Population

A country’s greatest wealth is the people who live there. Knowing who make up the country's population tells us also about its past, present and future. Population includes all people living in the country, including foreign nationals and stateless persons. Population indicators show the breakdown of people living in Estonia by sex, age, nationality and educational level as well as where they come from. In Estonia, it is necessary to make sure that future generations will continue to sustain local life.

The main population indicators are the following:

  • population figure as at the beginning of the year;
  • natural increase and net migration;
  • various rates, e.g.
    • fertility rates;
    • death rates;
    • life expectancy;
    • demographic labour pressure index;
    • dependency ratio.

The following data on Estonian residents are included in population statistics:

  • sex;
  • age;
  • area;
  • nationality;
  • education;
  • citizenship;
  • country of birth;
  • native origin;
  • population projection.

Population statistics help to observe changes in the society and allow the state to make smart decisions. Time series analyses can be used to make projections, such as what will the Estonian population be like in 2050 or 2080. Will the population figure increase or decrease? Will Estonia be a country with an ageing population?

1,365,884
2.6%
2023
Natural increase -5,669
-6.7%
2022
Net migration 39,757
464.5%
2022
Life expectancy for males 72.8
-2.2%
2021
Life expectancy for females 81.4
-1.7%
2021
Births 11,646
-12.3%
2022
Deaths 17,315
-6.8%
2022
Population density 31.4 inhabitants per km²
2.6%
2023
Population distribution by ethnic nationalities | 2023
Population figure as at 1 January | 2003 – 2023
Males and females
2003 1,375,190
2004 1,366,250
2005 1,358,850
2006 1,350,700
2007 1,342,920
2008 1,338,440
2009 1,335,740
2010 1,333,290
2011 1,329,660
2012 1,325,217
2013 1,320,174
2014 1,315,819
2015 1,313,271
2016 1,315,944
2017 1,315,635
2018 1,319,133
2019 1,324,820
2020 1,328,889
2021 1,330,068
2022 1,331,796
2023 1,365,884

News

Extraordinary year for population statistics – births at record low, migration at record high (corrected on 16.05.2023)

According to Statistics Estonia, 1,365,884 people live in Estonia as of 01.01.2023, which is 34,088 persons (2.6%) more than at the same time a year ago. In 2022, there were 11,646 births and 17,315 deaths in Estonia. 49,414 persons immigrated to Estonia and 9,657 persons emigrated from Estonia, therefore, immigration exceeded emigration fivefold.
Read more 16. May 2023
Blog

Are there more or less than a million Estonians in the world?

According to preliminary data of Statistics Estonia, the population of Estonia on 1 January 2023 was 1,357,739, an increase by 2% (or 25,943 people) compared with a year earlier. Ene-Margit Tiit, an expert in population statistics, took a closer look at how many ethnic Estonians live here and how many Estonians there are in the world.
Read more 23. March 2023
News

The population of Estonia grew by 2%: immigration was the main contributor as births were at a record low

According to the preliminary data of Statistics Estonia, on 1 January 2023, the population of Estonia was 1,357,739, which is 2% (25,943 persons) more than at the same time a year ago. In 2022, there were 11,588 births and 17,245 deaths in Estonia. Based on the data on registered migration, 42,022 persons immigrated to Estonia and 10,422 persons emigrated from Estonia. 75% (31,594) of the immigrants were from Ukraine.
Read more 18. January 2023