Administrative divisions of Moldova


According to the Moldovan law on territorial administrative organisation, Moldova is divided administratively into the following administrative territorial units: districts, cities/towns and villages. The administrative territorial organization of Moldova is made on 2 levels:
  1. villages, sectors and cities/towns constitute the first level,
  2. districts, Chișinău municipality, Bălți municipality and Bender municipality constitute the second level.
Two or more villages can form together a commune.
Currently, Moldova is divided into the following first-tier units, which include 32 districts:
  1. Anenii Noi
  2. Basarabeasca
  3. Briceni
  4. Cahul
  5. Cantemir
  6. Călărași
  7. Căușeni
  8. Cimișlia
  10. Criuleni
  11. Dondușeni
  12. Drochia
  13. Dubăsari
  14. Edineț
  15. Fălești
  16. Florești
  17. Glodeni
  19. Hîncești
  20. Ialoveni
  21. Leova
  22. Nisporeni
  23. Ocnița
  24. Orhei
  25. Rezina
  26. Rîșcani
  28. Sîngerei
  29. Soroca
  30. Strășeni
  31. Șoldănești
  32. Ștefan Vodă
  33. Taraclia
  34. Telenești
  35. Ungheni
three municipalities:
  1. Chișinău
  3. Bălți
  5. Bender
two autonomous territorial units:
  1. Gagauzia
  2. Transnistria
The final status of the latter has not been settled yet, as the region, such as defined administratively, in fact is not under the control of Moldovan authorities. The cities of Comrat and Tiraspol also have municipality status, but are not among first-tier units of Moldova; they are the seats of Gagauzia and Transnistria, respectively. Besides Chișinău, Bălți, Bender, Comrat, and Tiraspol, on 13 April 2017 eight more became municipalities: Cahul, Ceadîr-Lunga, Edineț, Hîncești, Orhei, Soroca, Strășeni, and Ungheni.

Localities

Moldova has a total of 1,682 localities; from these 982 are incorporated, including 53 cities/towns, other 13 cities with municipality status, and 916 rural localities. They cover the entire area of the country. A number of villages are self-governed, while others 700 villages are too small to have a separate administration, and are part of either cities/towns/municipalities or communes. Few localities are inhabited.

Current divisions

In the administrative-territorial structure of Moldova are 898 first level administrative territorial units.
The status of Chișinău, Bălți, and Bender as municipalities and first-level territorial units of the country allows their suburb villages to have, when large enough, their own mayor and local council. By contrast, the villages that are administratively part of the other cities do not retain self-rule.
Name of districtDistrict seatPresidentArea
Population Population
density		Towns/
villages
Anenii NoiAnenii NoiVladimir Vâzdoagă89283,10093.245
BasarabeascaBasarabeascaIlie Cernăuțan29529,20099.010
BriceniBriceniEfimia Bendulac81475,30092.539
CahulCahulAvram Micinschi1,546124,80080.756
CantemirCantemirIon Balan87062,80072.251
CălărașiCălărașiIlie Rău75378,800104.654
CăușeniCăușeniIlie Gluh1,16392,30079.348
CimișliaCimișliaIon Veveriță92361,70066.839
CriuleniCriuleniVitalie Rotaru68873,100106.243
DondușeniDondușeniAnastasie Pavlov64545,10070.030
DrochiaDrochiaAndrei Marian1,00090,10090.140
DubăsariDubăsariGrigore Policinschi30935,200113.915
EdinețEdinețOleg Scutaru93382,90088.949
FăleștiFăleștiValeriu Muduc1,07392,60086.376
FloreștiFloreștiȘtefan Paniș1,10890,00081.274
GlodeniGlodeniValeriu Țarigradschi75461,90082.135
HînceștiHînceștiGrigore Cobzac1,484122,00082.263
IaloveniIaloveniNicolae Andronache78399,100126.534
LeovaLeovaEfrosinia Grețu77553,80069.439
NisporeniNisporeniVasile Bîtcă63066,800106.039
OcnițaOcnițaIon Tomai59756,10094.033
OrheiOrheiIon Ștefârță1,228125,900102.575
RezinaRezinaEleonora Graur62152,60084.741
RîșcaniRîșcaniIon Parea93670,00074.855
SîngereiSîngereiGheorghe Meaun1,03393,40090.470
SorocaSorocaMircea Martîniuc1,043100,40096.368
StrășeniStrășeniPetru Voloșciuc73091,300125.139
ȘoldăneștiȘoldăneștiAlexandru Relițchi59843,30072.433
Ștefan VodăȘtefan VodăVasile Buzu99871,90072.026
TaracliaTaracliaVasile Plagov67444,20065.626
TeleneștiTeleneștiBoris Burcă84974,20087.454
UngheniUngheniIurie Toma1,083117,400108.474

MunicipalityMayorArea
Population Population
density		Towns/
villages
ChișinăuDorin Chirtoacă635789,5001243.335
BălțiRenato Usatîi78148,9001909.03
BenderYuriy Gervachuk97101,0001041.22

Name of autonomyAutonomy SeatLeaderArea
Population Population
density		Towns/
villages
GăgăuziaComratIrina Vlah1,832160,70087.735
TransnistriaTiraspolVadim Krasnoselsky4,163518,700124.6147

Population

There are 147 settlement names shared by multiple localities in Moldova. Most notable cases includes these:

Counties (1998-2003)

Between 1998 and February 2003, Moldova was divided into 12 territorial units, including 1 municipality, 1 autonomous territorial unit, 1 territorial unit, and 9 counties :
  1. Chișinău municipality, surrounded by Chișinău county, but different from it
  2. Bălți County
  3. Cahul County
  4. Chișinău County
  5. Edineț County
  6. Lăpușna County
  7. Orhei County
  8. Soroca County
  9. Tighina County
  10. Ungheni County
  11. Găgăuzia, autonomous territorial unit
  12. Stânga Nistrului, territorial unit
In October 1999, Taraclia County was split out from the Cahul County; it coincides with the current Taraclia District.

Cities and districts (1991-1998)

Between 1991-1998, Moldova was divided into 10 cities and 40 districts:
;Cities
;Districts