Enterprise surveys
Data submission in 2026
On 15 December, Statistics Estonia sends a notification to an enterprise’s email address listed in the Business Register regarding the obligations for the following year, so that the enterprise's representative can be informed sufficiently in advance about the data to be collected from them, the purpose of using such data, the principles of statistical processing and dissemination of the data, and the due date for data submission. For more information on the compilation, quality, and presentation of statistics, please visit the metadata page.
To ensure sufficient quality and detail of statistics by economic activity and size class of enterprises, Statistics Estonia uses a random sampling method that is uniform across all European Union countries.
The directives on which sampling and data collection are based can be accessed in the document register of Statistics Estonia by entering the code or the title of the questionnaire together with the collection year in the search field. In the event of disagreement with a directive, enterprises have the right to file a challenge within 30 days from the date of notification of the directive under the conditions and pursuant to the procedure provided by the Administrative Procedure Act or to file an appeal with an administrative court under the conditions and pursuant to the procedure provided by the Code of Administrative Court Procedure. The requirements for challenges are laid out in § 76 of the Administrative Procedure Act.
- More information on the sampling methodology (in Estonian).
Pursuant to § 28 of the Official Statistics Act, enterprises are obliged to provide data, and the head of an enterprise is responsible for this. The enterprises’ obligation to submit data can be checked on Statistics Estonia's website.
Why is it necessary to submit data to Statistics Estonia?
Official statistics are collected in the public interest. Statistics Estonia, as a producer of official statistics, fulfils the requirements of the Estonian state and the European Union. The exact data that Statistics Estonia collects are determined by the specific data needs of Estonia and the EU and by the list of statistical activities approved by the Government of the Republic.
The statistics produced on the basis of the data provided are used by government authorities and research institutions, enterprises, international organisations, and individuals.
The data are used to draw up state and local government budgets, and to inform ministries about the areas needing greater attention or subsidies. Based on the data, government authorities assess the state of the economy, which has an impact on taxes and wages. The information collected from enterprises is also needed by the statistical office of the European Union, which compares economic and social indicators between countries. The data provided are also useful for enterprises themselves, allowing them to compare their profits and salaries with the market average, plan new target markets, and make smarter decisions.
The statistics produced using the collected data are available to everyone on Statistics Estonia’s applications and dashboards and in the statistical database.
The release calendar on Statistics Estonia's website gives an overview of when the data will be updated in the database.
Who has to submit data to Statistics Estonia?
If an enterprise registered in Estonia is included in the sample of a survey by Statistics Estonia, the enterprise is obliged under the Official Statistics Act (§ 28) to provide Statistics Estonia with accurate and complete data within the deadline. The questionnaires that enterprises are expected to fill in as well as their due dates are listed on Statistics Estonia's website under the heading “Obligation to submit data“. At the end of each year, Statistics Estonia notifies enterprises of the data they are obliged to provide the following year.
Read more about the legal basis for data collection on Statistics Estonia's website.
How to submit data?
Data can be submitted to Statistics Estonia in the self-service environment at uuringud.stat.ee.
To make data submission as easy and convenient as possible, all questionnaires will be updated in the new environment. Currently, only some of the questionnaires have been updated, however, the goal is to update all enterprise questionnaires by the end of 2026.
- The self-service environment can be accessed at uuringud.stat.ee or via the button “Go to self-service” at the top of Statistics Estonia's website. To log in, authentication via ID-card, mobile-ID, or Smart-ID is required. It is not possible to access the environment with a password. Only enterprises entered in the Business Register can be represented in the self-service.
- The self-service is available to enterprises that are obliged to provide data
- Foreigners can access the self-service environment if they have the European Union digital identity card (e-ID), an Estonian ID-card, or a mobile-ID or Smart-ID based on an Estonian personal identification code.
- Representatives of declarant companies and foreigners who have been issued a password can log in with their password, after which they will, for the time being, be redirected to eSTAT.
- Everyone else included in the sample can use the self-service environment. Even if a particular questionnaire is still in the old eSTAT format, users do not need to worry about where to submit their data – everything can be done in the self-service. In the future, the new environment will replace eSTAT entirely. The goal is to update all enterprise questionnaires by the end of 2026.
In the self-service environment, you can
- submit data,
- manage questionnaires,
- communicate with Statistics Estonia.
The self-service environment offers users more options. For example, you can
- extend the deadlines for responding to questionnaires,
- automatically obtain enterprise representation rights after logging in,
- submit a blank questionnaire,
- spend less time submitting data: questionnaires are more thoroughly prefilled and easier to complete.
The self-service environment can be used on mobile phones. Questionnaires that have not been updated cannot yet be filled out on a mobile phone.
The self-service environment is currently still under development. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause!
How can an enterprise find out about its data submission obligations?
In December every year, Statistics Estonia sends out an email notification of an enterprise's obligations for the following year, so that the enterprise's representative can be informed sufficiently in advance about the composition of data to be collected from them, the purpose of using such data, the principles of statistical processing and dissemination of the data, and the due date for data submission. For more information on the compilation, quality, and presentation of statistics, please visit the metadata page.
Sampling and data collection are based on the directives, which can be found in the document register of Statistics Estonia by entering the questionnaire code or the title of the questionnaire together with the collection year.
In the event of disagreement with a directive, enterprises have the right to file a challenge within 30 days from the date of notification of the directive under the conditions and pursuant to the procedure provided by the Administrative Procedure Act or to file an appeal with an administrative court under the conditions and pursuant to the procedure provided by the Code of Administrative Court Procedure. The requirements for challenges are laid out in § 76 of the Administrative Procedure Act.
You can check whether an enterprise is obliged to provide data on Statistics Estonia's website.
What to do if you are unable to submit data due to an exceptional event?
If an exceptional event has occurred that prevents you from submitting data, for example, if the enterprise’s records have been destroyed, please inform Statistics Estonia.
Under subsection 5 of § 28 of the Official Statistics Act, as an exception, Statistics Estonia may fully or partially exempt an enterprise from the obligation if submission of data is impossible.
In order to be exempted from submitting data, the person authorised to represent the enterprise must submit a signed request and provide evidence to support the reasons given in the request. In addition, Statistics Estonia will assess the importance of the specific data for the production of statistics in a given field.
Why does Statistics Estonia not use the data already available in other sources?
In data collection, Statistics Estonia first relies on existing databases, such as state registers. Statistics Estonia is currently making active use of data from more than 500 databases and is working steadily to reduce the number of questionnaires as much as possible.
Statistics Estonia collects data through questionnaires only if the data needed to produce official statistics are not available in databases, or if the available data are not detailed enough. The data that Statistics Estonia collects are determined by the specific data needs of the Estonian state and the European Union and by the list of statistical activities approved by the Government of the Republic.
Where can I get help with submitting data?
If you have any questions about the new self-service environment or need help submitting data, please contact Statistics Estonia's customer support by email at klienditugi [at] stat.ee (klienditugi[at]stat[dot]ee) or by telephone on +372 625 9300 (Mon–Thu 8.30–16.30, Fri 8.30–15.30).
Statistics Estonia also organises training for data providers, more information on which can be found in the training sessions section on Statistics Estonia’s website.
What happens if the data are not submitted?
Upon failure to submit data or submission of distorted data, Statistics Estonia has the right to issue a precept for the elimination of the violation to the respondent. Upon failure to comply with a precept, Statistics Estonia may impose a penalty payment. A penalty payment can be imposed repeatedly, until the addressee of the precept fulfils their obligation.
From 1 October 2025, the amount of the penalty payment is set at €300–1,200.
The payment of penalty does not release the enterprise from the obligation to submit data.