ROMANIAN REVIEW OF REGIONAL STUDIES, Volume IV, Number 2, 2008 THE DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION IN THE NORTHERN ECONOMIC REGION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA SERGIU BACIU 1 ABSTRACT - The demographic situation within the Northern Economic Region is worse than the national average. This fact is determined by the decrease of the birth rate values, the increase of the mortality values and the negative natural and migration growth. They also lead to a change of the rate between age groups, in favour of the elderly. In order to diminish such a situation, urgent measures should be taken (policies for economic increase and income increase) at local, department and regional level, to stop the deep demographic crisis of the region. Key words: birth rate, mortality, negative natural growth, demographic situation. The transition to the market economy and the social and economic transformations which characterize it have a high impact on the demographic phenomena in the Republic of Moldova. According to the data of the 2004 census, the population of the Northern Economic Region was 1059.6 thousand people, 135 thousands less than the population recorded at the previous census. This decrease can be conventionally divided into two stages: before and after the year 2001. Thus, in the last decade of the 20 th century, the population of the region decreases numerically to 1154.0 thousands at the beginning of the year 2001, 40 thousand inhabitants less than at the end of the 1980s. This decrease is the effect of the deep economic and social crisis of Moldova. Since the beginning of the year 2001, the numerical decrease is even more spectacular. Therefore, on January 1, 2005, the population of the region was 1059.6 thousand inhabitants (Table 1). A decrease of about 94 thousand inhabitants is recorded, as a consequence of the continuous worsening of the living standards, which lead in their turn to the decrease of the birth rate, the increase of the death rate and the mass migration. Table 1. The dynamics of the population of the Northern Economic Region. Population (thousands of people) % out of the total Year total urban rural urban rural 1989 1194.5 412.1 782.5 34 66 2001 1154.0 387.2 766.8 34 66 2005* 1059.6 322.1 737.5 30 70 *census data As one may notice, there are important differences between the evolution of the urban and rural population. Throughout the last decade of the 20 th century, the urban population of the region suffered the highest decrease, so that on January 1, 2005, it was 90 thousand inhabitants less than in 1989. The rate of the urban population decrease was lower during the last decade of the 20 th century, so, until the year 2001, it decreases by approximately 25 thousand inhabitants. The decrease intensifies more than twice 1 Ph.D. Candidate, Academy of Economics, Republic of Moldova. E-mail: baciu1973@yahoo.com