Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
3.4.1. Residence definition for data sent to Eurostat
See sheet 3.4.1 in the annex at the bottom of the file.
3.4.2. National definition
See sheet 3.4.2 in the annex at the bottom of the file.
3.4.3. Deviation of national definition from the definition used in data sent to Eurostat
See sheet 3.4.3 in the annex at the bottom of the file.
3.5. Statistical unit
Number of persons.
3.6. Statistical population
See sheet 3.6 in the annex at the bottom of the file.
3.7. Reference area
Data are available only at national level of geographical detail.
3.8. Coverage - Time
See concept 5.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Counts of statistical units
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31December). The reference period for vital events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred.
The reference period for migration flow data is the calendar year in which the migration occurred.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
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 principles for the treatment of confidential data can be found at the Statistics Estonia website under Data protection.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not applicable.
8.1. Release calendar
Population:Provisional data for the previous year are published in January, with final data released in April or May. (See 17.2. Data revision - practice) Births and deaths:Provisional data are published monthly, and final annual data for the previous year are released in May. Migration:No provisional data are published. Final data for the previous year are released in April or May.
Release calender is accessible through Statistic Estonia website (see 8.2. Release calendar access). It is based on the release policy - data on specific theme is released during the same period each year. All users have access to data at the same time.
Population, Vital and Migration Statistics are published annually.
In addition, provisional statistics on births and deaths are published monthly.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
News items can be viewed on Statistics Estonia's website in the section News.
News releases:
January – population estimates;
April – final population data;
May – life expectancy and disability-free life years.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
No printed publications.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Population data are published under the heading “Population / Population figure and composition” and vital events data under “Population / Vital events” in Statistics Estonia’s Statistical Database.
Statistical information is provided to Eurostat and other international organizations on request and according to legal acts and other agreements.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
This section shows the links to national methodology reports and reference metadata files available on-line concerning the supplied data.
See sheet 10.6 in the annex at the bottom of the file.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not available.
11.1. Quality assurance
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.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
11.2.1. Quality assessment: Type of duration of stay used when counting a person as a migrant according to Art. 2(b) of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007
1. Actual duration of stay of at least 12 months
2. Intended duration of stay of at least 12 months
3. Actual and intended duration of stay of at least 12 months
4. Other. Please specify
Nationals
Immigrants
X
Emigrants
X
EEA citizens
Immigrants
X
Emigrants
X
Non EEA citizens
Immigrants
X
Emigrants
X
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Users are public authorities, municipalities, media, researchers, and individuals.
Nationally, the data are used in public planning, population forecasting, policy development (for example, family and pension policy), research, and public debate.
Internationally, the data are used by international organizations in analysis and research, in-country comparisons, and in policy-making. The data are also used in international research and for private purposes.
Population data are also used widely as a foundation for many other statistics.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Since 1996, Statistics Estonia has conducted reputation and user satisfaction surveys. All results are available on the website of Statistics Estonia in the section User surveys.
12.3. Completeness
The data are complete and in line with Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
This section outlines the potential reasons for unreliability in data concerning population, live births, deaths, immigration, emigration and net migration.
See sheet 13.1 in the annex
13.2. Sampling error
In case of survey as data source, this section provides information on the part of the difference between a population value and an estimate thereof, derived from a random sample, which is because only a subset of the population is enumerated.
See sheet 13.2 in the annex.
13.3. Non-sampling error
In case of survey as data source, this section provides information on the error in survey estimates which cannot be attributed to sampling fluctuations.
See sheet 13.3 in the annex.
14.1. Timeliness
According to Article 4 (2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata (in the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3 (2) of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.
14.2. Punctuality
Data is transmitted on time.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The data are comparable with those of other European Union countries that produce population statistics on the basis of Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
15.2. Comparability - over time
This section provides information on the length of comparable time series (indicating the first reference year for which data are available), reference periods at which break in series occurs, the reasons for the breaks and treatments of them.
See sheet 15.2 in the annex at the bottom of the file.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Information about all vital events is collected on the same basis, so a cross-sectoral analysis is possible.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The data are internally coherent, i.e. all the data in a unit are consistent with each other. The internal coherence of the data is ensured through the use of a common methodology for data collection and aggregation.
Population data are based on administrative sources, therefore there is no burden on the respondents.
Input data and outputs are compared with the data of the previous periods and across different administrative units.
17.2. Data revision - practice
In January, the preliminary population figure as of 1 January is published in the national database. It is based on initial data from the previous year on births, deaths, and registered migration.
In April, an updated population figure—calculated using the residency index methodology—is released in the national database, replacing the preliminary figure.
Other indicators may also be revised if the methodology is updated, errors are identified, or new or improved data become available.
18.1. Source data
This section provides a list of data sources used for the first reference year and any subsequent changes thereto, to produce data.
See sheet 18.1 in the annex at the bottom of the file.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
Administrative data are received via X-Road, an FTP-server, and by email.
Upon receipt of the data, pseudonymisation is performed immediately to ensure the security of data processing and the protection of personal data.
Subsequently, data checks and validation are performed to identify potential deficiencies or errors and to ensure the quality and reliability of the data.
For more information on data validation, see S.18.4 Data validation.
18.4. Data validation
Data are validated in two stages: first, the quality of input data is checked and then the output is assessed.
In the first stage, the quality of input data received from various sources (see S.18.1. Data sources) is assessed. This involves measuring the percentage of missing data for each topic to identify potential gaps. Qualitative controls are also applied to detect logical errors and ensure the data are consistent with expected patterns.
In the second stage, the compiled aggregate output statistics are validated. Topic-specific results are compared with data from previous periods to identify inconsistencies or unusual trends. Where possible, results are cross-referenced with survey-based data sources, such as the Labour Force Survey or the 2011 population census.
18.5. Data compilation
Principles of data processing:
The population is formed at person level, applying a specific method (residency index) to data in various registers. The residency index is used to find the probability of residing in Estonia for each person. The features necessary to identify each person are found by using the different registers in a specific priority order.
When multiple data sources are used for a particular topic, they are applied in a specific priority order, which is defined separately for each subject.
Document-based data sources are preferred to statement-based ones.
For certain topics, age checks are performed when assigning information from data sources. For example, age checks are applied to education data, which means that if the level of education reported in the source is inconsistent with the person’s age, this information is disregarded.
18.6. Adjustment
Since 2016, the usual resident population has been determined using signs-of-life-based methodology called the residency index. The residence index is used to find the probability of living in Estonia for each person. The features necessary to identify each person are found by using the different registers in a specific priority order.
In short: The method is based on the idea that each potential inhabitant of Estonia is assigned an index which shows the person’s likelihood of being a permanent inhabitant of Estonia, i.e. a resident. The value of the index ranges between 0 and 1. The greater the index value, the more likely it is that a person is a resident of Estonia. A threshold is used to make the distinction between definite residents and definite non-residents: those whose index value is above the threshold are considered residents. In order to calculate the index, approximately 20 Estonian administrative registers and sub-registers are used, including the Estonian Education Information System, the State Pension Insurance Register, the health insurance database, etc. Each register or sub-register gives a person one so-called sign of life. The signs of life are not equal; thus, each sign of life has been assigned a weight.
All persons whose index was 0 at the beginning of the year and 1 at the end of the year are recorded as persons having been born or immigrated to Estonia in the respective year. In the opposite situation, where a person’s index was 1 at the beginning of the year and 0 at the year end, the person is considered as having died or emigrated in the respective year. In order to distinguish emigration from births and deaths, register data are used and supplemented with the data of the Police and Border Guard Board.
A register-based alternative would be to base the census population on the Population Register and define the statistical population as the registered population. This would however underestimate the migration in annual population statistics as a significant amount of immigration and emigration is not registered in the Population Register (meaning that people move abroad but do not update their address/country of residence in the Population Register or vice versal people move to Estonia and do not register their place of residence in the Population Register).
See sheet 3.6 in the annex at the bottom of the file.
Data are available only at national level of geographical detail.
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31December). The reference period for vital events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred.
The reference period for migration flow data is the calendar year in which the migration occurred.
This section outlines the potential reasons for unreliability in data concerning population, live births, deaths, immigration, emigration and net migration.
See sheet 13.1 in the annex
Counts of statistical units
Principles of data processing:
The population is formed at person level, applying a specific method (residency index) to data in various registers. The residency index is used to find the probability of residing in Estonia for each person. The features necessary to identify each person are found by using the different registers in a specific priority order.
When multiple data sources are used for a particular topic, they are applied in a specific priority order, which is defined separately for each subject.
Document-based data sources are preferred to statement-based ones.
For certain topics, age checks are performed when assigning information from data sources. For example, age checks are applied to education data, which means that if the level of education reported in the source is inconsistent with the person’s age, this information is disregarded.
This section provides a list of data sources used for the first reference year and any subsequent changes thereto, to produce data.
See sheet 18.1 in the annex at the bottom of the file.
Population, Vital and Migration Statistics are published annually.
In addition, provisional statistics on births and deaths are published monthly.
According to Article 4 (2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata (in the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3 (2) of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.
The data are comparable with those of other European Union countries that produce population statistics on the basis of Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
This section provides information on the length of comparable time series (indicating the first reference year for which data are available), reference periods at which break in series occurs, the reasons for the breaks and treatments of them.
See sheet 15.2 in the annex at the bottom of the file.
