent Moldovan elections, voting overwhelmingly for [[Maia Sandu]] as president in [[2020 Moldovan presidential election|2020]] and for her [[Party of Action and Solidarity]] in the [[2021 Moldovan parliamentary election|2021 parliamentary election]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wemer |first=David |date=4 December 2020 |title=Moldova's diaspora flexes its political muscles |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/moldovas-diaspora-flexes-its-political-muscles/ |access-date=3 August 2023 |website=[[Atlantic Council]] |language=en-US |archive-date=3 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803180406/https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/moldovas-diaspora-flexes-its-political-muscles/ |url-status=live }}</ref>