The aging challenge in Moldova is pressing. The average age is rising at a much more rapid rate
in Moldova than in neighboring countries, and the size of the population is shrinking (figure O.1).
The demographic trends are driven by three factors: low fertility, high net emigration, and low life
expectancy. Moreover, the risks to well-being are many and diverse among the elderly. For instance,
Moldova is one of the few countries in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region where the elderly
are poorer than the average population. In addition, the elderly in rural areas are at particularly high
risk of poverty, and have lower access to basic services.
The objective of the report is, first, to explore
the situation of Moldova's older population
in relation to their right to economic security
and, second, create knowledge that can
inform policy options to guarantee an
adequate standard of living for current and
future cohorts of the elderly. This report
applies a human rights rights–based approach by
focusing on a population group that is facing
critical and increasing challenges to maintaining
an adequate living standard, and by providing
strong evidence-based analysis to increase the
ability and accountability of individuals and
institutions that are responsible for respecting,
protecting, and fulfilling the rights of the older
population. Demographic trends in Moldova
make the task of recognizing older people’s
human rights even more crucial.
The report outlines the international and national legal and regulatory context supporting the rights
and entitlements of the elderly and, while other areas must also be kept in mind for the overall agenda
on human rights in Moldova, it focuses the diagnostic on three that are critical for the economic
security of the elderly: the right to health, the right to work, and the right to social security. Although
the report places the discussion on the overall demographic context of the country, it does not delve
into issues critical to the aging agenda but outside of its scope, such as the growth and productivity
impact of aging