Corruption in Moldova describes the prevention and occurrence ofcorruption inMoldova. The government in Moldova has in recent years taken several steps to fight corruption, including law enforcement and institutional setups. The prosecution of officials who are involved in corruption has also increased in recent years. However, businesses consider corruption a serious problem for doing business, and the business environment continues to be one of the most challenging in the region.[1]
According toTransparency International, 37% of Moldovans reported paying abribe in 2010. One of the most perceived corrupt institutions is the police.
A large anti-corruption protest was held inChișinău in September 2015 following a $1 billion (£655 million) bank fraud.[2]
A 2020 paper published by the Legal Resources Centre from Moldova and sponsored byUSAID analyzed the need for a specialized anti-corruption court.[3]
On 19 April 2021, theCouncil of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2021–2024 was signed inStrasbourg, France. It is anaction plan which, among other things, aims to combat corruption in the country.[4]
In March 2023, the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Court of Moldova. According to PresidentMaia Sandu, the court was necessary in order to accede to theEuropean Union.[5] The ACC was to be the focus of Parliamentary business from April 2023.[6] A white paper document was published in June 2023.[7] TheIMF took notice in a March 2024 report.[8] TheCouncil of Europe is involved.[9] In February 2025 Transparency International included Moldova among the "Significant Improvers" for the Eastern European and Central Asian region,[Note 1] attributing the improvement to the reformed judiciary of President Sandu's government, which, spearheaded by the new Anti-Corruption Court, has actively pursued corrupt officials.[10]
On Transparency International's 2024Corruption Perceptions Index Moldova scored 43 on a scale from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("very clean"), a gain of 13 points since its lowest score in 2016. When ranked by score, Moldova ranked 76th among the 180 countries in the Index, where the country ranked first is perceived to have the most honest public sector.[11] For comparison with regional scores, the best score was 53, the average score was 35 and the worst score was 17.[10] For comparison with worldwide scores, the best score was 90 (ranked 1), the average score was 43, and the worst score was 8 (ranked 180).[12]
Moldova (43) improved its score after the establishment of a specialised anti-corruption court and broader judicial reform efforts under President Maia Sandu. These have resulted in high-profile prosecutions, including cases targeting officials involved in bribery and illegal party financing, signalling progress in tackling corruption impunity. Anti-corruption prosecutors have also been directed to process high-profile cases more swiftly to better prevent corrupt officials from evading justice and to deter would be offenders.
