Compared to the academic year 2013/2014, the total number of pupils and students dropped by 58,900, or 11.8%. The number of primary and secondary education institutions decreased from 1,374 to 1,246 and the number of pupils from 353,000 to 334,000, according to the National Statistics Bureau (BNS).

The BNS says this is a reflection of the overall population decline in Moldova. At the beginning of 2019, there were 824,400 Moldovans in the age group 3-23 (making up 23.3% of the total population), which is by 106,400 fewer, or 11.4% less than in 2013.

By the end of 2018, 1,484 kindergartens were operating in Moldova, including 346 in urban areas and 1,138 in rural areas. In 2018, some 149,500 children aged 1-6 years attended kindergartens or similar, or 67% of the population in this age group. On average, for every 100 children there were 118 places in kindergarteners, with the proportion being 100 in urban areas, and 134 in rural areas. The biggest proportion was of 206 places for every 100 children in Leova district, and the lowest, of 87 places, in Balti municipality.

In 2018, the rate of pupils and students per 10,000 population was 1.239 (as compared to 1.400 in 2013). At the beginning of the academic year 2018/2019, the total number of pupils and students was 439,000, or every eighth Moldovan.  Compared to the academic year 2013/2014, the number of pupils and students dropped by 58,900, or 11.8%.

In the academic year 2018/2019, compared to five years before, the number of pupils in grades I-IV increased by 1,200 (1%), the number of children in grades V-IX decreased by 7,400 (4.4%), and the number of pupils in grades X-XII dropped by 11,500 (24.7%).

In 2018, 30,600 graduated from middle school (as compared to 35,300 in 2013), and 24,100 of them, or 80% decided to continue education in lyceums (38.7%) or vocational schools (40.3%).