OREANDA-NEWS. January 06, 2015. As many as 2,913,281 residents were recorded at the population census taken on 12-25 May 2014. About 330,000 of these people are abroad. These are the preliminary outcomes of the Population and Housing Census in Moldova, unveiled by the National Statistics Bureau (BNS).

The census of as many as 995,227 persons was taken in towns and cities, and 1,918,054 in villages. Thus, the rural population, accounting for 65.8 per cent of all the residents, prevails over the urban one with 34.2 per cent. The masculinity ratio stands at 94 men per 100 women in Moldova. The population's distribution in regions shows that 62 per cent of the citizens live in northern and central Moldova.

Grouped according to the number of residents, for whom the census was taken, seven districts registered less than 50,000 residents each, 21 districts have a population ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 residents each and only four districts and the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia exceeded 100,000 residents each. As much as 20.5 per cent of all the 2.913 million people live in the Chisinau and Balti municipalities.   

The preliminary results of the census also show that no person was recorded in eight settlements from seven districts. At the same time, 17.1 per cent of the dwellings, for which the census was taken, are unoccupied.