What is the capital of Moldova?
Chișinău is situated in the middle of Moldova on the river Bîc, a tributary of the Dniester.
Chișinău is the capital and seat of government of Moldova. Moldova itself has an estimated population of 2,360,527 (2025).
Chișinău is also the largest city in Moldova, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Chișinău at a glance
| City population | 720,128 (2024 census, municipality) |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | KIH-shih-NOW |
| Country | 🇲🇩 Moldova |
| Founded | 1436 |
| Largest city in Moldova | Chișinău |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| Currency | Moldovan leu (MDL) |
About Chișinău
The city's first written mention dates from 14 October 1436.
Formerly known by its Russian form Kishinev, the city was significantly damaged in the Second World War and by earthquakes, yet a rich architectural heritage remains, much of it designed by the architect Alexander Bernardazzi.
The city proper counted over 567,000 inhabitants at the 2024 census, while the municipality it anchors held 720,128; nearly a third of Moldova's population lives in the metropolitan area.
Chișinău is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre and its largest transport hub, and hosts the national wine festival every October.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Chișinău.
Frequently asked questions
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Moldova on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.