Some 17.1% of Moldova's 1,259,207 homes are empty, show the preliminary results of the Population and Household Census published by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Most unoccupied homes are in the north of the country, in particular in the districts of Donduseni and Soroca, where their percentage exceeds 25%. The lowest rates are in the central districts of Telenesti and Straseni and in the southern districts of Cahul, Causeni and Leova, where they stand at around 14%.

For the first time in Moldova's history, the census also counted vacation homes/cottages located within gardening associations, with their number standing at 14,944.

The number of households whose members refused to participate in the census was 26,400.

The census was conducted in May 2014, and the National Bureau of Statistics published its preliminary findings on December 31, 2014.