Housing stock of Chisinau municipality: Almost 88,000 homes are unoccupied according to the Census

Nearly 88,000 residential properties in the Municipality of Chisinau are not permanently occupied. More than 10,000 apartments do not have a private kitchen, around 7,500 lack a bathroom or shower, while over 160,000 homes currently occupied by Chisinau residents were built between 1961 and 1990. These are just some of the most striking findings revealed by the final results of the 2024 Population and Housing Census.

The data published by the National Bureau of Statistics provides the most comprehensive overview of Chisinau's housing stock ever available. For the first time, it offers a complete picture not only of the number of dwellings, but also of occupancy levels, the age of the housing stock, housing quality, access to utilities, and the amount of living space available per resident.

Nearly 390,000 Residential Properties in Chisinau

According to official statistics, the Municipality of Chisinau has 390,290 residential properties, including:

311,077 apartments (79.7%)
79,213 detached and terraced houses (20.3%)

These figures confirm that Chisinau remains a city dominated by multi-family housing, with almost four out of every five residential properties being apartments.

Nearly One Quarter of the Housing Stock Is Not Permanently Occupied

Out of the 311,077 apartments, 242,381 are permanently occupied, representing 77.9% of the total apartment stock. The remaining 68,696 apartments (22.1%) were not used as permanent residences at the time of the census.

A similar situation can be observed for detached and terraced houses. Out of 79,213 houses, 59,533 (75.2%) are permanently occupied, while 19,680 houses (24.8%) had no permanent residents.

Overall, 301,914 residential properties in the Municipality of Chisinau are permanently occupied. This means that nearly 88,000 homes, or approximately 23% of the city's entire housing stock, were not occupied on a permanent basis when the census was conducted.

It is important to note that the census identifies whether a dwelling is permanently occupied but does not explain why it is vacant. A property may be used as a seasonal residence, be under renovation, belong to Moldovans living abroad, or simply be held as an investment asset.

The Age of Chisinau's Housing Stock

The census also provides valuable insight into the age of the homes where Chisinau residents currently live.

Of the 301,914 permanently occupied dwellings:

30,060 (10.0%) were built before 1960;
160,426 (53.1%) were built between 1961 and 1990;
111,428 (36.9%) were built after 1991.

These figures clearly show that Chisinau's housing stock is still largely dominated by homes built during the 1961–1990 period, accounting for more than half of all permanently occupied dwellings.

Construction Period of Apartment Buildings

Among the 242,381 permanently occupied apartments:

14,481 (6.0%) were built before 1960;
142,890 (59.0%) were built between 1961 and 1990;
85,010 (35.1%) were built after 1991.

In practical terms, nearly two-thirds of all occupied apartments in Chisinau (65%) are located in buildings constructed before 1991. This confirms that the city's residential market continues to rely heavily on apartment blocks built during the Soviet era.

Construction Period of Detached and Terraced Houses

Among the 59,533 permanently occupied detached and terraced houses:

15,579 (26.2%) were built before 1960;
17,536 (29.5%) were built between 1961 and 1990;
26,418 (44.4%) were built after 1991.

Unlike apartments, almost half of all permanently occupied houses were built after Moldova's independence. This reflects the rapid expansion of low-density residential developments and suburban housing over the past three decades.

Housing Comfort and Access to Urban Infrastructure

Access to public utilities is one of the most important indicators of housing quality. The 2024 Population and Housing Census reveals significant differences between apartments and detached houses in terms of access to urban infrastructure and overall living standards.

Utility Infrastructure in Apartment Buildings

Based on the 242,381 permanently occupied apartments, the data shows that the vast majority of apartment residents benefit from a high level of utility infrastructure.

Among permanently occupied apartments:

86.9% are connected to the public natural gas network;
68.0% are served by district heating;
31.3% rely on individual gas heating systems;
100% are connected to the public sewerage network;
97.3% have an indoor toilet;
96.9% have a bathroom or shower;
46.6% receive hot water from the public network;
49.4% use private water-heating systems;
95.8% have a private kitchen.

Nevertheless, the census also highlights that a significant number of apartments still lack basic sanitary facilities. In the Municipality of Chisinau:

6,625 apartments do not have an indoor toilet;
7,475 apartments lack a bathroom or shower;
10,157 apartments do not have a private kitchen.

Most of these dwellings are likely part of the older housing stock, located in buildings constructed before 1990, student dormitories, or other forms of collective housing.

Overall, the findings confirm that Chisinau's apartment stock offers a relatively high standard of living and excellent access to public infrastructure. At the same time, they underline the need for continued modernization of the city's oldest residential buildings.

Utility Infrastructure in Detached and Terraced Houses

The Municipality of Chisinau has 59,533 permanently occupied detached and terraced houses.

When measured against this housing stock, the availability of utilities is as follows:

80.9% are connected to the public natural gas network;
5.4% are connected to district heating;
56.9% use individual gas heating systems;
58.5% are connected to the public sewerage system;
33.6% rely on private sewerage systems;
approximately 4,000 houses have no sewerage system at all;
85.9% have an indoor toilet;
87.6% have a bathroom or shower;
7.8% receive hot water from the public network;
80.2% rely on private water-heating systems;
96.7% have a private kitchen.

The data clearly illustrates that homeowners are significantly more dependent on private investment than apartment residents. In many cases, homeowners have had to finance and build their own heating systems, water-heating installations, sewerage infrastructure, and even contribute to the construction or improvement of local roads and neighborhood infrastructure.

This represents one of the key urban development challenges facing Chisinau. Developing modern low-density residential neighborhoods with fully completed public infrastructure - including roads, water supply, sewerage, street lighting, public transport, and other essential utilities provided by local authorities - would make detached housing more attractive and affordable.

Over the long term, such an approach could diversify housing options, provide families with a viable alternative to apartment living, and reduce pressure on the apartment market by eliminating the need for homeowners to finance basic infrastructure themselves.

Conclusions

The 2024 Population and Housing Census reveals one of the most striking paradoxes of Chisinau's residential market. Nearly 88,000 residential properties are not permanently occupied, yet housing demand remains exceptionally strong. Internal migration continues to concentrate population and economic activity in the capital, while a significant share of Moldova's diaspora has invested in apartments in Chisinau - not only as a potential home for a future return or for temporary stays during visits to Moldova, but also as a means of preserving wealth in a country where accessible long-term investment opportunities remain limited.

At the same time, Chisinau continues to attract businesses, employment, education, healthcare, and investment, sustaining strong demand for residential property. As a result, the city faces an unusual market imbalance: despite tens of thousands of homes not being permanently occupied, apartment prices have reached an all-time high, according to the Acces Imobil Real Estate Index.

However, the census demonstrates that Chisinau's housing challenge is not simply a matter of supply. It is equally a question of housing quality, urban planning, and the structure of the existing housing stock.

More than 53% of all permanently occupied dwellings were built between 1961 and 1990, and many of these buildings require comprehensive renovation, energy-efficiency upgrades, modernization of engineering systems, and structural rehabilitation. At the same time, thousands of apartments still lack basic amenities such as an indoor toilet, bathroom, or private kitchen - conditions that are difficult to associate with a modern European capital.

Over the past three decades, residential development has largely focused on constructing new apartment buildings. In many cases, high-density residential projects have been added within existing neighborhoods or developed as large-scale high-rise complexes, while transport infrastructure, utilities, schools, kindergartens, parking facilities, and public spaces have expanded at a considerably slower pace. Another unresolved issue is the large number of residential buildings that remain unfinished or have not been officially commissioned for years, leaving thousands of families unable to move into homes they have already purchased.

The situation is equally challenging in low-density residential areas. Many homeowners have been forced to finance essential infrastructure themselves, including heating systems, water supply, sewerage networks, and, in many cases, even local roads. Had public authorities systematically developed modern residential neighborhoods with fully completed infrastructure, detached housing could have become a more attractive and affordable alternative for many families. Such an approach would also have helped reduce pressure on the apartment market and create a more balanced urban housing system.

Perhaps the most important message of the census is that Chisinau does not simply need more housing - it needs a new housing policy.

The city requires a long-term strategy that combines the construction of well-planned residential neighborhoods, affordable and social housing, modernization of the existing housing stock, large-scale energy-efficiency renovations, infrastructure-led development of low-density residential areas, and the completion of long-delayed residential projects.

Only through such a comprehensive approach can Chisinau improve housing quality, increase affordability, strengthen urban resilience, and create a more sustainable and livable city for future generations.

Data source: National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova, 2024 Population and Housing Census.

Author:

Analysis prepared by Victor Cernomorcenco, a Chișinău real estate market specialist and representative of Acces Imobil.

Disclaimer:

Copying, reproducing, or distributing data from the Acces Imobil Real Estate Index is permitted only with proper source attribution and an active link to accesimobil.m d.