Demographics of Estonia
Encyclopedia
The demographics of Estonia in the twenty-first century are the result of historical trends over more than a thousand years, just as for most European countries, but have been disproportionately affected by events in the last half of the twentieth century. Impact from the rise and fall of the Soviet Union
, including the annexation and eventual independence of Estonia
, has had a major effect on Estonia's ethnic makeup and educational achievement.
Languages spoken in Estonia are largely reflective of the ethnic group
s composing the country, and thus have changed with historical trends affecting the ethnic makeup of the country. Religion plays a small part in the lives of most Estonians, largely as a result of the Soviet occupation from 1944–1991.
Overall, the quality of life indices for Estonia are reflective of a modern industrial state, with one major exception: The population of Estonia is shrinking. While there are other European countries like Estonia with a birthrate that is at less than replacement levels, Estonia lacks the immigration
found, for example, in Germany
. As such, the population is on a slow downward trend. However, in the most recent years the decline has slowed down considerably and according to preliminary figures the population stabilized in 2010. If the current trends continue, some population growth can be foreseen for the coming years.
have strong ties to the Nordic countries
and Germany
stemming from the strong cultural and religious influences gained over centuries during Danish
, German and Swedish
rule and settlement. This highly literate society places strong emphasis upon education, which is free and compulsory until age 16.
In the twentieth century, Estonia's ethnic makeup was altered radically by policies implemented by the Soviet government. Large numbers of ethnic Russians were incentivized to move into the non-Russian republics, including Estonia. The population was further altered by Joseph Stalin
's mass deportations and executions while many people simply left as a result of World War II
.
, the population of Estonia is shrinking. While there are other European countries like Estonia with a birthrate that is below replacement levels, Estonia lacks immigration to compensate for the negative natural growth. In fact, the number of emigrants is larger than the number of immigrants. As such, the population is on a slow downward trend. The population increased from 1,351,640 in January 1970 to 1,570,599 in January 1990. Since 1990, Estonia lost about 15% of its population (230,000 people). The population decreased to 1,340,194 in January 2011, which is even lower than the number of people that lived in Estonia in 1970.
Although there is a downward population curve, explained by a larger death than birth rate, as well as a larger number of emigrants than immigrants, the line graph of the natural population increase shows the rate of population decrease is slowly diminishing.
, Ukrainians
and Belarussians emigrated. Consequently the proportion of these ethnic groups decreased as can be seen in the results of the 2000 census (see below). Data from 2000–2009 also shows that the number of emigrants is larger than the number of immigrants, but on a much lower lever than in the 1990s.
(98.3%). However, in Harju County
(which includes the national capital, Tallinn
) and Ida-Viru County
, ethnic Estonians make up only 59.6% (55.0% in Tallinn) and 19.7% of the population, respectively. In those two counties, Russians
account for 32.4% (36.4% in Tallinn) and 71.2% of the population, respectively. In the nation as a whole, Russians make up 25.6% of the total population.
After gaining independence following World War I a population census was held in 1922 and 1934. At that time Estonians were still the predominant ethnic group, while all others constituted 12% of the population of Estonia.
Major Jewish communities were present in Estonia between 1918 and 1940 in Tallinn
, Pärnu
, Kilingi-Nõmme
, Narva
, Tartu
, Valga, and Võru
.
As a result of the aforementioned Soviet policies, the share of ethnic Estonians in the population resident within currently defined boundaries of Estonia
dropped to 61.5% in 1989, compared to 88% in 1934. But in the decade following the reconstitution of independence, large scale emigration by ethnic Russians, as well as ethnic groups of other former Soviet countries, and the removal of the Russian military bases in 1994 caused the proportion of ethnic Estonians in Estonia to increase from 61.5% in 1989 to 68.7% in 2008. In the same period the proportion of ethnic Russians decreased from 30.0% to 25.6%, the proportion of ethnic Ukrainians
decreased from 3.1% to 2.1%, and the proportion of ethnic Belarusians
decreased from 1.8% to 1.2%.
As of 2008, the largest ethnic groups in Estonia are Estonians (68.7%), Russians (25.6%), Ukrainians (2.1%), Belarusians (1.2%), and Finns (0.8%). These five groups made up 98.4% of Estonia's population.
(official), Russian
, Ukrainian
, English
, Finnish
, German
and others.
Estonian and Finnish are closely related, belonging to the same Finnic
branch of the Uralic
language family. Nevertheless, the two languages are not mutually intelligible, although educated native speakers can read the other language with a greater or lesser degree of understanding. Estonian and Finnish are only distantly related to the Hungarian language
.
Written with the Latin alphabet
, Estonian is the language of the Estonian people and the official language of the country. One-third of the standard vocabulary is derived from adding suffixes to root words. The oldest known examples of written Estonian originate in 13th century chronicles. During the Soviet era, the Russian language
was imposed in parallel to, and often instead of, Estonian in official use.
Poll 2005, 16% of Estonian citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 54% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 26% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force". This, according to the survey, would have made Estonians
the most non-religious people
in the then 25-member European Union
. A survey conducted in 2006–2008 by Gallup
showed that 14% of Estonians answered positively to the question: "Is religion an important part of your daily life?", which was the lowest among 143 countries polled. Historically, however, Estonia used to be a stronghold of Lutheranism
due to its strong links to the Nordic countries
.
Less than a third of the population define themselves as believers, of those the majority are Lutheran, whereas the Russian minority is Eastern Orthodox. Ancient equinoctial
traditions (like St John's Day) are held in high regard. In 2000, according to the census, 29.2% of the population considered themselves to be related to any religion, thereof:
There are also a number of smaller Protestant
, Jewish
, and Buddhist
groups. The organisation Maavalla Koda
unites adherents of animist traditional religions.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, including the annexation and eventual independence of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, has had a major effect on Estonia's ethnic makeup and educational achievement.
Languages spoken in Estonia are largely reflective of the ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
s composing the country, and thus have changed with historical trends affecting the ethnic makeup of the country. Religion plays a small part in the lives of most Estonians, largely as a result of the Soviet occupation from 1944–1991.
Overall, the quality of life indices for Estonia are reflective of a modern industrial state, with one major exception: The population of Estonia is shrinking. While there are other European countries like Estonia with a birthrate that is at less than replacement levels, Estonia lacks the immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
found, for example, in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. As such, the population is on a slow downward trend. However, in the most recent years the decline has slowed down considerably and according to preliminary figures the population stabilized in 2010. If the current trends continue, some population growth can be foreseen for the coming years.
Historical ties
EstoniansEstonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
have strong ties to the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
stemming from the strong cultural and religious influences gained over centuries during Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, German and Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
rule and settlement. This highly literate society places strong emphasis upon education, which is free and compulsory until age 16.
In the twentieth century, Estonia's ethnic makeup was altered radically by policies implemented by the Soviet government. Large numbers of ethnic Russians were incentivized to move into the non-Russian republics, including Estonia. The population was further altered by Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
's mass deportations and executions while many people simply left as a result of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Population
According to data from Statistics EstoniaStatistics Estonia
Statistics Estonia is the Estonian government agency responsible for producing official statistics regarding Estonia. It is subordinated the Ministry of the Finance.The agency has approximately 400 employees. The office of the agency is located in Tallinn....
, the population of Estonia is shrinking. While there are other European countries like Estonia with a birthrate that is below replacement levels, Estonia lacks immigration to compensate for the negative natural growth. In fact, the number of emigrants is larger than the number of immigrants. As such, the population is on a slow downward trend. The population increased from 1,351,640 in January 1970 to 1,570,599 in January 1990. Since 1990, Estonia lost about 15% of its population (230,000 people). The population decreased to 1,340,194 in January 2011, which is even lower than the number of people that lived in Estonia in 1970.
- 1,340,194 (January 1, 2011; Statistics EstoniaStatistics EstoniaStatistics Estonia is the Estonian government agency responsible for producing official statistics regarding Estonia. It is subordinated the Ministry of the Finance.The agency has approximately 400 employees. The office of the agency is located in Tallinn....
) - 1,340,415 (January 1, 2009; Statistics EstoniaStatistics EstoniaStatistics Estonia is the Estonian government agency responsible for producing official statistics regarding Estonia. It is subordinated the Ministry of the Finance.The agency has approximately 400 employees. The office of the agency is located in Tallinn....
) - 1,376,743 (March 31, 2000; last censusCensusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
)
Although there is a downward population curve, explained by a larger death than birth rate, as well as a larger number of emigrants than immigrants, the line graph of the natural population increase shows the rate of population decrease is slowly diminishing.
Age structure
Between 1970 and 1990 the age structure of Estia was rather stable with around 22% of the population in the age group 0–14 years, 66% between 15 and 65, while 12% was 65 years or older http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=PO021&ti=POPULATION+BY+SEX+AND+AGE+GROUP%2C+1+JANUARY&path=../I_Databas/Population/01Population_indicators_and_composition/04Population_figure_and_composition/&lang=1. Due to the low birth rates after 1990, the proportion of the population 0–14 years of age dropped to 15% in 2009, while the proportion of 65 years or older gradually increased to 17% in 2009. The proportion of the age group 15-64 also slightly increased to 68% in 2009.Births and deaths
From 1947–1989 the number of births was higher than the number of deaths, but from 1990 onwards the number of deaths outnumbered the number of births. The crude birth rate of 2008 was 11.76 (15,763 births) and the crude death rate of 2008 was 12.00 (16,081 deaths), making the rate of natural increase −0.24 (−318). For more detailed historic data, see the table of birth and death rates below.Total fertility rate
Between 1970 and 1990, the total fertility rate (TFR) was little over 2 children born per woman http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=PO033&ti=FERTILITY+INDICATORS&path=../I_Databas/Population/01Population_indicators_and_composition/02Main_demographic_indicators/&lang=1. A fast decrease of the TFR occurred after independence. In 1998 the lowest rate was recorded: 1.28 children born per women. The TFR slightly recovered in the subsequent years. The TFR was 1.66 in 2008 en 1.63 in 2009.Infant mortality rate
The infant mortality rate in Estonia has decreased considerably during the past decades. In 1970 the rate was 17.7 per 1,000 live births http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=PO043&ti=INFANT+MORTALITY+BY+SEX&path=../I_Databas/Population/01Population_indicators_and_composition/02Main_demographic_indicators/&lang=1. The rate decreased to 17.1 in 1980, 12.3 in 1990 and 8.4 in 2000. The lowest infant mortality rate was recorded in 2009: 3.6.Life expectancy at birth
Life expectancy in Estonia is lower than in most Western European countries. During the Soviet era life expactancy in males was between 64 en 66 years and in females between 73 and 75 years http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=PO044&ti=LIFE+EXPECTANCY+BY+SEX+AND+AGE+%281958%2F59%2D1988%29&path=../I_Databas/Population/01Population_indicators_and_composition/02Main_demographic_indicators/&lang=1. After the independence, life expectancy decreased for a number of years. In 1994, the lowest life expectancy was recorded: 60.5 years in males and 72.8 in females. After 1994, life expectancy gradually increased to reach 69.8 years in males and 80.1 in females in 2009.Migration
As the cumulative negative natural growth was about 82,000 during 1991-2010, the remainder of the population decline of Estonia since 1990 (230,000 people in total) was caused by emigration (150,000 people or about 10% of the population of Estonia in 1990). Mainly ethnic RussiansRussians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
and Belarussians emigrated. Consequently the proportion of these ethnic groups decreased as can be seen in the results of the 2000 census (see below). Data from 2000–2009 also shows that the number of emigrants is larger than the number of immigrants, but on a much lower lever than in the 1990s.
Ethnic groups
Today, Estonia is a ethnically fairly diverse country, ranking 97th out of 239 countries and territories in 2001 study by Kok Kheng Yeoh. In 2008, thirteen of Estonia's fifteen counties were over 80% ethnic Estonian. The counties with the highest percentage Estonians are Hiiu County (98.4%) and Saare CountySaare County
Saare County , or Saaremaa, is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It consists of Saaremaa , the largest island of Estonia, and several smaller islands near it. The county borders Lääne County to the east and Hiiu County to the north...
(98.3%). However, in Harju County
Harju County
Harju County , or Harjumaa , nowadays one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in northern Estonia, on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland, and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Järva County to the south-east, Rapla County to the south, and Lääne County to the south-west.528,468 people...
(which includes the national capital, Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
) and Ida-Viru County
Ida-Viru County
Ida-Viru County , or Ida-Virumaa, is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is the most north-eastern part of the country. The county contains large deposits of oil shale - the main mineral mined in Estonia. As oil shale is used in thermal power plants, the earth in Ida-Viru literally holds the largest...
, ethnic Estonians make up only 59.6% (55.0% in Tallinn) and 19.7% of the population, respectively. In those two counties, Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
account for 32.4% (36.4% in Tallinn) and 71.2% of the population, respectively. In the nation as a whole, Russians make up 25.6% of the total population.
After gaining independence following World War I a population census was held in 1922 and 1934. At that time Estonians were still the predominant ethnic group, while all others constituted 12% of the population of Estonia.
Major Jewish communities were present in Estonia between 1918 and 1940 in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, Pärnu
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
, Kilingi-Nõmme
Kilingi-Nõmme
Kilingi-Nõmme is a town in south-western Estonia. It is a centre of Saarde Parish in Pärnu County.Kilingi-Nõmme borough became a town in 1 May 1938....
, Narva
Narva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
, Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
, Valga, and Võru
Võru
Võru is a town and a municipality in south-eastern Estonia. It is the capital of Võru County and the centre of Võru Parish.-History:Võru was founded on 21 August 1784, according to the wish of the Empress Catherine II of Russia, by the order of Riga Governor general count George Browne, on the...
.
| Ethnic group |
census 19221 | census 19341 | census 19592 | census 19703 | census 19794 | census 19895 | census 2000 http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=PC225&ti=POPULATION+BY+ETHNIC+NATIONALITY%2C+MOTHER+TONGUE+AND+CITIZENSHIP&path=../I_Databas/Population_census/08Ethnic_nationality._Mother_tongue._Command_of_foreign_languages/&lang=1 | 20096 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |||
| Estonians Estonians Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian... |
969,976 | 87.6 | 992,520 | 88.1 | 892,653 | 74.6 | 925,157 | 68.2 | 947,812 | 64.7 | 963,281 | 61.5 | 930,219 | 67.9 | 921,484 | 68.7 | ||
| Russians Russians The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.... |
91,109 | 8.2 | 92,656 | 8.2 | 240,227 | 20.1 | 334,620 | 24.7 | 408,778 | 27.9 | 474,834 | 30.3 | 351,178 | 25.6 | 342,966 | 25.6 | ||
| Ukrainians Ukrainians Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens... |
— | 92 | 0.0 | 15,769 | 1.3 | 28,086 | 2.1 | 36,044 | 2.5 | 48,271 | 3.1 | 29,012 | 2.1 | 27,878 | 2.1 | |||
| Belarusians Belarusians Belarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian... |
— | — | 10,930 | 0.9 | 18,732 | 1.4 | 23,461 | 1.6 | 27,711 | 1.8 | 17,241 | 1.3 | 15,717 | 1.2 | ||||
| Finns | 401 | 0.0 | 1,088 | 0.1 | 16,699 | 1.4 | 18,537 | 1.4 | 17,753 | 1.2 | 16,622 | 1.1 | 11,837 | 0.9 | 10,767 | 0.8 | ||
| Tatars Tatars Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,... |
— | 166 | 0.0 | 1,534 | 0.1 | 2,204 | 0.2 | 3,195 | 0.2 | 4,058 | 0.3 | 2,582 | 0.2 | 2,461 | 0.2 | |||
| Latvians Latvians Latvians or Letts are the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia.-History:Latvians occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which may have originated from the word Latve which is a name of the river that presumably flowed through what is now eastern Latvia... |
1,966 | 0.2 | 5,435 | 0.5 | 2,888 | 0.2 | 3,286 | 0.2 | 3,963 | 0.3 | 3,135 | 0.2 | 2,330 | 0.2 | 2,199 | 0.2 | ||
| Poles Poles thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe... |
969 | 0.1 | 1,608 | 0.1 | 2,256 | 0.2 | 2,651 | 0.2 | 2,897 | 0.2 | 3,008 | 0.2 | 2,193 | 0.2 | 2,035 | 0.2 | ||
| Jews Jews The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation... |
4,566 | 0.4 | 4,434 | 0.4 | 5,433 | 0.5 | 5,282 | 0.4 | 4,954 | 0.3 | 4,613 | 0.3 | 2,145 | 0.2 | 1,830 | 0.1 | ||
| Lithuanians Lithuanians Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language... |
436 | 0.0 | 253 | 0.0 | 1,616 | 0.1 | 2,356 | 0.2 | 2,379 | 0.2 | 2,568 | 0.2 | 2,116 | 0.2 | 2,072 | 0.2 | ||
| Germans Germans The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages.... |
18,319 | 1.7 | 16,346 | 1.5 | 670 | 0.1 | 7,850 | 0.6 | 3,944 | 0.3 | 3,466 | 0.2 | 1,870 | 0.1 | 1,905 | 0.1 | ||
| Swedes Swedes Swedes are a Scandinavian nation and ethnic group native to Sweden, mostly inhabiting Sweden and the other Nordic countries, with descendants living in a number of countries.-Etymology:... |
7,850 | 0.7 | 7,641 | 0.7 | — | 435 | 0.0 | 254 | 0.0 | 297 | 0.0 | 300 | 0.0 | — | ||||
| Others | 11,467 | 1.0 | 4,266 | 0.4 | 6,116 | 0.5 | 6,883 | 0.5 | 9,042 | 0.6 | 13,798 | 0.9 | 17,0297 | 1.2 | 9,101 | 0.7 | ||
| Total | 1,107,059 | 1,126,413 | 1,196,791 | 1,356,079 | 1,464,476 | 1,565,662 | 1,370,052 | 1,340,415 | ||||||||||
| 1 Source: http://www.miksike.ee/docs/lisakogud/tolerants/vahemused/vahemused_tekst.htm. 2 Source: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_59.php. 3 Source: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_70.php. 4 Source: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_79.php. 5 Source: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/sng_nac_89.php. 6 Source: http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=PO0222&ti=POPULATION+BY+SEX%2C+ETHNIC+NATIONALITY+AND+COUNTY%2C+1+JANUARY&path=../I_Databas/Population/01Population_indicators_and_composition/04Population_figure_and_composition/&lang=1 7 including 1,444 Armenians Armenians Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian.... , 880 Azeri, 645 Moldavians, 562 Mordvins, 542 Romani Romani Romani relates or may refer to:- Nationality :*The Romani people**their Romani language*The Latin term for the ancient Romans, see Roman citizenship*The Italian term for inhabitants of Rome... , 495 Chuvash Chuvash Chuvash may refer to:*Chuvash people*Chuvash language*Chuvashia, a republic in Russia*Çuvaş, Azerbaijan... , 430 Georgians Georgians The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America.... , 430 Karelians Karelians The Karelians are a Baltic-Finnic ethnic group living mostly in the Republic of Karelia and in other north-western parts of the Russian Federation. The historic homeland of Karelians includes also parts of present-day Eastern Finland and the formerly Finnish territory of Ladoga Karelia... , 358 Izhorians Izhorians The Izhorians , along with the Votes are an indigenous people of Ingria. Small numbers can still be found in the Western part of Ingria, between the Narva and Neva rivers in northwestern Russia.- History :The history of the Izhorians is bound to the history of Ingria... , 245 Mari, 241 Udmurts, 204 Bulgarians Bulgarians The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:... , 172 Hungarians, 169 Koreans, 152 Bashkirs Bashkirs The Bashkirs are a Turkic people indigenous to Bashkortostan extending on both parts of the Ural mountains, on the place where Europe meets Asia. Groups of Bashkirs also live in the republic of Tatarstan, Perm Krai, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Samara and Saratov Oblasts of... , 150 Greeks Greeks The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world.... , 138 Komi Komi The name Komi may refer to:*Komi Republic, a republic in Russia**Komi peoples**Komi language, languages of the Komi peoples *Komi, a short name for komidashi, a rule used in the board game Go... , 133 US Americans, 132 Uzbeks Uzbeks The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China... , 127 Kazakhs Kazakhs The Kazakhs are a Turkic people of the northern parts of Central Asia .... , 121 Lezghins, 116 Ossetians Ossetians The Ossetians are an Iranic ethnic group of the Caucasus Mountains, eponymous of the region known as Ossetia.They speak Ossetic, an Iranian language of the Eastern branch, with most also fluent in Russian as a second language.... , 1,224 others (all less than 100) and 7,919 ethnicity unknown |
||||||||||||||||||
As a result of the aforementioned Soviet policies, the share of ethnic Estonians in the population resident within currently defined boundaries of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
dropped to 61.5% in 1989, compared to 88% in 1934. But in the decade following the reconstitution of independence, large scale emigration by ethnic Russians, as well as ethnic groups of other former Soviet countries, and the removal of the Russian military bases in 1994 caused the proportion of ethnic Estonians in Estonia to increase from 61.5% in 1989 to 68.7% in 2008. In the same period the proportion of ethnic Russians decreased from 30.0% to 25.6%, the proportion of ethnic Ukrainians
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
decreased from 3.1% to 2.1%, and the proportion of ethnic Belarusians
Belarusians
Belarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian...
decreased from 1.8% to 1.2%.
As of 2008, the largest ethnic groups in Estonia are Estonians (68.7%), Russians (25.6%), Ukrainians (2.1%), Belarusians (1.2%), and Finns (0.8%). These five groups made up 98.4% of Estonia's population.
Languages
Many languages are spoken in Estonia, including EstonianEstonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
(official), Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and others.
Estonian and Finnish are closely related, belonging to the same Finnic
Finnic languages
The term Finnic languages often means the Baltic-Finnic languages, an undisputed branch of the Uralic languages. However, it is also commonly used to mean the Finno-Permic languages, a hypothetical intermediate branch that includes Baltic Finnic, or the more disputed Finno-Volgaic languages....
branch of the Uralic
Uralic languages
The Uralic languages constitute a language family of some three dozen languages spoken by approximately 25 million people. The healthiest Uralic languages in terms of the number of native speakers are Hungarian, Finnish, Estonian, Mari and Udmurt...
language family. Nevertheless, the two languages are not mutually intelligible, although educated native speakers can read the other language with a greater or lesser degree of understanding. Estonian and Finnish are only distantly related to the Hungarian language
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
.
Written with the Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
, Estonian is the language of the Estonian people and the official language of the country. One-third of the standard vocabulary is derived from adding suffixes to root words. The oldest known examples of written Estonian originate in 13th century chronicles. During the Soviet era, the Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
was imposed in parallel to, and often instead of, Estonian in official use.
Religion
According to the most recent EurobarometerEurobarometer
Eurobarometer is a series of surveys regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission since 1973. It produces reports of public opinion of certain issues relating to the European Union across the member states...
Poll 2005, 16% of Estonian citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 54% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 26% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force". This, according to the survey, would have made Estonians
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
the most non-religious people
Irreligion
Irreligion is defined as an absence of religion or an indifference towards religion. Sometimes it may also be defined more narrowly as hostility towards religion. When characterized as hostility to religion, it includes antitheism, anticlericalism and antireligion. When characterized as...
in the then 25-member European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. A survey conducted in 2006–2008 by Gallup
The Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
showed that 14% of Estonians answered positively to the question: "Is religion an important part of your daily life?", which was the lowest among 143 countries polled. Historically, however, Estonia used to be a stronghold of Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
due to its strong links to the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
.
Less than a third of the population define themselves as believers, of those the majority are Lutheran, whereas the Russian minority is Eastern Orthodox. Ancient equinoctial
Equinox
An equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator...
traditions (like St John's Day) are held in high regard. In 2000, according to the census, 29.2% of the population considered themselves to be related to any religion, thereof:
- 13.6% Lutheran ChristiansLutheranismLutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
- 12.8% Orthodox ChristiansEastern Orthodox ChurchThe Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
- 6,009 Baptists
- 5,745 Roman CatholicsRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
- 4,268 Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
- 2,648 PentecostalsPentecostalismPentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
- 2,515 Old Believers
- 1,561 AdventistAdventistAdventism is a Christian movement which began in the 19th century, in the context of the Second Great Awakening revival in the United States. The name refers to belief in the imminent Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It was started by William Miller, whose followers became known as Millerites...
s - 1,455 Methodists
- 1,387 MuslimsIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
- 5,008 followers of other religions
There are also a number of smaller Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
groups. The organisation Maavalla Koda
Maavalla Koda
Maavalla Koda is a religious organisation uniting adherents of two Estonian native religious denominations, Taaraism and Maausk....
unites adherents of animist traditional religions.
Table of birth and death rates
- Source: Statistics Estonia
| Average population (x 1000) | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 1,197 | 26,865 | 20,882 | 5,983 | 22.4 | 17.4 | 5.0 |
| 1915 | 1,188 | 24,680 | 21,841 | 2,839 | 20.8 | 18.4 | 2.4 |
| 1916 | 1,154 | 21,282 | 25,429 | −4,147 | 18.4 | 22.0 | −3.6 |
| 1917 | 1,120 | 18,333 | 27,336 | −9,003 | 16.4 | 24.4 | −8.0 |
| 1918 | 1,086 | 21,659 | 32,488 | −10,829 | 19.9 | 29.9 | −10.0 |
| 1919 | 1,064 | 18,456 | 28,800 | −10,344 | 17.3 | 27.1 | −9.7 |
| 1920 | 1,068 | 19,625 | 21,363 | −1,738 | 18.4 | 20.0 | −1.6 |
| 1921 | 1,087 | 22,067 | 17,143 | 4,924 | 20.3 | 15.8 | 4.5 |
| 1922 | 1,102 | 22,255 | 18,401 | 3,854 | 20.2 | 16.7 | 3.5 |
| 1923 | 1,111 | 22,347 | 16,630 | 5,717 | 20.1 | 15.0 | 5.1 |
| 1924 | 1,116 | 21,441 | 16,918 | 4,523 | 19.2 | 15.2 | 4.1 |
| 1925 | 1,117 | 20,445 | 16,680 | 3,765 | 18.3 | 14.9 | 3.4 |
| 1926 | 1,117 | 19,977 | 18,047 | 1,900 | 17.9 | 16.2 | 1.7 |
| 1927 | 1,116 | 19,705 | 19,356 | 500 | 17.7 | 17.3 | 0.4 |
| 1928 | 1,116 | 20,064 | 17,785 | 2,279 | 18.0 | 15.9 | 2.0 |
| 1929 | 1,116 | 19,110 | 20,178 | −1,068 | 17.1 | 18.1 | −1.0 |
| 1930 | 1,116 | 19,471 | 16,610 | 2,861 | 17.4 | 14.9 | 2.6 |
| 1931 | 1,118 | 19,509 | 18,077 | 1,432 | 17.4 | 16.2 | 1.3 |
| 1932 | 1,122 | 19,742 | 16,641 | 3,101 | 17.6 | 14.8 | 2.8 |
| 1933 | 1,124 | 18,208 | 16,472 | 1,736 | 16.2 | 14.7 | 1.5 |
| 1934 | 1,126 | 17,305 | 15,853 | 1,452 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 1.3 |
| 1935 | 1,129 | 17,891 | 16,864 | 1,027 | 15.8 | 14.9 | 0.9 |
| 1936 | 1,130 | 18,222 | 17,594 | 628 | 16.1 | 15.6 | 0.6 |
| 1937 | 1,131 | 18,190 | 16,614 | 1,576 | 16.1 | 14.7 | 1.4 |
| 1938 | 1,133 | 18,453 | 16,496 | 1,957 | 16.3 | 14.6 | 1.7 |
| 1939 | 1,128 | 18,475 | 17,101 | 1,374 | 16.4 | 15.2 | 1.2 |
| 1940 | 1,096 | 18,407 | 19,024 | −617 | 16.8 | 17.4 | −0.6 |
| 1941 | 1,044 | 19,574 | 23,702 | −4,128 | 18.8 | 22.7 | −4.0 |
| 1942 | 1,017 | 19,242 | 20,276 | −1,034 | 18.9 | 19.9 | −1.0 |
| 1943 | 1,006 | 16,001 | 18,120 | −2,119 | 15.9 | 18.0 | −2.1 |
| 1944 | 990 | 15,180 | 24,700 | −9,520 | 15.3 | 24.9 | −9.6 |
| 1945 | 879 | 14,968 | 20,708 | −5,740 | 17.0 | 23.6 | −6.5 |
| 1946 | 928 | 19,408 | 19,969 | −561 | 20.9 | 21.5 | −0.6 |
| 1947 | 977 | 22,721 | 21,492 | 1,229 | 23.3 | 22.0 | 1.3 |
| 1948 | 1,026 | 21,777 | 17,549 | 4,228 | 21.2 | 17.1 | 4.1 |
| 1949 | 1,074 | 21,770 | 16,730 | 5,040 | 20.3 | 15.6 | 4.7 |
| 1950 | 1,101 | 20,279 | 15,817 | 4,462 | 18.4 | 14.4 | 4.1 |
| 1951 | 1,114 | 20,730 | 15,354 | 5,376 | 18.6 | 13.7 | 4.8 |
| 1952 | 1,126 | 21,111 | 15,817 | 5,294 | 18.7 | 14.0 | 4.7 |
| 1953 | 1,138 | 20,146 | 14,420 | 5,726 | 17.7 | 12.7 | 5.0 |
| 1954 | 1,149 | 20,909 | 13,981 | 6,928 | 18.2 | 12.2 | 6.0 |
| 1955 | 1,160 | 20,786 | 13,638 | 7,148 | 17.9 | 11.8 | 6.2 |
| 1956 | 1,171 | 19,660 | 12,748 | 6,912 | 16.8 | 10.9 | 5.9 |
| 1957 | 1,181 | 19,509 | 13,026 | 6,483 | 16.5 | 11.0 | 5.5 |
| 1958 | 1,192 | 19,598 | 12,971 | 6,627 | 16.4 | 10.9 | 5.6 |
| 1959 | 1,203 | 19,938 | 13,130 | 6,808 | 16.5 | 10.9 | 5.7 |
| 1960 | 1,216 | 20,187 | 12,738 | 7,449 | 16.6 | 10.5 | 6.1 |
| 1961 | 1,229 | 20,230 | 13,036 | 7,194 | 16.5 | 10.6 | 5.9 |
| 1962 | 1,243 | 19,959 | 13,495 | 6,464 | 16.1 | 10.9 | 5.2 |
| 1963 | 1,258 | 19,275 | 13,251 | 6,024 | 15.3 | 10.5 | 4.8 |
| 1964 | 1,276 | 19,629 | 12,754 | 6,875 | 15.4 | 10.0 | 5.4 |
| 1965 | 1,291 | 18,909 | 13,520 | 5,389 | 14.6 | 10.5 | 4.2 |
| 1966 | 1,303 | 18,629 | 13,800 | 4,829 | 14.3 | 10.6 | 3.7 |
| 1967 | 1,314 | 18,671 | 13,699 | 4,972 | 14.2 | 10.4 | 3.8 |
| 1968 | 1,327 | 19,782 | 14,225 | 5,557 | 14.9 | 10.7 | 4.2 |
| 1969 | 1,345 | 20,781 | 15,150 | 5,631 | 15.5 | 11.3 | 4.2 |
| 1970 | 1,360 | 21,552 | 15,186 | 6,366 | 15.8 | 11.2 | 4.7 |
| 1971 | 1,377 | 22,118 | 15,038 | 7,080 | 16.1 | 10.9 | 5.1 |
| 1972 | 1,393 | 21,757 | 15,520 | 6,237 | 15.6 | 11.1 | 4.5 |
| 1973 | 1,406 | 21,239 | 15,573 | 5,666 | 15.1 | 11.1 | 4.0 |
| 1974 | 1,418 | 21,461 | 15,393 | 6,068 | 15.1 | 10.9 | 4.3 |
| 1975 | 1,429 | 21,360 | 16,572 | 4,788 | 14.9 | 11.6 | 3.4 |
| 1976 | 1,440 | 21,801 | 17,351 | 4,450 | 15.1 | 12.0 | 3.1 |
| 1977 | 1,450 | 21,977 | 17,094 | 4,883 | 15.2 | 11.8 | 3.4 |
| 1978 | 1,460 | 21,842 | 17,812 | 4,030 | 15.0 | 12.2 | 2.8 |
| 1979 | 1,468 | 21,879 | 18,062 | 3,817 | 14.9 | 12.3 | 2.6 |
| 1980 | 1,477 | 22,204 | 18,199 | 4,005 | 15.0 | 12.3 | 2.7 |
| 1981 | 1,488 | 22,937 | 18,349 | 4,588 | 15.4 | 12.3 | 3.1 |
| 1982 | 1,498 | 23,128 | 17,893 | 5,235 | 15.4 | 11.9 | 3.5 |
| 1983 | 1,509 | 24,155 | 18,190 | 5,965 | 16.0 | 12.1 | 4.0 |
| 1984 | 1,519 | 24,234 | 19,086 | 5,148 | 16.0 | 12.6 | 3.4 |
| 1985 | 1,529 | 23,630 | 19,343 | 4,287 | 15.5 | 12.7 | 2.8 |
| 1986 | 1,540 | 24,106 | 17,986 | 6,120 | 15.7 | 11.7 | 4.0 |
| 1987 | 1,552 | 25,086 | 18,279 | 6,807 | 16.2 | 11.8 | 4.4 |
| 1988 | 1,562 | 25,060 | 18,551 | 6,509 | 16.0 | 11.9 | 4.2 |
| 1989 | 1,568 | 24,318 | 18,536 | 5,762 | 15.5 | 11.8 | 3.7 |
| 1990 | 1,569 | 22,304 | 19,531 | 2,778 | 14.2 | 12.4 | 1.8 |
| 1991 | 1,561 | 19,413 | 19,715 | −302 | 12.4 | 12.6 | −0.2 |
| 1992 | 1,533 | 18,038 | 20,126 | −2,088 | 11.8 | 13.1 | −1.4 |
| 1993 | 1,494 | 15,253 | 21,286 | −6,033 | 10.2 | 14.2 | −4.0 |
| 1994 | 1,463 | 14,176 | 22,212 | −8,036 | 9.7 | 15.2 | −5.5 |
| 1995 | 1,437 | 13,509 | 20,828 | −7,319 | 9.4 | 14.5 | −5.1 |
| 1996 | 1,416 | 13,242 | 19,020 | −5,778 | 9.4 | 13.4 | −4.1 |
| 1997 | 1,400 | 12,577 | 18,572 | −5,995 | 9.0 | 13.3 | −4.3 |
| 1998 | 1,386 | 12,167 | 19,445 | −7,278 | 8.8 | 14.0 | −5.3 |
| 1999 | 1,376 | 12,425 | 18,447 | −6,022 | 9.0 | 13.4 | −4.4 |
| 2000 | 1,369 | 13,067 | 18,403 | −5,336 | 9.5 | 13.4 | −3.9 |
| 2001 | 1,364 | 12,632 | 18,516 | −5,884 | 9.3 | 13.6 | −4.3 |
| 2002 | 1,359 | 13,001 | 18,355 | −5,354 | 9.6 | 13.5 | −3.9 |
| 2003 | 1,354 | 13,036 | 18,152 | −5,116 | 9.6 | 13.4 | −3.8 |
| 2004 | 1,349 | 13,992 | 17,685 | −3,693 | 10.4 | 13.1 | −2.7 |
| 2005 | 1,346 | 14,350 | 17,316 | −2,966 | 10.7 | 12.9 | −2.2 |
| 2006 | 1,344 | 14,877 | 17,316 | −2,439 | 11.1 | 12.9 | −1.8 |
| 2007 | 1,342 | 15,775 | 17,409 | −1,634 | 11.8 | 13.0 | −1.2 |
| 2008 | 1,341 | 16,028 | 16,675 | −647 | 12.0 | 12.4 | −0.5 |
| 2009 | 1,340 | 15,763 | 16,081 | −318 | 11.8 | 12.0 | −0.2 |
| 2010 | 1,340 | 15,825 | 15,790 | 35 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 0.0 |
See also
- EstonianizationEstonianizationEstonianization is the changing of one's personal names from other languages into Estonian, or the development of Estonian language, culture and identity within educational and other state institutions through various programs.-Family names:...
- Baltic Germans
- Estonian SwedesEstonian SwedesThe Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
- Russians in Estonia
- VõrosVõrosVõros are inhabitants of historical Võrumaa , a region in Southeastern Estonia . The term is particularly used by proponents of a regional identity.About 70 000 people live in historical Võrumaa...
- Aging of EuropeAging of EuropeThe Ageing of Europe, also known as the greying of Europe, is a demographic phenomenon in Europe characterized by a decrease in fertility, a decrease in mortality rate, and a higher life expectancy among Europeans.-Overall trends:...