The article was written by Matei Mâtcu, doctor of geography, ASEM
Our ancestors inhabited the land between the Prut and the Dniester long before the birth of Christ. They were sedentary people, engaged in hunting, farming and animal husbandry since prehistoric times, dug wells, built fortified houses and villages, faced epidemics and countless invasions of various nomadic tribes. They worked and multiplied. Demography was sporadically reflected in the statistics of the time, starting with the two censuses in feudal Moldavia in 1772-1774.
But more precise data regarding the size, distribution and structure of the population on our lands can be found in various statistical sources and scientific studies with historical, geographical, economic character only in the twentieth century. XIX, when the first censuses of the population with modern characteristics appear in the Romanian space (1838,1859-1860).
The population is the main wealth of a nation. Its number is the result of two components: the natural movement, respectively the evolution in time of births and deaths and the migratory movement (emigration and immigration) which can determine the decrease or increase of the population. The changes that appear in the dynamics of the population of a country represent the result of four elements: on the one hand, births and immigrants, which contribute to the increase of the population, and on the other hand, deaths and emigrants, which lead to a decrease in its number. .
The dynamics of the number of inhabitants of a territory is influenced by several factors: natural, economic, historical, political, etc. The natural conditions of today's territory of the Republic of Moldova, being favourable in all its components, was a factor that stimulated the process of populating the territory at all times.
About the population dynamics of our territory during the sec. XIX and until the forties of the sec. XX we can judge only based on the information reflected in the historical and geographical literature, which refers to the territory of Bessarabia, which included for the most part the current territory of the Republic of Moldova.
According to calculations published by various authors, by the year of the annexation of Bessarabia to Russia (1812), its population was about 256 thousand inhabitants, and by the middle of the century. XIX this index increased to 911 thousand. More precise data about the population of this land are contained in the material of the only general census of the population of Bessarabia, conducted by the Russian administration in 1897. According to it, the total population of the province was 1,935.4 thousand inhabitants, of which 85 per cent the rural population and 15 per cent the urban population.
During over 100 years of Russian rule, the population of Bessarabia increased approximately 10 times, while the proportion of the population of Bessarabian Romanians decreased from over 80% of the total to only 47.6%. This phenomenon has a fairly simple explanation in the fact that during the same period the governments of imperial Russia colonized Bessarabia with 30 Bulgarian villages, 27 villages with German population (in Bugeac), 16 Jewish villages, 11 Russian and Cossack villages, 2 Gypsy villages and 7 Swiss villages, a total of 124 villages.
Starting from the census of 1897 and beyond, until the outbreak of the First World War, the calculation of the population of Bessarabia was done only by simply adding the natural increase of the population, ignoring the role of the migratory movement, which took place quite intensely in the province.
After the act of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania (1918), in the absence of reliable statistics, different authors used their estimates, indicating that the total population of Bessarabia this year would be 2.6-2.8 million. residents.
During the first decade after the Union, the natural increase of the rural population in Bessarabia evolved in different proportions. Therefore, the natural balance of the rural population in the province during the years 1919-1926 was about 280 thousand inhabitants, while the urban population in the same period increased by only 20.5 thousand inhabitants. The same increased natural surplus of the rural population has been maintained over the next decade. Thus, in 1931 the rate of natural increase of the rural population in Bessarabia was 15.8 per thousand (per thousand inhabitants), in 1932 - 17.6 per thousand, in 1933 - 18.7 per thousand. At the same time, this increase was achieved in conditions where the birth rate showed a significant decrease, and the general mortality had a very small tendency to decrease.
Quite high rates of natural surplus have ensured a stable numerical increase in the rural population between the two world wars. Thus, the rural population of Bessarabia constituted according to the data of the 1897 census, 1,642,080 inhabitants or 84.5% of the total population, and to the census of 29 Dec. 1930 it increased to 2,493,431 inhabitants or 87.1% of the total population. According to the 1930 census, the share of the rural population in the total population fluctuated in the counties of Bessarabia within the limits of 73.8% in Ismail County and 90.6% in Cahul County.
The high growth rate of the rural population was maintained in the following years, reaching in 1941 the share of 91.9% of the total population. And in some counties, the share of the rural population was much higher than the average indicated. Thus, in Orhei County, the rural population constituted 96.3% of the total population of the county, in Balti County - 96.6%, in Tighina County - 97.3%.
After the formation of the MSSR (June 28, 1940) the numerical evolution of the population was influenced by several factors, such as:
the huge human losses caused by the Second World War; organized famine, Stalinist deportations and reprisals from 1940-1950;
the relatively high natural increase of the population in the first decades of the post-war period;
the massive immigration of the population from the space of the former union republics.
According to the data published by historical scholars (Ion Ţurcanu, 1993), the total human losses from this period constituted in the republic approximately 750 thousand people. All these human losses directly influenced the demographic processes in the period that followed. The further increase in the number of the population took place, to a large extent, due to the rather high migratory increase in the ex-Soviet space. This process was usually encouraged by the state authorities of the republic.
From 1950 until the year of the first census of the population in the MSSR - 1959 “the shoulder of the population evolved from 2.3 to 2.9 million, ie there was an increase of 29.6%. But the annual average increase in the number of inhabitants differed by water. For example, during the years 1950-1960, this index was 68 thousand people, in 1960-1970 - 60 thousand, and in 1970-1990 - 40 thousand. The maximum value of the population in this period was reached in 1991 when 4,366.3 thousand people were registered.
Since 1992, the number of the population has been decreasing, which is caused by the continuous decrease of the natural increase and the presence of a negative migratory balance. This demographic process is a consequence of the economic crisis, which has erected all spheres of life in society.
In the years 1990-1995 the decrease of the population number was insignificant constituting 13.7 thousand inhabitants or on average per year 2.7-2.8 thousand inhabitants. Since the beginning of 2000, the population has been continuously decreasing, from 3,643.5 thousand to 3581.1 thousand in 20071. So in the indicated period, it decreased by 62.4 thousand inhabitants on average by 10.4 thousand annually. The population has evolved differently in rural and rural areas. In the 40 years after the war (1950-1990) the number of the Uranian population increased from 387.8 thousand to 2,069.3 thousand or 5.3 times. The maximum value of this indicator was reached in 1991, after a rather rude decline. The relatively large increase in the urban population in the period is the result of both the internal migration of the population from the village to the city and the external one, from the former Soviet republics.
The largest increase in the rural population was recorded in the first Chechen period of this period (1950-1960) when the population increased the most - by 19.7%. From 1960 to 1970 this increase slowed to 7.1%, and from 1970 to 1980 - 2.3%.
During the years 1975-1995, the character of the evolution of the rural population changed in the direction of the decrease of this indicator. During the indicated period, the rural population decreased by 134.2 thousand inhabitants or by 5.4%.
And after 1995 there is a steady decline in this indicator. Thus, during the years 1995-2007, the number of rural population decreased by 211.8 thousand or about 10%.
Throughout the post-war period (1950-2008) the share of the rural population in the total population decreased from 83% to 58.7%.
The decrease in the last decades of the number of the rural population is determined by:
- the essential reduction of the indicators of the natural balance of the population;
- the intensification of the migratory process from the village to the city, and in the last decade the massive emigrations of the rural population abroad;
- some administrative transformations from the left bank of the Dniester and Bender municipality (Tighina).
- some administrative transformations in the rural area related to the granting of some villages the status of urban settlement.
The increase or decrease of the population over a period of time depends, first of all, on such demographic phenomena as births and mortality. The relative value of these indicators represents the number of those born or those who died, calculated per 1,000 inhabitants and is expressed in promils. The respective indicators are influenced by several factors: the level of economic development, the type of production relations, the material well-being of the population, the level of development of health care, the traditions inherited from the past and the way of life of the population.
In the first half of the twentieth century, the indicator of the birth rate of the population in Bessarabia was relatively high, constituting about 35-40%. This trend was maintained in the first decade of the postwar period. Thus, in 1950 the birth rate reached a share of 38.9%, being the highest in the former Soviet Union, and among European countries, it was equal to that of Albania. During the years 1950-1980, there is a sudden reduction of this index from 38.9% to 20.0%. In the next decade (1980-1990) there is a certain stability of this indicator, being in the limits of 17.7-19.4% o. And in the period that followed, there was a sharp decline in that index from 17.1% in 1990 to 10.5% in 2007. After 1990, the number of live births began to decline rapidly. to 77.1 thousand in 1990 to 56.4 thousand in 1995 and 36.9 thousand in 2000. in 2006 this indicator was 37.6 thousand live births.
At the beginning of the fifties of the twentieth century, the mortality rate was 11.6% in rural areas and 9.8% in urban areas. Over the next decade, this indicator began to decline as a result of the improvement in the material situation and medical care, reaching the limit of 6.4-6.6%. But after the eighties the given indicator increases again, reaching in 2006 the value of 1950. This demographic phenomenon is conditioned by the economic crisis triggered in the last 17 years, which has as a consequence the sudden decrease of the living standard of the population.
A demographic indicator, widely used to determine the standard of living of the population, is the average life expectancy at birth, also called the average life expectancy. During the years 1959-2005, this indicator ranged between 64.1 and 68.9 years. in 2006 the average life expectancy of the population in the republic was 67.4 years, ring. 72.2 for women and 64.6 years for men.
The structure of the population depends on the evolution of demographic phenomena and the level of socio-economic development. One of the most important structures is the structure by sex and age, which is important in that it is related to the main demographic phenomena (birth rate, mortality, fertility), which in turn change with age. The analysis of data from the last decade attests to the predominance of females, as well as the maintenance of a stable gender ratio (48.1% males, 51.9% - females (2007). At the same time, there is a small gap between the male population and female in both environments. This gap is more pronounced in urban areas.
In the post-war period, the Republic of Moldova was characterized by an obvious disproportion in the gender structure of the population, first of all, as a result of the human losses during the years of the Second World War. At the same time, they are explained by the greater longevity of the life of the female population.
At present, the age structure of the population shows a tendency to reduce the number of the population under the age of 15 and an increase of the index, respectively of the mature population. According to 2007 statistics, children and adolescents (0-15 years old) accounted for 19.9% of the total population, the population aged 16-56 (women) and 16-61 (men) - 65.4%, and the one over 57-62 years old - 14.7%. Currently, the elderly population of the republic is approaching the limit of 16%, which shows the accentuation of the ageing process of the population.
There are some differences in the age structure of the urban and rural population. In rural areas, a higher share of the population up to 19 years of age is observed, which is caused by a higher birth rate over several years. in the urban environment is higher the share of the population aged 20-49 years, ie the most active part of the human labour force, which is explained by the migration of large proportions of young people from the village to the city during several decades of the postwar period.
In the last 2 decades, the aging process of the population is more and more manifested, the main cause of this phenomenon being the reduction of fertility, the decrease of mortality and the increase of the average life expectancy. In the world context, our republic, with a share of people over 60 years of age and in the total population of about 14%, occupies an average position, and in the European context, it is among the countries with low levels of aging. In regional profile this indicator is higher in the northern areas of the republic.
The age structure of the population will change significantly starting with the years 2010-2015, when the working age generations will enter the period born between 1995-2000, years with a very low birth rate indicator. At the same time, the numerous generations from 1950-1955 will enter the retirement age, years which are characterized by the highest birth rate in the post-war period. This will lead to a sharp decrease in the number and share of the able-bodied population, on the one hand, and to a rapid increase in the number and share of the elderly population, on the other.
In the last 2 decades, the ageing process of the population is manifesting more and more, the main cause of this phenomenon being the reduction of fertility, the decrease of mortality and the increase of the average life expectancy. In the world context, our republic, with a share of people over 60 years of age and in the total population of about 14%, occupies an average position, and in the European context, it is among the countries with low levels of ageing. In the regional profile, this indicator is higher in the northern districts of the republic.
The age structure of the population will change significantly starting with the years 2010-2015 when the working-age generations will enter the period born between 1995-2000, years with a very low birth rate indicator. At the same time, the numerous generations from 1950-1955 will enter the retirement age, years which are characterized by the highest birth rate in the post-war period. This will lead to a sharp decline in the number and share of the able-bodied population, on the one hand, and a rapid increase in the number and share of the elderly population, on the other.
During the years 1990-2000, the main partners of the Republic of Moldova in migration relations were Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan. About half of the total number of immigrants (47% of the total) came from Russia.
During the years 1997-2007, the number of emigrants abroad ranged from 4.7 to 7.3 thousand people. Most departures in 2006 targeted Russia with 43.2% of the total number of emigrants and Ukraine with 35.1%. Among the other countries in the respective indicator are highlighted USA (0.9%), Germany (0.4%), Israel (0.3%).
From the category of emigrant population in the Republic of Moldova, most of them refer to migrants admitted for work with numerous subcategories: seasonal migrants, temporary migrants, contract workers. A special category forms highly qualified migrants often called the "migrant elite". This category refers to scientific researchers, doctors, engineers, pedagogues, people of culture and art.
The number of immigrants arriving in the country was significantly lower than the number of emigrants, during the years 1997-2007 the number of arrivals varied in the limits from 1,293 to 1,968. In 2006, the number of immigrants in the Republic of Moldova was 3.4 times lower than that of emigrants. The purpose of the incoming population was: education, work and family immigration.
The illegal migration (or clandestine) caused by the onset of the economic crisis during the transition period has become quite large in the last decade. According to approximate estimates, this indicator has constituted 600-800 thousand people in recent years.
The Republic of Moldova has become a migrant country, with every third person of working age being involved in labour migration. The exodus of young women and girls has taken on extremely large proportions, which could have catastrophic consequences for the family, the health of the population and the education of children.
Human settlements. The network of human settlements of the Republic of Moldova consists of 65 cities (including 5 municipalities: Chisinau, Balti, Tighina, Tiraspol, Comrat) and 1,614 rural settlements united administratively in 917 municipalities. Of the total number of villages, 39 are included in the composition of cities (municipalities). Under the influence of natural, historical and economic factors, the network of rural settlements of the republic has acquired such specific features as a dense network of localities (5 villages per 100 km2), high population density, relatively uniform distribution of villages throughout the territory and predominance of rural settlements.
Out of the total number of villages, 64 have a population of more than 5 thousand inhabitants each. Some of these settlements are approaching the limit of 10 thousand inhabitants: Copceac (UTA Gagauzia) - 9.5 thousand inhabitants, Carpineni (Hincesti) - 9.5 thousand, and 2 rural settlements in the republic exceed the limit of 10 thousand inhabitants: Congaz (ATU Gagauzia) - 12.3 thousand and Costesti (Ialoveni) - 11.1 thousand.
The demographic size of rural settlements differs greatly. At the beginning of 2007, the average size of a rural settlement was 1,438 inhabitants, and of a commune respectively - 2,529. A specific feature of the rural network of the Republic of Moldova is that the majority of the population is concentrated in large villages. Thus, over 60% of the rural population is concentrated in villages with a size of over 2,000 people, while in small villages with a population of fewer than 500 people live only 4.4% of the rural population.
A problem facing the rural environment at the present stage is related to the development of the social infrastructure of the village. A rather unfavourable situation has arisen in small villages without social, cultural and service institutions.
The development of cities on the current territory of the Republic of Moldova revived in the second half. a sec. XIX in connection with the emergence and development of railway transport. But the urban network evaluated at a faster pace during the twentieth century, especially in the second half. of the century, with the development of the industry. Most of them are due to the construction of canning, winemaking and sugar companies. Among the urban settlements, decreed in the post-war period, we can mention the town. Causeni, Cupcini, Donduseni, Ghindesti, Glodeni, Nisporeni, Straseni, Vulcanesti and others. a.
During 1959-2007 there were changes, in the groups of cities the number of small towns (with a population of up to 5 thousand inhabitants) and the medium ones with a population within the limit of 10-20 thousand inhabitants increased.
Source of information: Localities of the Republic of Moldova, volume 9, volumen 9: N-O, pages: 9-18.
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