Estonia
Estonia⌘K
Overview
- Background
- After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 -- an action never recognized by the US and many other countries -- it regained its freedom in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with the West. It joined both NATO and the EU in 2004, formally joined the OECD in 2010, and adopted the euro as its official currency in 2011.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 42,388 sq km
- Note
- note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
- Water
- 2,840 sq km
- Total
- 45,228 sq km
- Climate
- maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers
- Terrain
- marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Land Use
- Other
- 19.6% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 57.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 23.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 16.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 6.4% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
- Coastline
- 3,794 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Baltic Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- Suur Munamagi 318 m
- Mean elevation
- 61 m
- Irrigated land
- 20 sq km (2016)
- Map references
- Europe
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 657 km
- Border countries
- Latvia 333 km; Russia 324 km
Maritime Claims
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Exclusive economic zone
- limits as agreed to by Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Russia
- Natural hazards
- sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
- Geography note
- the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; over 1,500 islands lie offshore
- Natural resources
- oil shale, peat, rare earth elements, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud
- Area comparative
- about twice the size of New Jersey
- Geographic coordinates
- 59 00 N, 26 00 E
- Population distribution
- a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
Major Lakes (Area Sq Km)
- Fresh water lake(s)
- Lake Peipus - 4,300 sq km (shared with Russia); Lake Võrtsjärv - 270 sq km
People & Society
- Languages
- Estonian (official) 67.2%, Russian 28.5%, other 3.7%, unspecified 0.6% (2021est.)
- Religions
- Orthodox 16.5%, Protestant 9.2% (Lutheran 7.7%, other Protestant 1.5%), other 3% (includes Roman Catholic, Muslim, Jehovah's Witness, Pentecostal, Buddhist, and Taara Believer), none 58.4%, unspecified 12.9% (2021 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.89 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.55 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 7.86 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 12.57 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 41.9 years
- Total
- 42.9 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 48.2 years
Population
- Male
- 634,988
- Total
- 1,340,478 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 705,490
Nationality
- Noun
- Estonian(s)
- Adjective
- Estonian
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 29.9% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 23.7% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 18.3% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 69.8% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- -0.03% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 15.2% (male 92,980/female 88,753)
- 15 64 years
- 62.2% (male 373,989/female 368,113)
- 65 years and over
- 22.6% (2024 est.) (male 96,110/female 173,846)
- Ethnic groups
- Estonian 69.1%, Russian 23.7%, Ukrainian 2.1%, other 4.6%, unspecified 0.5% (2021 est.)
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 57.5 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 24.8 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 3.1 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 32.7 (2025 est.)
- Physician density
- 3.47 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 6.9% of GDP (2022)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 13.2% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 4.5 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.36 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.) NA
- Improved: total
- total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.) NA
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 5.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 13% national budget (2022 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 3.2 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- -0.47% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.66 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 73.8 years
- Female
- 83.2 years
- Total population
- 78.4 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 99.7% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0.3% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 1.92 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 11.65 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 4.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 1.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 454,000 TALLINN (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 21.2% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 28.2 years (2020 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 54.1% (2021 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 15 years (2023 est.)
- Total
- 16 years (2023 est.)
- Female
- 16 years (2023 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
meaning: blue stands for faith, loyalty, and devotion, and also the sky, sea, and lakes; black for the country's soil and the Estonian people's past suffering; white for striving for enlightenment and virtue and also for birch bark, snow, and summer nights illuminated by the midnight sun
Capital
- Name
- Tallinn
- Etymology
- the name derives from the Old Estonian term tan-linn, meaning "Danish fort," a reference to Danish King VALDEMAR II founding the city in 1219
- Time difference
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
- Geographic coordinates
- 59 26 N, 24 43 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal; age 16 for local elections
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Estonia
- Dual citizenship recognized
- no
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 5 years
Constitution
- History
- several previous; latest adopted 28 June 1992, entered into force 3 July 1992
- Amendment process
- proposed by at least one-fifth of Parliament members or by the president of the republic; passage requires three readings of the proposed amendment and a simple majority vote in two successive memberships of Parliament; passage of amendments to the "General Provisions" and "Amendment of the Constitution" chapters requires at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament to conduct a referendum and majority vote in a referendum
Country Name
- Former
- Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (while occupied by the USSR)
- Etymology
- derives from the name of the people who lived along the eastern Baltic Sea in the first centuries A.D., which came from the Baltic word aueist, meaning "waterside dwellers"
- Local long form
- Eesti Vabariik
- Local short form
- Eesti
- Conventional long form
- Republic of Estonia
- Conventional short form
- Estonia
- Independence
- 24 February 1918 (from Soviet Russia); 20 August 1991 (declared from the Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)
- Legal system
- civil law system
- Government type
- parliamentary republic
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court (consists of 19 justices, including the chief justice, and organized into civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional review chambers)
- Subordinate courts
- circuit (appellate) courts; administrative, county, city, and specialized courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- the chief justice is proposed by the president of the republic and appointed by the Riigikogu; other justices proposed by the chief justice and appointed by the Riigikogu; justices appointed for life
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Cabinet appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament
- Chief of state
- President Alar KARIS (since 11 October 2021)
- Election results
2021: Alar KARIS (independent) elected president; won second round of voting in parliament with 72 of 101 votes
2016: Kersti KALJULAID elected president; won sixth round of voting in parliament with 81 of 98 votes (17 ballots blank); KALJULAID sworn in on 10 October 2016 - first female head of state of Estonia- Head of government
- Prime Minister Kristen MICHAL (since 23 July 2024)
- Most recent election date
- 30-31 August 2021
- Election/appointment process
- president indirectly elected by Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure two thirds of the votes after 3 rounds of balloting, then an electoral college consisting of Parliament members and local council members elects the president, choosing between the 2 candidates with the most votes; if a president is still not elected, the process begins again; prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
- Expected date of next election
- 2026
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 24 February (1918)
- National color(s)
- blue, black, white
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 2 (both cultural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Historic Center (Old Town) of Tallinn; Struve Geodetic Arc
- Political parties
- Conservative People's Party of Estonia (Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond) or EKRE
Estonia 200 or E200
Estonia Centre Party of (Keskerakond) or EK
Estonian Free Party or VAP
Estonian Freedom Party - Farmers' Assembly or V-PK
Estonian Greens or EER
Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives or ERK
Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) or RE
Fatherland or I
Left Alliance or VL
Social Democratic Party or SDE
The Right or PP
TOGETHER organization points to sovereignty or KOOS
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 101 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Legislature name
- The Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 3/5/2023
- Expected date of next election
- March 2027
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 28.7%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Reform Party (37); Conservative People's Party (EKRE) (17); Centre Party (16); Estonia 200 (Eesti 200) (14); Social Democratic Party (9); Pro Patria (Isamaa) (8)
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Mu isamaa, mu onn ja room" (My Native Land, My Pride and Joy)
- History
- adopted 1920, but banned between 1940 and 1990 under Soviet occupation; unofficially in use since 1869, it has the same melody as Finland's anthem, but with different lyrics
- Lyrics/music
- Johann Voldemar JANNSEN/Fredrik PACIUS
- National symbol(s)
- barn swallow, cornflower
- Administrative divisions
- 15 urban municipalities (linnad, singular - linn), 64 rural municipalities (vallad, singular - vald)
urban municipalities: Haapsalu, Keila, Kohtla-Jarve, Loksa, Maardu, Narva, Narva-Joesuu, Paide, Parnu, Rakvere, Sillamae, Tallinn, Tartu, Viljandi, Voru
rural municipalities: Alutaguse, Anija, Antsla, Elva, Haademeeste, Haljala, Harku, Hiiumaa, Jarva, Joelahtme, Jogeva, Johvi, Kadrina, Kambja, Kanepi, Kastre, Kehtna, Kihnu, Kiili, Kohila, Kose, Kuusalu, Laane-Harju, Laane-Nigula, Laaneranna, Luganuse, Luunja, Marjamaa, Muhu, Mulgi, Mustvee, Noo, Otepaa, Peipsiaare, Pohja-Parnumaa, Pohja-Sakala, Poltsamaa, Polva, Raasiku, Rae, Rakvere, Räpina, Rapla, Rouge, Ruhnu, Saarde, Saaremaa, Saku, Saue, Setomaa, Tapa, Tartu, Toila, Tori, Torva, Turi, Vaike-Maarja, Valga, Viimsi, Viljandi, Vinni, Viru-Nigula, Vormsi, Voru
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 588-0108
- Chancery
- 2131 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC, 20008 - Telephone
- [1] (202) 588-0101
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Kristjan PRIKK (since 7 July 2021)
- Consulate(s) general
- New York, San Francisco
- Email address and website
Embassy.Washington@mfa.ee
https://washington.mfa.ee/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [372] 668-8265
- Embassy
- Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn
- Telephone
- [372] 668-8100
- Mailing address
- 4530 Tallinn Place, Washington DC 20521-4530
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Roman PIPKO (since 26 November 2025)
- Email address and website
acstallinn@state.gov
https://ee.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
ESTONIA · LEGISLATURE
The Estonian Parliament
101 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
101
Majority line
52
Largest party
Estonian Reform Party
Parties
9
All political parties
Leaders
Current
Alar Karis
- Head of State
Kaja Kallas
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $15.784 billion (2023 est.)
- Expenditures
- $16.721 billion (2023 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $32.6B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $33.178 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $32.147 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $32.637 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $32.5B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $33.655 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $31.796 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $32.375 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- food, engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textiles; information technology, telecommunications
- Labor force
- 756,200 (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 24.1%
- Note
- note: central government debt as a % of GDP
- Public debt 2023
- 28.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 1.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 1.2% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- euros (EUR) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 0.876 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 0.845 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 0.95 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 0.925 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 0.924 (2024 est.)
- Economic overview
- high-income, service-based EU and eurozone economy; rebound in exports playing a role in economic recovery; rising food prices contributing to inflation; decrease in labor force participation and rising unemployment rate; recovery depends on boosting private investment and productivity rates
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 8.3%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 5.6% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 6.4% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 7.9% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- Finland 14%, Latvia 10%, Lithuania 9%, Sweden 7%, Russia 6% (2023)
- Imports partners
- Finland 11%, Germany 11%, China 10%, Lithuania 6%, Poland 6% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $49,969
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $43,700 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $41,700 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $41,500 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 0.6%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 0.1% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- -3% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- -0.3% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- milk, wheat, barley, rapeseed, peas, oats, potatoes, rye, pork, triticale (2023)
- Exports commodities
- cars, wood, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, prefabricated buildings (2023)
- Imports commodities
- cars, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, natural gas, packaged medicine (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- -$542.5M
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- -$1.496 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- -$722.668 million (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- -$489.659 million (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 21.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $42.765 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 52.3% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 20.6% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- -0.2% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 27.9% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 77.9% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -77% (2023 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 22.5% (2022 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 19.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 6.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.8%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 19.4% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 9.2% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 3.5% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- -7% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $57.001 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $58.931 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $57.15 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $57.001 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 21.9% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 20.9% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 20% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $2.217 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $2.593 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $2.075 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 20.5% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 65.1% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 1.9% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 2.8% (2022 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 24.4% (2022 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2022
- 32.3 (2022 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 7,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 800 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 800 metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 24,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 27,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 4.355 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 7.66 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 8.636 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 3.225 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 1.164 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 675.708 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 1.01 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 334.748 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 73.679 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 10.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 9.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 52.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 27.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 93% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- the publicly owned broadcaster, Eesti Rahvusringhaaling (ERR), operates 3 TV channels and 5 radio networks; growing number of private commercial radio stations broadcasting nationally, regionally, and locally; fully transitioned to digital television in 2010; national private TV channels expanding service, with a range of channels aimed at Russian-speaking viewers; in 2016, there were 42 on-demand services available in Estonia, including 19 pay TVOD and SVOD services; roughly 85% of households accessed digital television services
- Internet country code
- .ee
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 227,000 (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 17 (2024 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 2.06 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 151 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 516,000 (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 38 (2023 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 4
- Small
- 4
- Medium
- 1
- Key ports
- Muuga - Port of Tallin, Paldiski Lounasadam, Paljassaare, Sillamae, Vanasadam - Port of Tallinn
- Very small
- 11
- Total ports
- 20 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 5
- Airports
- 34 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 1,441 km (2020) 225 km electrified
- Heliports
- 10 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 72 (2023)
- BY type
- general cargo 3, oil tanker 3, other 66
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- ES
Environment
- Climate
- maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Land Use
- Other
- 19.6% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 57.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 23.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 16.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 6.4% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 69.8% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- -0.03% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 2.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 23.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 11.9 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 27.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 489,500 tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 39.1% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- air pollution from sulfur dioxide from oil-shale-burning power plants; coastal seawater pollution
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 64.998 million cubic meters (2022)
- Industrial
- 1.135 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Agricultural
- 5 million cubic meters (2022)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 4.607 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 649,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- -19,814 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 3.977 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 6.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 12.806 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- Estonia’s defense policy aims to guarantee the country’s independence and sovereignty, protect its territorial integrity, including waters and airspace, and preserve constitutional order; Estonia’s main defense goals are developing and maintaining a credible deterrent to outside aggression and ensuring the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) can fulfill their commitments to NATO and interoperate with the armed forces of NATO and EU member states; the EDF’s primary external focus is Russia; since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Estonia has boosted defense spending, sent arms to Ukraine, and sought to boost the EDF’s capabilities in such areas as air defense, artillery, personnel readiness, and surveillance
Estonia has been a member of NATO since 2004, is fully integrated within the NATO structure, and relies on its NATO partners for defense; since 2017, Estonia has hosted a UK-led multinational NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative; as the EDF Air Force does not have any combat aircraft, NATO has provided airspace protection for Estonia since 2004 through its Baltic Air Policing mission; NATO member countries that possess air combat capabilities voluntarily contribute to the mission on four-month rotations; NATO fighter aircraft have been hosted at Estonia’s Ämari Air Base since 2014; Estonia also hosts a NATO cyber security center; it cooperates closely with the EU on defense issues through the EU Common Security and Defense Policy and is a member of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and Scandinavian countries designed to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and High North regions; Estonia also has close defense ties with its Baltic neighbors and has bilateral military agreements with a number of European countries, as well as Canada and the US (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.4% of GDP (2025 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 2% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 2.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 3% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 3.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military expenditures 2025
- 3.4% of GDP (2025 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Estonian Defense Forces: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force; Estonian Defense League
Ministry of Interior: Police and Border Guard Board, Internal Security Service (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- 18-27 for compulsory military or governmental service for men; conscript service requirement 8-11 months depending on education; non-commissioned officers, reserve officers, and specialists serve 11 months; women can volunteer, and as of 2018 could serve in any military branch (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the Estonian military has a mix of Soviet-era and more modern, Western-origin weapons and equipment; suppliers in recent years include France, Israel, South Korea, Sweden, Türkiye, and the US (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 7,500 active-duty military personnel (2025)
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Refugees
- 42,439 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 63,944 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index84.0 / 100as of 2024-Q410 / 1902024-Q4
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.85as of 2024-Q42 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusFree (100/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Free press (86/100)as of 2024—2024
Corruption Perceptions Index76 / 100as of 202312 / 1802023
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Estonia — vintage 2026-Q1: Estonia factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/estonia
Sources: Eurostat, FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata