Population and housing census in Moldova: most common difficulties reported by citizens vision, mobility, hearing impairments

The most common difficulties in performing daily activities, reported by citizens in the Population and Housing Census, are vision and mobility impairments with rates of 29.6 and 19.6 per cent, respectively, among the population aged five years and older. They are followed by hearing impairments and difficulties in memory or concentration. The National Bureau of Statistics (BNS) unveiled data to this effect today.

According to the quoted source, the ratio of people who reported severe difficulties or total incapacity in at least one of the four functionality domains was 12.8 per cent.

Thus, people in villages face greater challenges with mobility and memory. The difference remains, though somewhat lesser, in the case of vision and hearing impairments.

At the same time, women face greater difficulties with vision, mobility, memory, and hearing compared to men.

BNS data also shows that the rates of all types of difficulties in performing daily activities, such as vision, hearing, mobility and memory/concentration, increase sharply, especially after the age of 60.

Moreover, almost eight out of ten people aged 90 and over have severe difficulties or a complete inability to carry out daily activities.

The census’ results also highlight that 1,436,600 people (or 63.2 per cent) reported that they did not face difficulties in any of the aforementioned areas.

BNS director Oleg Cara said that, during the 2024 census, data regarding functional difficulties in performing daily activities had been collected according to the concise set of questions recommended by the Washington Group for disability statistics and in line with the recommendations of the UN Economic Commission for Europe for population and housing censuses.

“The collected data is not just numbers; it's information about access, participation, opportunities and also barriers. It aims to guide the development of services and infrastructure, in order to remove these barriers and ensure that no one is left behind, but the social inclusion for all people is ensured,” said Oleg Cara.

Resident Representative of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Moldova Karina Nersesyan expressed hope that the use of census data would help improve the quality of life for all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups.

The Population and Housing Census was conducted during April 8-July 7, 2024. During this exercise, about 2.4 million people, including those with habitual residence as well as those without habitual residence in Moldova, were surveyed.

The census takes place once every ten years, being a large-scale national activity that provides a full demographic picture of the country. The data collected from the census will provide information for the development of public policies, both national and local, necessary for the economic and social development of the country.