Estonia's population down 13 percent since independence was restored
Statistics Estonia reports the country's population has shrunk by 13 percent since 1991, even as life expectancy and wages have risen sharply over the same period.
Statistics Estonia has released a set of figures comparing the country's current situation with that of 1991, the year independence was restored. The population has dropped by 207,004 people since then, falling from almost 1.568 million in 1991 to 1.361 million as of January 1 this year — a decline of 13 percent.
At the same time, the ethnic makeup of the population has shifted, with native Estonian speakers now accounting for 68.5 percent of residents, up from 61.6 percent on the eve of independence.
Life expectancy and wages climb
In contrast to the population decline, average life expectancy in Estonia has risen from 69.6 to 79.8 years over the same period. Wages have grown even more dramatically, with the gross average wage climbing from just €35 in 1992 to €2,092 last year — a nearly 60-fold increase.
Fewer births and marriages
The birth rate has fallen by more than half, from 19,413 children born in 1991 to 10,173 in 2025. The average age of first-time mothers has also risen, from 22.6 in 1991 to 29.4 last year. Marriages have declined at a similar pace, dropping from 10,292 in 1991 to 5,998 last year.
Shifting economic structure
The employment landscape has also changed significantly. The number of people working in agriculture, forestry and fishing fell from 152,000 in 1991 to just 19,700 last year, roughly 13 percent of the earlier figure. Meanwhile, the number of active companies in Estonia has grown from around 24,000 in the mid-1990s to 160,000 in 2024.
