In the third quarter, exports of services grew by 12% and imports by 13%
According to Statistics Estonia and Eesti Pank, in the third quarter of 2025, Estonia’s exports of services grew by 12% and imports by 13%. Exports of services amounted to slightly more than 3.6 billion euros and imports to nearly 2.8 billion euros at current prices. The surplus of foreign trade in services was 834 million euros, which is 60 million euros more than in the same quarter last year.
Jane Leppmets, foreign trade analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that other business services are the most popular type of services exported and imported by Estonian economic units. In the third quarter, the biggest growth in both exports and imports of services was recorded in trade in other business services.
Other business services include, for example, services related to research and development; legal, accounting, management consulting and advertising services; waste treatment and agricultural services. A wide range of other services are included as well. “In Estonia, other business support services, advertising and management services usually hold the biggest share among other business services. This was also the case in the third quarter,” added Leppmets.
Exports of other business services grew the most
In the third quarter, the top services exported were other business services (incl. other business support services, advertising and management services) for 1.2 billion euros. This was followed by exports of telecommunications, computer and information services (incl. computer programming and consultancy) for 795 million euros, and exports of transport services (incl. road freight transport) for 681 million euros. Year on year, the biggest increase was recorded in the exports of other business services (up by 288 million euros, or 33%) and the greatest decrease in the exports of transport services (down by 10 million euros, or 1%).
The top partner countries for Estonia’s exports of services in the third quarter were Finland (14% of total exports), Germany (9%) and the United States (7%). The main services supplied to Finland were travel services. Transport services were the most exported service to Germany, and telecommunications, computer and information services were the biggest export item to the United States. The biggest rise year on year was recorded in exports of services to Germany (up by 60 million euros), where Estonian enterprises supplied a greater amount of other business services. The biggest fall was seen in the supply of services to Sweden (down by 26 million euros), with decreased exports of transport services.
Lithuania was the top partner country for imports of services
The top services imported in the third quarter were other business services (incl. other business support services, advertising and management services) for 976 million euros. This was followed by purchases of transport services (incl. road freight transport) for 622 million euros, and telecommunications, computer and information services (incl. computer programming and consultancy) for 493 million euros. Compared with the third quarter of 2024, the biggest rise occurred in the imports of other business services (up by 269 million euros, or 38%), while the imports of transport services decreased the most (down by 20 million euros, or 3%).
The top partner countries for imports of services were Lithuania (8% of Estonia’s total imports), Finland (7%) and Germany (7%). The main services purchased were other business services from Lithuania and Germany and travel services from Finland. Imports of services from Lithuania increased the most (up by 44 million euros, or 26%), as there were more purchases of other business services. The biggest decline occurred in imports of services from Norway (down by 14 million euros, or 28%), due to decreased purchases of transport services.
| Country of destination, group of countries | Exports, million euros | Share, % | Change on same quarter of previous year, % | Country of consignment, group of countries | Imports, million euros | Share, % | Change on same quarter of previous year, % |
| TOTAL | 3,619 | 100 | 12 | TOTAL | 2,785 | 100 | 13 |
| EU-27 | 2,478 | 68 | 15 | EU-27 | 1,996 | 72 | 14 |
| Euro area 20 | 1,961 | 54 | 14 | Euro area 20 | 1,569 | 56 | 13 |
| Non-EU | 1,141 | 32 | 6 | Non-EU | 789 | 28 | 12 |
| 1. Finland | 511 | 14 | -1 | 1. Lithuania | 214 | 8 | 26 |
| 2. Germany | 341 | 9 | 21 | 2. Finland | 206 | 7 | 9 |
| 3. USA | 252 | 7 | 0 | 3. Germany | 187 | 7 | -2 |
| 4. Sweden | 186 | 5 | -12 | 4. Latvia | 167 | 6 | -3 |
| 5. United Kingdom | 180 | 5 | -11 | 5. United Kingdom | 153 | 6 | 15 |
| 6. Lithuania | 179 | 5 | 15 | 6. Ireland | 139 | 5 | 11 |
| 7. Latvia | 178 | 5 | 14 | 7. Sweden | 126 | 5 | 15 |
| 8. Netherlands | 115 | 3 | 7 | 8. Poland | 111 | 4 | -2 |
| 9. Poland | 107 | 3 | 38 | 9. Netherlands | 110 | 4 | 16 |
| 10. France | 106 | 3 | 25 | 10. USA | 106 | 4 | -3 |
| Type of service (according to EBOPS 2010) | Exports of services | Imports of services | Balance, million euros | ||||
| Million euros | Share, % | Change on same quarter of previous year, % | Million euros | Share, % | Change on same quarter of previous year, % | ||
| TOTAL | 3,619 | 100 | 12 | 2,785 | 100 | 13 | 834 |
| Manufacturing services on physical inputs owned by others (SA) | 142 | 4 | 49 | 33 | 1 | 35 | 109 |
| Maintenance and repair services n.i.e. (SB) | 85 | 2 | -2 | 33 | 1 | 5 | 52 |
| Transport (SC) | 681 | 19 | -1 | 622 | 22 | -3 | 59 |
| Travel (SD) | 532 | 15 | 9 | 461 | 17 | 3 | 70 |
| Construction (SE) | 75 | 2 | -7 | 34 | 1 | 72 | 41 |
| Insurance and pension services (SF) | 2 | 0 | -48 | 10 | 0 | -31 | -8 |
| Financial services (excl. insurance and pension services) (SG) | 61 | 2 | 16 | 50 | 2 | 16 | 11 |
| Charges for the use of intellectual property n.i.e. (SH) | 17 | 1 | -8 | 27 | 1 | 8 | -10 |
| Telecommunications, computer and information services (SI) | 795 | 22 | 2 | 493 | 18 | 7 | 302 |
| Other business services (SJ) | 1,162 | 32 | 33 | 976 | 35 | 38 | 187 |
| Personal, cultural and recreational services (SK) | 52 | 1 | -1 | 33 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
| Government goods and services (SL) | 14 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 1 | -2 | 2 |
Statistics Estonia collects and analyses the data on foreign trade in services in cooperation with Eesti Pank, as commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, with the aim to determine how exporting and importing enterprises are performing in Estonia.
Data as at 12 December are published. The indicator values may change if there are any revisions made in the data sources after this date.
See also the foreign trade section on our website.
More detailed data have been published in the statistical database. Due to rounding, the sum of rows in some tables may differ from the sum total of the column.
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For further information:
Susann Kivi
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Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 5696 6484
press [at] stat.ee