The number of families living in private houses and separated apartments increased by almost 8% during the last two censuses, while the number of population living in private houses, apartments and hostels went down twofold in the same period. These data are included in an informative note on the living conditions of the population of Moldova revealed during the 2004 Census, which was recently publicised by the National Bureau of Statistics. According to the cited source, of those 1.131,8 thousand households registered at the moment of the census, 1.023.7 thousand or 90.4% were living in private houses and separated apartments. At the same time, the share of population living in a part of private houses, joint apartments and hostels constituted 6.5% (220.2 thousand persons). In 2004, 2.4% of the households were living in dwellings rented from other persons. In cities and towns their share was 4.3%, in villages – 1.2%. In hostels and family-type hostels were living 1.8% and respectively 1.7% of the families, the majority of them (95.6%) living in towns and cities. During the last two censuses the average area of the dwellings per person increased from 18 square metres to 22.5 square metres, the habitable one – from 12 square metres to 14.9. The average habitable area per person in private houses, separated apartments and hostels was 12 square metres for 51.3%, 13-19 square metres – for 26.8%, and 20 square metres or more – for 22% of the population. According to the cited source, only in half of the cases of the families living in 1 and in 4 or more rooms, the number of dwellers was the same as the number of rooms. The same percent of families composed of 1-2 members were living in 4 and more rooms. Compared with 1989, the share of the population with 4 and more rooms increased by 12 percentage points and by 4.5 percentage points – the share of population in apartments with 3 and more rooms. At the same time, the majority of households living in family type hostels (65%) had one room. Also, 42.5 thousand or 3.8% of families said that besides the base dwelling they have other too. Of them, over a half had private houses or a part of them, about one quarter had apartments, one fifth – season dwellings and only 2% had a room in a hostel.