Moldova is divided administratively into two levels:
Localities
Moldova has a total of 1,682 localities; from these 982 are incorporated (de jure with 982 mayors and 982 local councils), including 53 cities/towns, other 13 cities with municipality status (see municipiu), 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 (41 of them) or communes (659). Few localities are inhabited.
Current divisions
In the administrative-territorial structure of Moldova are 898 second-level administrative territorial units (cities/towns, sectors and villages/communes).
The status of ChiÃÂinÃÂu, BÃÂlÃÂi, and Tighina 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 (some of) the other cities do not retain self-rule.
- District-level municipalities (3):
- Autonomous territorial units (2):
ù Tighina and the Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester are under the control of the unrecognized separatist Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR, also known as Transnistria). There, Tighina is known as Bender.
Areas not under central government control
- Transnistria, which with the exception of six communes (comprising a total of ten localities) corresponds to the geographic part of Moldova situated to the east of the Dniestr (Romanian: Nistru) river, is de jure a part of Moldova, but in fact is governed by breakaway authorities (see also: War of Transnistria). The city of DubÃÂsari (geographically and administratively in Transnistria, and not in the DubÃÂsari District), and six communes (administratively in the DubÃÂsari District of Moldova, and not in the administrative definition of Transnistria), all controlled by the central authorities (except the village of Roghi in commune Molovata NouÃÂ, which is controlled by Tiraspol), form the northern part of the security zone set at the end of the war.
- Tighina municipality (the city itself, plus the commune Proteagailovca), and three communes (five localities) of CÃÂuÃÂeni District (Gîsca, ChiÃÂcani, and Cremenciug) are de facto controlled by the breakaway regime of Transnistria. Together with the commune VarniÃÂa of Anenii Noi District and the commune Copanca of CÃÂuÃÂeni District under Moldovan control, these localities form the southern part of the security zone set at the end of the war. The city of Tighina has both a Moldovan police force (mostly symbolic) and a Transnistrian militsiya force (practically in charge in most instances). In Transnistria, Tighina is known as Bender.
Population
- The smallest entity electing a mayor is the commune of Salcia, in Taraclia District (population 182 in 2024).
- The largest entity is the municipality of ChiÃÂinÃÂu, electing a mayor for 720,128 inhabitants; the city of Chisinau itself has 567,038 inhabitants.
- As of 2025, Moldova has 893 level 1 local governments (UAT 1) following two voluntary amalgamations during 2025.
Duplicate names
There are 147 settlement names shared by multiple localities in Moldova. Most notable cases includes these:
- A town MÃÂrculeÃÂti, and a different commune MÃÂrculeÃÂti, both situated in the FloreÃÂti District
- A city DonduÃÂeni, and a different commune DonduÃÂeni, both situated in the DonduÃÂeni District
- A city Drochia, and a different commune Drochia, both situated in the Drochia District
- A town CosteÃÂti, in RîÃÂcani District, with a population of 2,247 (4,109 with 4 suburb villages), the 8th smallest city in Moldova, and a commune (village) CosteÃÂti, in Ialoveni District, population 11,128, the 2nd largest village in Moldova
- A town CorneÃÂti, in Ungheni District, and a different village CorneÃÂti in the same Ungheni District, and also a village CorneÃÂti in HînceÃÂti District
- etc.
Regions
The first-level units are grouped into three regions:
Northern Development Region
- BÃÂlÃÂi Municipality
- Briceni
- DonduÃÂeni
- Drochia
- EdineÃÂ
- FÃÂleÃÂti
- FloreÃÂti
- Glodeni
- OcniÃÂa
- RîÃÂcani
- Sîngerei
- Soroca
Central Development Region
- <li value=13> ChiÃÂinÃÂu Municipality
- Anenii Noi
- CÃÂlÃÂraÃÂi
- Criuleni
- DubÃÂsari
- HînceÃÂti
- Ialoveni
- Nisporeni
- Orhei
- Rezina
- ÃÂoldÃÂneÃÂti
- StrÃÂÃÂeni
- Tighina Municipality
- TeleneÃÂti
- Ungheni
Southern Development Region
- <li value=28> Basarabeasca
- Cahul
- Cantemir
- CÃÂuÃÂeni
- CimiÃÂlia
- Leova
- ÃÂtefan VodÃÂ
- Taraclia
- Gagauzia
Previous divisions
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 (Romanian: judeÃÂe; seats in brackets):
- ChiÃÂinÃÂu municipality, surrounded by ChiÃÂinÃÂu county, but different from it
- BÃÂlÃÂi County (BÃÂlÃÂi)
- Cahul County (Cahul)
- ChiÃÂinÃÂu County (ChiÃÂinÃÂu)
- EdineÃÂ County (EdineÃÂ)
- LÃÂpuÃÂna County (HînceÃÂti)
- Orhei County (Orhei)
- Soroca County (Soroca)
- Tighina County (Moldova) (CÃÂuÃÂeni)
- Ungheni County (Ungheni)
- GÃÂgÃÂuzia, autonomous territorial unit (Comrat)
- Left Bank of the Dniester, territorial unit (Tiraspol)
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 and 1998, Moldova was divided into 10 cities and 40 districts:
Cities
Districts
- Anenii Noi
- Basarabeasca
- Brinceni
- Cahul
- Camenca
- Cantemir
- CÃÂinari
- CÃÂlÃÂraÃÂi
- CÃÂuÃÂeni
- Ceadîr-Lunga
- CimiÃÂlia
- Comrat
- Criuleni
- DonduÃÂeni
- Drochia
- DubÃÂsari
- EdineÃÂ
- FÃÂleÃÂti
- FloreÃÂti
- Glodeni
- Grigoriopol
- HînceÃÂti
- Ialoveni
- Leova
- Nisporeni
- OcniÃÂa
- Orhei
- Rezina
- RîbniÃÂa
- RîÃÂcani
- Sîngerei
- Slobozia
- Soroca
- StrÃÂÃÂeni
- ÃÂoldÃÂneÃÂti
- ÃÂtefan VodÃÂ
- Taraclia
- TeleneÃÂti
- Ungheni
- VulcÃÂneÃÂti
2017 expansion
Besides ChiÃÂinÃÂu, BÃÂlÃÂi, Tighina, Comrat, and Tiraspol, on 13 April 2017 eight more became municipalities: Cahul, Ceadîr-Lunga, EdineÃÂ, HînceÃÂti, Orhei, Soroca, StrÃÂÃÂeni, and Ungheni.
See also
- , ISO subdivision codes for Moldova
References
External links