The overall demographic trends in Moldova suggest a situation of depopulation, fuelled mainly by poverty, insecurity and worsening health status of the population. The population in Moldova is mostly rural and appears to be rural-ising. The urban share of the population peaked at about half in 1990 but has declined to 39% in 2003. One of the main reasons is the status of certain localities changed as the result of successive administrative-territorial reforms. The population in the rural areas is ageing faster and more dramatically than the population in urban areas. People over 60 account for 15.2% of the rural population compared to 11.8% of the urban population. Overall, 1 in 7 people in Moldova is over 60. The health system is an important determinant of the population’s health. The evolution of Moldova’s health status after the independence (1989) has been uneven and was closely influenced by socio-economic developments. Life expectancy in Moldova remains to be the lowest in the European Region: 68.07 vs 79.06 years for European Union. At present, life expectancy at birth is 65 for men and 72 for women. In rural areas, life expectancy is approximately 3 years less for both sexes. The overall demographic trends in Moldova suggest a situation of depopulation, fuelled mainly be poverty, insecurity and worsening health status of the population. The overall population is also ageing. The population if the rural areas is ageing faster and more dramatically than the population in urban areas. This is putting greater strains on rural livelihoods and extended family networks, as well as on overstretched health and education services. Due to changes in the population structure, a feminization of the rural population is attested. There is no unit within the Government primarily responsible for developing and implementing policies in population and demographics aimed at addressing the described factors.