This year, the admission rate is expected to be higher than in previous years. The young people’s inclination to go to studies, either high school or university, is much greater than it was in the past. Seven years ago, only 32% of the young people in the Republic of Moldova were studying somewhere. Now the figure stands at 42%. Almost half of the young people who have not migrated decide to go to school. The data were presented by Veaceslav Ionita, an expert in economic policies of the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives “Viitorul”, in the program “Economic Analysis with Veaceslav Ionita”, IPN reports.
In the 2019/2020 study year, 13,600 people enrolled in the college. In 2024/2025, the figure is expected to rise to 14,500t. As many as 34,600 young people enrolled in the college in 2005/2006, 21,200 - in 2010/2011, and 17,700 – in 2015/2016.
According to Veaceslav Ionita, the number of foreign students who come to study in the Republic of Moldova increases every year. In the 2001/2002 school year, 2,505 people came, and in 2023/2024 – 5,217. “Data from 2023/2024 show that 51.7% were from Romania, 21.1% - from India, 10.3% -from Israel, 7.5% - from Ukraine, 2.3% - from the Russian Federation, 0.8% - from the U.S., 0.7% - from Turkey; 0.6% – from Nigeria and Azerbaijan, 0.4% – from China; 4% - from other states. The top three countries account for 83.1% of the total number. The number of students from India has increased in recent years. Those from Israel, unfortunately, have decreased in number, while those from Ukraine were lost, but we earlier had many of them. Now we had a higher number because of the war in their country. But, slowly, we are losing them too,” stated the expert.
He noted that the women have a greater inclination to learn than the men. In 2023/2024, 37.6% of the women and 28% of men went to school.
Analyzing the young people aged 19-23, Veaceslav Ioniță said that in 2023 these represented 188,000 and 111,000 of them were in the country, while 77,000 were abroad. The expert forecasts that in 2025, there will be 187,000 people, of whom 102,000 – in the country, and 85,000 – abroad. “The Republic of Moldova had the highest birth rate in 1985-1990. After that, this rate collapsed due to the migration of the people. Births in the Republic of Moldova have stabilized at the lower limit. In the next 2-3 years, more than half of the young Moldovans of university age will be abroad. This will be a pressure for our universities,” warned Veaceslav Ionita.
