Enterprise surveys
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 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?
In 2025, Statistics Estonia began the transition to a new self-service environment to make the use of e-services more convenient.
In the future, enterprises will be able to submit data, manage questionnaires, and communicate with Statistics Estonia in the new self-service.
The new environment is still under development and questionnaires are updated gradually. So far, only a small number of questionnaires have been updated. All enterprise questionnaires will be updated during 2026.
Signing up to the new self-service environment
- The new self-service is available to enterprises that are obliged to provide data and whose questionnaires have been migrated to the new environment.
- The new self-service can be accessed at uuringud.stat.ee. To log in, authentication via ID-card, mobile-ID, or Smart-ID is required. It is not possible to access the new environment with a password. Only enterprises entered in the Business Register can be represented in the new self-service.
- Foreign citizens who do not have an Estonian ID-card, mobile-ID, or Smart-ID can log into the new self-service if they are Estonian e-residents and link their Estonian (e-residency) personal identification code to an enterprise in the Business Register. They can also access the self-service by authenticating themselves with the EU Digital Identity (eID) Wallet.
- A management board member of an enterprise does not need to apply for rights to represent the enterprise in the new self-service. The self-service environment checks the right of representation against the Business Register and the person entitled to represent the enterprise is automatically granted the rights when logging in.
- Statistics Estonia notifies enterprises by email once their questionnaires are available in the new self-service.
Signing up to eSTAT
- In order to sign up to eSTAT, a person entitled to represent an enterprise must submit an application in eSTAT. Once the application has been submitted, the enterprise's eSTAT account is created and data submission can begin. The person with the right of representation can add other users to the enterprise's account if they wish. To log in, authentication via ID-card, mobile-ID, or Smart-ID is required.
- Foreign citizens who do not have an Estonian ID-card, mobile-ID, or Smart-ID can log into eSTAT with a password.
- For more information on how to sign up to eSTAT, see the eSTAT manual.
Under the project Data-based reporting, it is possible to submit data for the “Wages and salaries and labour force” questionnaire directly from the enterprise’s accounting software. More information on this can be found in the data-driven reporting section on Statistics Estonia’s website.
How do you select the enterprises that must submit data?
Statistics Estonia includes in its surveys the enterprises whose data would provide the best information on the phenomenon under study. It also strives to produce the highest quality statistics with the smallest possible administrative burden.
Since large enterprises have a significant impact on the trends in the various phenomena under study, enterprises with more than 50 employees are required to provide data every year. With the exception of very large enterprises, an enterprise becomes a respondent as a result of random sampling.
Random sampling ensures that the administrative burden on enterprises is kept as low and even as possible. Every year, a share of enterprises are removed from the sample and are replaced by new enterprises. However, it may happen that while an enterprise is removed from one sample, it is simultaneously included in the sample of another survey. A random sample means that a certain number of enterprises will be in the sample for several years in a row. Exactly for how long depends on the economic activity and size of the enterprise.
The sampling principles are described in more detail on Statistics Estonia’s website.
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 April 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.