Choir singing is the most popular cultural activity in Estonia

Last year there were 41,000 persons in Estonia who were practising singing and of whom 39,000 were engaged in choir singing, followed by 18,000 folk dancers. In addition there were more than 4,000 persons who played some instrument, of which 2,700 were playing in brass bands.

There were 1,400 choirs and 300 other bands in Estonia. There were about 1,200 folk dance groups, nearly 200 folk music ensembles and 130 brass bands in Estonia. In addition there were about 350 theatre companies or drama groups, 230 handicraft groups, 125 folk groups and other hobby groups. Nearly half of the people involved in different activities are children. 71% of persons engaged in cultural activities are women. The share of men is bigger only among brass music players. According to the Estonian Folk Culture Development and Training Centre there were 372 civic centres, community centres or interest centres in Estonia.

During the last decade the number of hobby groups has decreased nearly by a half and the number of people involved in different cultural activities has decreased 40%. The number of singers has decreased by about a fifth and the number of instrumental musicians has decreased about 40%. The number of choir singers has remained nearly on the same level and the number of brass musicians has increased by a fifth.