“Socially Oriented Subsistence Minimum and Living Wage in the Republic of Moldova” - a study to rethink the cost of living

The cost of a decent standard of living and the need for fair wages in the Republic of Moldova were the main topics of the round table “From the Subsistence Minimum to a Decent Standard of Living: Wages, Dignity and European Social Convergence”, organized by FES Moldova and the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova on the occasion of World Day for Decent Work.

The event marked the launch of the study “Socially Oriented Subsistence Minimum and Living Wage in the Republic of Moldova”, which proposes a new approach to assessing the resources needed to ensure a decent standard of living. The study estimates that an adult would need approximately MDL 34,000 per month to live decently, highlighting the significant gap between the cost of living and the income of most citizens.

Participants stressed the need to move beyond a subsistence minimum focused primarily on basic physiological needs and towards a socially oriented approach based on transparent and evidence-based standards. The discussions also highlighted the importance of shifting Moldova’s economic development model from low wages and costs towards higher value added, better-quality jobs, and decent working conditions, in line with the country’s European integration objectives.

The event concluded with the signing of a Bipartite Collective Agreement by the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova and the National Confederation of Employers of the Republic of Moldova, establishing a new minimum wage of MDL 7,600 per month in the real sector of the national economy, effective 1 January 2027.

Read the Romanian version of the study HERE.