Statistics Estonia

Population and Social Statistics Department

Total usually resident population for the purposes of qualified majority voting in the Council.

Not applicable.

Total usually resident population at country level.

The total usually resident population at country level.

According to Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 on European demographic statistics, article 2(c) and 2(d), ‘Usual residence’ means the place where a person normally spends the daily period of rest, regardless of temporary absences for purposes of recreation, holidays, visits to friends and relatives, business, medical treatment or religious pilgrimage. The following persons alone shall be considered to be usual residents of a specific geographical area:

1. those who have lived in their place of usual residence for a continuous period of at least 12 months before the reference time; or
2. those who arrived in their place of usual residence during the 12 months before the reference time with the intention of staying there for at least one year.

Usually residence population is determined using residency index - methodology based on sign-of-life approach. More information: Implementation of the residency index in demographic statistics.

Number of persons.

Total usually resident population.

Data are available at country level.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Number of persons.

The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December).

Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on European demographic statistics.

Not applicable.

The dissemination of data collected for the purpose of producing official statistics is guided by the requirements provided for in § 32, § 34, § 35, § 38 of the Official Statistics Act.

The dissemination of data collected for the production of official statistics is based on the requirements laid down in §§ 34 and 35 of the Official Statistics Act.

The principles for treatment of confidential data can be found on Statistics Estonia webpage. 

Not applicable.

Calendar | Statistikaamet

Not applicable.

Annual.

The news release “Preliminary Population” is published in January, the news release “Revised population” in May. 

Year 2024 press releases: 

Preliminary population, 1 January 2024: Estonia's population| Statistikaamet

Revised final population, 1 January 2024: Estonia's population is increasing due to Ukrainian immigration | Statistikaamet

Not applicable.

National-level data on usually resident population is available here: Statistical database

In addition, the population figures collected under the Article 4 of the Regulation (EU) 1260/2013 are published in Eurostat's online database in the table "Usually resident population on 1 January (demo_urespop)".

Legal persons and organisations can use for research confidential data held by Statistics Estonia. The data can be used remotely in research environment. Access can be requested on the dedicated Statistics Estonia webpage.

Processing of personal data of special categories is also subject to authorisation by the ethics committee and/or the Data Protection Inspectorate.

Not applicable.

Implementation of the residency index in demographic statistics (updated 2021)

Description of the 2021 register-based census methodology (updated 2023, for usually resident population see Section 1.1. Population of persons)

Not applicable.

To assure the quality of processes and products, Statistics Estonia applies the EFQM Excellence Model, EU Statistics Code of Practice and the ESS Quality Assurance Framework (QAF). Statistics Estonia is also guided by the requirements provided for in § 7. „Principles and quality criteria of producing official statistics” of the Official Statistics Act.

Data requested in Art. 4.1 of Reg. 1260/2013.

Not applicable.

Data transmitted as requested in Art. 4.1 of Reg. 1260/2013.

Usually residence population is determined using residency index - methodology based on sign-of-life approach. More information: Implementation of the residency index in demographic statistics.

The general indexing principles have been established and model parameters have undergone empirical assessment. However, the methodology is still evolving, and new signs can be added, depending on new information becoming available.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

For the purposes of qualified majority voting in the Council, Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data on the total population at national level at the reference time, in accordance with Article 2 ( c ), within eight months of the end of the reference year.

The actual delivery date is established by the Regulation (EU) 1260/2013.

Data are comparable with other countries. 

Population statistics are available since 1919. 

Total usually resident population is used in all domains.

Data are consistent within the dataset and across all tables.

Population statistics are based on administrative sources, therefore there is no burden on the respondents.

The data revision policy and notification of corrections are described in the section Principles of dissemination of official statistics of the website of Statistics Estonia.

The published data may be revised if errors are discovered.

Revised outputs in the national statistical database are labelled with the new publishing date and the details of an update are described in the Notes section accompanied by the data table.

Data sources for determining usually resident population: 

• Register of Residence and Work Permits
• Estonian Education Information System
• Employment Register   
• Social Services and Benefits Registry    
• National Defence Obligation Register    
• Traffic Register
• E-File, information system for the expedited payment order procedure
• Estonian Unemployment Information System      
• Health Insurance Information System   
• Estonian Medical Prescription Centre    
• Identity Documents Database   
• Prisoners’ Register        
• Population Register      
• State Personnel and Payroll Database   
• Database of Work Ability Assessment and Work Ability Allowance                    
• European Social Fund
• Register of Taxable Persons       

Annualy.

Administrative data are received via X-Road, an FTP-server and by e-mail.

Arithmetic and qualitative controls are used in the validation process, including comparison with the data of previous periods and other surveys.

Not applicable.

Not applicable. 

Data are submitted in accordance with the requirements of Eurostat.