Estonia Destinations Travel Guide
Language: Estonian
Currency: Estonian kroon (EEK)
Calling Code: 372
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a Baltic republic located in northern Europe. Since 2004, it has been part of the European Union (EU) and NATO. It is bordered on the south by Latvia, on the east by Russia, on the north by the Gulf of Finland and on the west by the Baltic Sea. The territory of Estonia comprises a continental region and a set of 2 222 islands and islets within the Baltic Sea, covering a total of 45 228 km2. It is divided politically into 15 counties, and the capital of the country is its largest city, Tallinn With a population of 1.3 million, Estonia is one of the least populated countries within the European Union. The Estonian people are ethnically and linguistically related to the Finnish and have historical and cultural ties with the Nordic countries as well as the other two Baltic countries, this despite the fact that the Nordic countries do not yet recognize their affiliation to this group, although they are negotiations to join the Nordic Council, being the member countries observers of the Nordic bloc. Estonia adopted the euro on January 1, 2011, replacing the Estonian crown.
Until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,
Estonians called themselves maarahvas, which literally means “the
people of the earth,” that is, engaged in agriculture. The term
eestlane comes from Latin (Aesti). So called Tacitus in "Germany"
the people inhabiting the far coast of the Baltic Sea. Ancient
Scandinavian sagas contain a mention of a land called Eistland - so
Estonia is still called in the Icelandic language, which is close to
the Danish, German, Dutch, Swedish and Norwegian versions of the
name - Estland. Early Latin sources also contain versions of the
name of the territory of Estia and Hestia (Estia and Hestia).
After independence in 1918, the country received the name
"Estonia" (Esthonia), under this name it joined the League of
Nations in 1921. After joining the USSR in 1940, the country was
renamed the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, and after the
collapse of the USSR in 1991, it became known as the Republic of
Estonia.
North Estonia
Rakvere
Paldiski
Kunda
Tapa
Käsmu
Türi
Võsu
Aruküla
Kaberneeme
Laulasmaa
Lahemaa National Park
Paide Castle
Toolse Castle
East Estonia
Narva
Narva-Jõesuu
Jõhvi
Sillamäe
Mustvee
Toila
Kohtla-Järve
Kuremäe
Püssi
West Estonia and Islands
Pärnu
Haapsalu
Kuressaare
Kärdla
Kabli
Noarootsi
Valgeranna
Nõva
Saaremaa
Island
Hiiumaa Island
Matsalu National Park
Vilsandi National Park
South Estonia
Tartu
Viljandi
Otepää
Valga
Võru
Obinitsa
Tõrva
Elva
Soomaa National Park
Laiuse Castle
Sangaste
Manor
Taevaskoja Sandstone Cliffs
Until the 18th-19th centuries, Estonians called themselves maarahvas,
which literally means "people of the earth", that is, engaged in
agriculture. The term eestlane comes from Latin (Aesti). This is how
Tacitus called in "Germany" the people inhabiting the far shore of the
Baltic Sea.
The ancient Scandinavian sagas contain a mention of a
land called Eistland (Estland) - so Estonia is still called in
Icelandic, which is close to the Danish, German, Dutch, Swedish and
Norwegian version of the name - Estland (Estland). Early sources in
Latin also contain versions of the name of the territory Estia and
Hestia (Estia and Hestia).
After declaring independence in 1918,
the country received the name "Estonia" (Esthonia), under this name it
joined the League of Nations in 1921. According to the constitutions of
1920 and 1934, the country was called the Republic of Estonia. In 1940,
with the accession to the USSR, the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
was formed, and after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the pre-Soviet
name was restored.
The toponym Estland/Eistland is associated
with the Old Norse aust, austr, which means "east".
The first settlements arose in the territory where modern Estonia is
located, in 9600-9500 BC. e. within the framework of the so-called Kund
culture. By the 10th-13th centuries, an early feudal structure of
society had developed, where elders and leaders of military squads were
at the head of the lands.
In the XIII century, the crusaders,
having suppressed the resistance of the Estonians, included their lands
in the lands of the Livonian Order. Since that time, the Germans have
occupied key positions in power structures, culture, economy and so on
in Estonia for several centuries. In the 16th century, Estonia went
through the era of the Reformation, since that time Protestantism has
become the main religious denomination on its territory. In the same
century, following the results of the Livonian War, northern Estonia
became part of Sweden, and half a century later, southern Estonia was
also included in Sweden.
Following the results of the Northern
War between the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Sweden, on August 30
(September 10), 1721, the Treaty of Nystadt was signed. Sweden
recognized the annexation of Livonia, Estonia and other territories to
Russia, and Russia undertook to pay compensation to Sweden in 2 million
efimki (1.3 million rubles) for these lands. After the collapse of the
Russian Empire, the southern part of the Livland province became part of
Latvia, and the northern part became part of Estonia.
According
to the 1897 census, 958,000 people lived in the Estland province, of
which slightly more than 90% were Estonians, 4.5% Russians and 3.5%
Germans.
After the collapse of the Russian Empire on February 24,
1918, the Republic of Estonia was proclaimed. Independence was achieved
during the War of Independence. On February 2, 1920, the RSFSR and
Estonia signed a peace treaty on mutual recognition.
On June 15,
1920, the constitution of the Republic of Estonia was adopted (entered
into force on December 21). According to her, Estonia was a
parliamentary republic. The Riigikogu (“National Assembly”) became the
highest body of legislative power.
On September 22, 1921, Estonia
became a member of the League of Nations.
In September 1939, the
Mutual Assistance Pact was signed. On June 22, 1940, the State Duma of
Estonia adopted the Declaration on joining the Soviet Union, and on
August 6, Estonia was included in the USSR. In the period from July 7,
1941 to November 24, 1944, the territory of Estonia was occupied by Nazi
Germany. After the Soviet troops occupied the territory of Estonia, the
control of the USSR was restored on it, the USA and a number of other
countries recognized the inclusion of Estonia in the USSR de facto and
did not recognize it de jure. Most Western historians and political
scientists, as well as a number of Russian ones, characterize the
annexation process as occupation and annexation.
On May 8, 1990,
the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR adopted a law restoring the
validity of the 1938 Constitution of the independent Republic of
Estonia. On August 20, 1991, Estonia confirmed its independence, and on
September 17 of the same year was admitted to the UN. On May 1, 2004,
Estonia became a member of the European Union and NATO.
On
December 9, 2010, Estonia became the first among the post-Soviet
countries to become a member of the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development. On 1 January 2011, Estonia switched to the
euro.
The area of the country is 45,227 km2, the length from north to
south is 240 km, and from west to east 350 km. Located in the
northeastern part of Europe. It is washed from the north by the waters
of the Gulf of Finland, from the west by the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of
Riga, it borders on Latvia in the south and Russia in the east. Estonia
has a land border with Latvia; the border with Russia runs along the
Narva River, Lake Peipsi and Pskov and along the land section with the
Pskov region. The length of the coastline is 3794 km. Estonia includes
2,355 islands in the Baltic Sea with a total area of 4.2 thousand km2.
The largest of them are Saaremaa (2673 km2) and Hiiumaa (1023.26 km2),
as well as Muhu (206 km2), Vormsi (93 km2), Kihnu (16.4 km2) and others.
less than 5% of the country's population lives. The rivers of Estonia
are small, but full-flowing enough. The climate of Estonia is
transitional from temperate maritime to temperate continental with mild
winters and cool summers. The climate is greatly influenced by Atlantic
cyclones, the air is always humid due to the proximity of the sea.
Estonian lakes occupy about 5% of the country's territory, there are
more than 1100 of them, almost all of them are of glacial origin.
According to more accurate information, there are approximately 1200
natural lakes in Estonia (having an area of more than one hectare,
that is, 0.01 km²) and they occupy 4.7% of the country's area.
The 4 largest islands of the West Estonian archipelago have the status
of a UNESCO biosphere reserve (high diversity of alvar habitats, support
for the European mink population).
There are a total of 3,923
protected natural sites in Estonia, of which 231 nature reserves, 157
landscape reserves, 6 national parks, 59 areas with old or not updated
protection procedures, 512 parks and forest stands, 319 nature reserves,
1,553 permanent habitats, 23 natural sites protected at the local level.
municipalities and 1,066 separate protected natural objects, which
together make up 23% of the country's territory.
According to the current constitution, adopted in 1992, Estonia is an
independent democratic parliamentary republic in which the people are
the supreme bearer of power.
Legislative power is vested in the
Riigikogu, a unicameral parliament with 101 members elected by
proportional representation in equal and direct elections. All
able-bodied citizens of the country who have reached the age of 18 have
the right to participate in the elections of the parliament, which is
elected for 4 years. The last parliamentary elections took place in
March 2019.
Any Estonian citizen who has reached the age of 21
and has the right to vote can run for office in the Riigikogu. Elections
for the Riigikogu are held on the first Sunday in March of the fourth
year after the previous ones. In some cases, by decision of the
president, snap elections may be announced (there have never been held
so far). The exact procedure for elections to the Riigikogu is
established by the Riigikogu Election Act. Distribution of seats in the
Riigikogu:
Reform Party: composition of the faction - 34 deputies;
Center Party: composition of the faction - 25 deputies;
Conservative
People's Party of Estonia: composition of the faction - 19 deputies;
Party "Fatherland": composition of the faction - 12 deputies;
Estonian Social Democratic Party: composition of the faction - 10
deputies;
Deputies who are not members of factions - 1 deputy
The head of state is the president, who is elected for a term of 5
years, but not more than 2 terms, by members of the Riigikogu or an
electoral college by secret ballot. The Electoral College consists of
members of parliament and delegates from all local government councils
and is convened when none of the presidential candidates manages to gain
the required majority of votes in parliament (two-thirds of the
constitutional composition). The Electoral College elects the President
of the Republic by a majority vote. Each member of the Riigikogu or the
Electoral College has 1 vote.
Executive power belongs to the
government. The government is headed by the prime minister, who is the
leader of the party that won the parliamentary elections, or the leader
of the parliamentary coalition. The Cabinet of Ministers is approved by
the President on the proposal of a candidate for Prime Minister who has
received the approval of Parliament.
Supervision of compliance
with the constitution and legislation by state bodies is carried out by
the Chancellor of Justice - an independent official appointed by
parliament on the proposal of the president. Economic control over the
use of the state budget and property is carried out by another
independent body - the State Control.
The highest court is the
State Court, the courts of appeal are district courts, the courts of
first instance are county courts, city and administrative courts, the
prosecutor's office is the State Prosecutor's Office, district
prosecutor's offices.
All issues of local life are decided by
local governments, which act autonomously within the limits of the law,
have their own budget and the right to establish some local taxes and
fees (for example, tax on advertising, closing streets and roads, on
pets, on entertainment establishments and events, fees for parking,
etc.). The main body of local self-government is the council, elected
for a four-year term by the permanent residents of the given
municipality (unlike parliamentary elections, stateless persons and
citizens of other countries with permanent resident status can also vote
in local elections).
On January 26, 2021, Kaya Kallas became the
first female Prime Minister of Estonia. It is noteworthy that out of 14
ministers in the Kallas government, half (7 ministers) are women, which
is a record for the country, and until recently, a woman Kersti
Kaljulaid was also the president of Estonia.
Political parties
According to the law, able-bodied Estonian citizens who have reached the
age of 18 and citizens of other countries belonging to the European
Union permanently residing in Estonia can be members of political
parties. For official registration, a party must have at least 500
members. Members of political parties may not be members of the armed
forces, judges, prosecutors, police officers and a number of senior
state officials (Chancellor of Justice and his advisers, State
Comptroller) who are in active service. The President of the Republic is
obliged to suspend his membership in the party (if any) for the duration
of his official duties.
Registered parties that participated in
parliamentary elections and received at least 1% of the votes are
eligible to receive funding from the state budget (the amount depends on
the percentage of votes received).
According to 2009 data, 5.8%
of Estonian residents are members of political parties.
Unions
The largest trade union center is the Central Organization of Trade
Unions of Estonia.
15 counties (maakonds), headed by county elders (appointed for a
period of 5 years by the government on the proposal of the Minister for
Regional Affairs) and subdivided into 79 local governments, of which 15
are urban and 64 are rural.
Cities
In the country, 33
settlements have the status of cities. The capital Tallinn has about 400
thousand inhabitants (almost a third of the country's population). The
second largest city (almost 100 thousand people) is Tartu, the third
(more than 50 thousand people) is Narva. In the north-east of the
country there is a polycentric agglomeration with a population of about
150 thousand people (the largest cities are Narva, Kohtla-Järve, Jõhvi,
Sillamäe and Kiviõli), which is the second largest urban agglomeration
in the country after the capital.
Among the post-communist countries, Estonia is one of the most
developed. In terms of GDP per capita (nominal) - $ 27,100 (2nd place
after Slovenia, 2021). In terms of GDP per capita (PPP) - $ 41,892 (3rd
place after Slovenia and the Czech Republic, 2021).
The average
salary in Estonia in December 2021 was 1756 €. As of December 2021,
Estonia had the highest net average among all post-communist countries
in the world (€1392.45); as of January 1, 2022 - the second net minimum
wage after Slovenia (749.73 €, in Estonia - 604.37 €). The average wage
(gross) in Estonia in December 2021 was 1756 € and (net, after taxes)
1392.45 €. The minimum gross wage in Estonia from January 1, 2022 is 654
€, the minimum net salary is 604.37 €.
Post-war level
One of
the important areas of economic activity before the Second World War was
agriculture, while agricultural products also accounted for a
significant share of exports. A material-intensive and labor-intensive
energy industry, civil maritime navigation and mechanical engineering
developed.
In Estonia (as well as in other Baltic countries)
there were the best starting conditions in the USSR for building a
market economy. A vast innovative potential has been accumulated here.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Baltic states were the leaders in the USSR
in terms of investment in fixed assets per capita.
period of
independence
After the restoration of independence, the Estonian
economy was restructured in accordance with market principles and
reoriented towards Western Europe. On June 20, 1992, Estonia introduced
its own national currency, the Estonian kroon, instead of the Soviet
ruble. The Estonian kroon was pegged to the German mark (with an
exchange rate of 8 kroons to 1 mark). The adoption of the national
currency meant that the Bank of Estonia could issue money if the country
had a foreign currency reserve equivalent to the value of the issued
Estonian kroons. From January 1, 1999, the Estonian kroon was pegged to
the euro, as Germany began to use the common European currency. On
January 1, 2011, the euro is put into circulation, completely replacing
the krone.
A positive role in the success of economic
transformations in 1991-1993 was played by more than $ 285 million of
foreign aid, loans and credits, as well as the fact that Estonia
received more than $ 100 million from the funds of the pre-war republic,
frozen in foreign banks in 1940 in connection with the accession
countries to the USSR.
According to the HDI indicator, the UN
ranked the country in the group of "developing" until 2000, while the
formation of a market economy was taking place.
In 1999, Estonia
joined the World Trade Organization. The main trading partners are
Finland, Sweden, Germany and Russia. The negative trade balance remains
the most serious problem. In 2004 Estonia joined the European Union.
GDP per capita (purchasing power parity): $32,130 (2017).
The
average monthly salary in 2008 was 12,912 crowns (€825), in the third
quarter of 2009 it was 11,770 crowns (€752). In the second quarter of
2013, the average salary in Estonia was € 976, in December 2020 - €
1604.
During the period 2000-2005, GDP grew by 60%. However,
during the global economic crisis in 2008, it fell by 3.6%, and in the
third quarter of 2009, the fall in GDP was 15.6% compared to the same
period of the previous year. The period from the third quarter of 2009
to the fourth quarter of 2010 saw a consistent increase in GDP. Real
exports in the fourth quarter of 2010 increased by 53%. In 2010, GDP
growth was 3.1%. Thus, in 2010 the Estonian economy emerged from the
crisis.
The unemployment rate fell from 12% in 2001 to 4.7% in
2007, but in the third quarter of 2009 it was already 14.6%, and in the
first quarter of 2010 it rose to 19.8%. As of June 3, 2011, the
registered unemployment rate in Estonia fell to 8.7% of the economically
active population. According to Statistics Estonia, in the fourth
quarter of 2010 the total number of unemployed fell to 93,000 and the
unemployment rate to 13.6%. Estonia ranked 2nd in the EU in 2011 in
terms of reducing the unemployment rate.
At the beginning of
2009, the country experienced an intensive decline in industrial
production. In February 2009 it was 30% compared to February 2008, which
was the largest decline in the EU. According to Eurostat, the growth of
industrial production in Estonia in September 2010, compared to
September 2009, amounted to 31.1% - thus, Estonia then ranked first in
the European Union in this indicator. Estonia also has the lowest public
debt and budget deficit of any EU country, and in 2010 it was one of
only two EU countries (Malta being the other) to reduce its budget
deficit.
On June 4, 2010, OECD Secretary General A. Gurria and Estonian Prime
Minister A. Ansip signed an agreement in Tallinn on Estonia's accession
to the organization.
The transition to the euro, in accordance
with the plan of the Estonian government updated in June 2009, took
place on January 1, 2011.
In 2017, Estonian GDP per capita
reached 79% of the European Union average, which is a notable step
forward. This means that for the first time Estonia has risen to a
comparable level with some of the southern countries of the Eurozone -
for example, with Portugal, much earlier than Estonia joined the
European Union. In the 15 years that have passed since Estonia joined
the EU - from 2004 to 2019 - the "net" average wage in the country has
increased by more than 3.2 times, from € 363 to € 1162, and the minimum
wage has increased by more than than 3.4 times, from €158.50 to €540.
Estonian GDP at PPP doubled from 2004 to 2019, from $23.79 billion to
$46.587 billion.
According to the forecasts of the Bank of
Estonia, the average salary in 2019 will grow by 8.1% to €1415, and in
2020 by 6.4% to €1505. forecast by 2030 - € 2,364, by 2050 - € 5,166,
and by 2070 - € 10,742.
The average monthly salary in Estonia in
December 2021 was €1,756. The average salary in Estonia is higher than
in Taiwan (NT$47,868, about €1,357), the poorest country of all four
Asian tigers. From January 1, 2022, the minimum wage in Estonia is €
654.
Gender pay gap
As of 2020, the glass ceiling remains a
serious problem in Estonia, in particular the gender pay gap, and it is
observed in almost all areas of economic activity. According to
statistics, in 2020, women's gross hourly wages were 15.6% lower than
men's. In 2020, compared to 2019, the gender pay gap decreased by 1.5%,
and compared to 2013, by 9.2%. In 2020, the average hourly gross hourly
wage of working women was €7.70 and the average hourly gross hourly wage
of working men was €9.13. The biggest pay gap between men and women in
Estonia is found in financial and insurance activities (29.4%), mining
and quarrying (26.1%) and information and communication (24.1%). As in
2019, in only one single economic activity – transportation and
warehousing – did women earn more than men. In 2020, compared to 2019,
the pay gap between men and women in Estonia decreased the most in the
construction sector and increased the most in the catering and
hospitality sectors.
The gender wage gap is calculated by
subtracting the average gross hourly wage of women from the average
gross hourly wage of men. The resulting value is divided by the average
hourly gross salary of men and expressed as a percentage. The average
hourly gross salary is calculated without taking into account irregular
bonuses and additional payments.
Large companies
Over the 30
years of independence, 4 companies with a capitalization of more than $
1 billion (unicorn companies) have appeared in Estonia: Skype, Bolt,
TransferWise, Playtech. Having decided to invest in the development of
e-services since independence, Estonia has carried out a number of
reforms over the past 30 years. Also, due to an attractive business
environment, a high level of education, a favorable environment for the
dissemination of innovations and a developed e-services sector, Estonia
has been able to become an attractive country for start-up companies.
Statistics from the Estonian Tax and Customs Board for 2019 show that at
the end of the second quarter of 2019, 4,848 people were employed by
Estonian start-ups. A year ago, at the end of June 2018, the number of
employees was 3369. This represents an annual growth of 44%. However, if
you look at employees who have worked at Estonian startups for at least
one day in the past six months, the number is even higher. According to
Estonian statistics, during this period, 7421 people worked in Estonian
startups. If we compare this with the entire economically active
population of Estonia (695,700 people), we can see that every 93rd
person in Estonia was somehow connected with start-ups.
Tallink
is the largest passenger and cargo transportation company in the Baltic
Sea region, as well as the largest civil maritime shipping company in
the former USSR (9,756,611 passengers in 2018).
Bolt is an Estonian
international transport network company founded and headquartered in
Tallinn. The company has released a special mobile application for
searching, calling and paying both taxis and private drivers. In
February 2019, Bolt was active in 30 countries and 50 cities across
Europe, Africa, Western Asia and Australia. More than 25 million users
travel through the Bolt app, and more than 500,000 drivers use it to
travel.
AS SEB Pank is the Estonian branch of the international
financial group Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken.
Hansabank (since 2009
Swedbank) - as of December 31, 2007, the total assets of the financial
group amounted to € 25.826 billion.
Port of Tallinn is the third
largest port complex on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea (41.3
million tons of cargo, 6.76 million passengers, 2006, 27.5 million tons
of cargo, 8.84 million passengers, 2012).
Eesti Energia Kaevandused
is an oil shale mining company in the northeast of Estonia, 17.2 million
tons in 2015.
Narva power plants - over 10 billion kWh in 2006,
export to Latvia - 1.5 billion kWh.
BLRT Grupp is a machine-building
concern, consisting of 65 enterprises, owning ship repair and
metalworking plants in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Russia and
Finland (turnover in the first half of 2008 - 2.9 billion kroons, 74% of
products are exported - ships, mobile power plants, pontoons, etc.).
Viru Keemia Group JSC is a holding type concern, consisting of eight
companies. Viru Keemia Grupp owns 100% of the shares of subsidiaries in
this concern.
The TOP 10 Estonian industrial enterprises by
average number of employees in 2015 are as follows:
AS Eesti Energia
Kaevandused – oil shale mining – 2538;
JSC Ericsson Eesti -
electrical industry - 1426;
JSC HKScan Estonia (merged in 2014
Rakvere Meat Plant and Tallinn Poultry Plant Talleg) - meat industry -
1284;
JSC "ABB" - mechanical engineering - 1057;
JSC "Norma" -
production of auto parts - 856;
JSC PKC Eesti - production of auto
parts - 766;
JSC Enics Eesti - electrical industry - 743;
JSC
"Wendre" - textile mill - 667;
JSC "Eesti Energia Narva
Elektrijaamad" - electricity generation - 644;
AS Stora Enso Eesti -
woodworking industry - 620.
Banks in Estonia
Bank of Estonia -
the central bank;
swedbank;
SEB;
BIGBANK;
Coop Pank;
LHV
Bank;
Luminor Bank;
inbank;
Tallinna Ripank;
Versobank.
In addition to banks that are legal entities of the republic,
representative offices of banks that are foreign legal entities operate
in Estonia and, in particular, work with the population (individuals):
Citadele Banka AS (Latvia).
International institutions
Estonia
hosts the management and information centers of several international
and European organizations and institutions.
In November 2012,
the headquarters of the IT agency of the European Union began its work
in Tallinn, including those involved in supporting the second generation
Schengen information system. The NATO Cybersecurity Center operates in
Tallinn.
Population
The population of Estonia according to the
2021 census is 1,331,824 people.
By 1990, the population was
about 40% higher than before the war (1570 thousand to 1122 thousand in
1940), while, along with migration from other Soviet republics, the
Estonian population was also growing (951 thousand in 1940, 830 thousand
in 1945, 966 thousand in 1991 - the maximum). From 1992 to 2009, there
was a depopulation of the country, the cause of which was both mass
emigration and negative natural growth. By 2008, the country's
population had decreased by 14.5% compared to 1990, the Estonian
population had fallen to 920,885 people (-4.69% compared to 1991).
In 2010, a positive population growth was achieved. In 2011,
according to the CIA Book of Facts, the natural population decline was
-0.641% (225th in the world).
National minorities, according to
2021 data, live mainly in Tallinn (46.7% of the non-Estonian population)
and in the industrial area in the northeast, in the county of
Ida-Virumaa (about 97% of the population in the city of Narva). Among
national minorities, Russians are the largest ethnic group, followed by
Ukrainians, Belarusians and others. Russians live in large cities and
mostly dominate in the territories adjacent to the borders of Russia, in
other regions of Estonia, including rural ones, - the complete dominance
of Estonians. This is a distinctive feature of Estonia from other Baltic
countries.
The official language is Estonian. The Russian language is also
widely spoken.
As of 2021, the infection rate of the Estonian
population with the human immunodeficiency virus per 100,000 population
is 9.4.
The number of immigrants living in Estonia, according to
UN estimates, decreased to 190,242 people (14.4% of the population) in
2019, compared to 381,997 people in 1995.
According to the 2021
Estonian census, 1,331,824 people lived in the country. Of these, the
number of stateless people was 66,592 people, 1,128,433 people were
citizens of Estonia, 81,695 people were citizens of Russia, 15,935
people were citizens of Ukraine, 5,038 people were citizens of Latvia,
4,677 people were citizens of Finland, 2,707 people were citizens of
Belarus, 1 871 Lithuanian citizens, 1,796 German citizens, 1,317 Indian
citizens, 1,300 French citizens, 1,267 Italian citizens, 1,124 British
citizens, 1,094 Nigerian citizens, 689 unknown citizenship, 16,289
citizens other countries.
According to Eurostat, among the EU
countries, Estonia and Slovenia recorded the highest increase in life
expectancy.
Estonia has one of the lowest child and infant
mortality rates in the world. According to the World Bank, as of 2019,
among OECD countries, Estonia has the third (after Iceland and Slovenia)
lowest infant mortality rate under the age of 5, at 2.4 per 1,000 live
births, and the sixth lowest in the world. According to World Bank data
for 2019, Estonia has the fifth lowest neonatal infant mortality rate in
the world, at 1.1 per 1,000 live births. According to the World Bank for
2019, Estonia shares the sixth place in the world along with Finland in
the lowest infant mortality rate under the age of 1 year, per 1000 live
births (it is the same in both countries) - 1.9.
Russians and
Russian-speaking population
According to the 2021 Estonian census,
the permanent Russian population of Estonia is 23.67% of the country's
population (315,252 people). Despite social, economic and political
changes since the times of the USSR, as of 2022 in Estonia and
neighboring Latvia, the Russian minority, in percentage terms, makes up
the largest percentage of the population of any country in the world.
According to the 2021 Estonian census, Russian is the native language of
379,210 people in the country. (28.47% of the Estonian population).
Among them, in addition to Estonian citizens, there are Russian citizens
(81,695 people) and stateless persons (66,592 people). Basically, these
are the descendants of people who moved to Estonia in the period from
1914 to 1922 (the number of Russians in this period increased from 4 to
8.2%), as well as those who came to Estonia during the Soviet era from
1940 to 1991 (the number of Russians in this period increased from 8.2%
to 30.3%) and their descendants.
The Russian population of
Estonia according to the 2021 Estonian census was 315,252 people.
(23.67% of the Estonian population).
In 2021, 149,883 people
(47.54%) of Russians lived in Tallinn; Only 12,582 people (3.99%) of the
total number of Russians in Estonia lived in Tartu.
According to
the 2021 Estonian census, the number of stateless persons was 66,592.
(5% of the Estonian population), of which 53,997 were ethnic Russians.
(4.05% of the population of Estonia), the number of Russian citizens
living in Estonia was 81,695 people. (6.13% of the Estonian population),
of which 72,325 were ethnic Russians. (5.43% of the Estonian
population).
In the Chudsky region (the cities of Kallaste and
Mustvee, the parish of Peipsijärve), Russian Old Believers live, whose
ancestors moved to the territory of Estonia in the 18th-19th centuries.
Social status
In Estonia, there are 3 types of benefits for
pensioners - SKAIS (online system), KOPIS (funded pension) and KIRST
(medical indications). For the unemployed, there are programs EMPIS
(register of the unemployed) and STAR (Register of social services and
benefits). For students there is an EHIS program.
Total
pensioners - 422,941, unemployed - 38,768, employed - 629,945.
From April 1, 2022, the state pension index has increased in Estonia.
According to the changes, the minimum monthly amount of the national
pension (paid to persons who are not entitled to an old-age pension) is
now € 275.34. The basic part of the pension has increased to €255.75 and
the value of each year of service to €7.718. From April 1, 2021, the
increase in the pension for raising children has increased by € 3.55 per
child. In total, it affected about 203,300 people. In 2020, there were
about 3,200 recipients of the national pension in Estonia. As of 2022,
the average state old-age pension in Estonia is 595 euros per month. In
2022, the allowance for single pensioners is 200 euros per month. From
January 1, 2023, pensioners in Estonia will be exempted from paying
income tax in the amount of the average state pension in the country.
From April 1, 2021, the daily rate of disability benefit for total
incapacity for work is € 15.13, and the amount of the benefit per month
is € 453. For partial work ability, the benefit is 57% of the current
daily rate, that is, an average of € 258 per month. The amount of the
disability benefit is calculated by the Unemployment Insurance Fund for
each calendar month.
The monthly child allowance as of 2019 is
€60 for the first child, €60 for the second child and €100 for the third
child and each subsequent child. The monthly allowance for a child as of
July 2021, one of whose parents is in the military or alternative
service, is € 900 per month for each child until the end of one of the
parents in the military or alternative service.
From 2020, the
allowance for a child with a moderate disability will be € 138, for a
child with a severe disability - € 161. Children with a severe
disability will start receiving benefits in the amount of € 241. About
13,000 children with disabilities live in Estonia. Compared to 2009,
their number has almost doubled. In 2017, 5,000 children received
benefits for children with moderate disabilities, 7,164 children
received benefits for children with severe disabilities, and 732
children received benefits for children with severe disabilities.
Estonia has the longest 100% paid maternity leave in the world at 62
weeks. According to Estonian law, not only the mother, but also the
father has the right to maternity leave. From July 1, 2020, 100% paid
paternity leave is 30 days.
Since January 1, 2013, Tallinn's
public transport has become free for all registered residents of the
city. From 1 July 2018, passengers can use buses free of charge in 11
out of 15 Estonian counties.
Since May 1, 2004, Estonia has been a member of the European Union,
and since January 1, 2011, of the Eurozone. Thus, Estonia is one of the
three former republics of the USSR integrated into the common European
market and the Schengen area, as well as the first of the post-Soviet
countries that switched to a single European currency and abandoned an
independent monetary policy. Membership in the European Union also
implies the priority of EU regulations over domestic legal regulations
(in case of conflict with the latest acts of the European Union,
all-Union regulations apply).
Since March 29, 2004, Estonia has
also been a member of NATO. Participates in NATO military missions in
Iraq and Afghanistan. On May 7, 2003, the Estonian Parliament authorized
the deployment of troops to Iraq. On June 20, 2003, at the request of
the American command, the first regular military personnel of the
Estonian Defense Forces were sent to Iraq.
Since May 13, 1993 -
Member of the Council of Europe.
Among other things, Estonia is a
full member of the UN, OECD, OSCE and WTO.
Since May 1, 2004,
when Estonia became a full member of the European Union, Estonian
citizens can travel without a visa within the countries of the European
Union and member states of the European Economic Area, as well as the
Swiss Confederation. At the same time, they can cross borders both with
a passport and with an ID-card.
As of April 3, 2020, Estonian
citizens can visit a total of 179 states and territories without a visa,
making the Estonian passport 13th in the world in terms of freedom of
movement according to the Passport Index.
The Baltic-Finnish heritage is of great importance in the mentality
and cultural traditions of Estonians.
Estonia is at the
crossroads of different cultures. Culturally, they are related to the
Latvians, Finns, Lithuanians, Russians of the north-west of Russia,
Belarusians, Swedes and Germans.
The culture of Baltic Germans,
Baltic Swedes and Russian Old Believers is also connected with the
territory of Estonia.
After being captured by the crusaders in
the second quarter of the 13th century, Estonia entered the sphere of
direct influence of Western European culture.
In 1523, the
Reformation movement reached Estonia. Lutheranism, which attached great
importance to writing and literacy, laid the foundation for Estonian
literature and the peasant school.
Restored in 1802, the
university in Dorpat (now Tartu) became not only a conductor of Western
culture, but also the cradle of national awakening. Newspapers in
Estonian helped broaden the horizons and improve the literacy of the
people. After the abolition of serfdom, along with economic life and the
written language, a national culture (literature, musical creativity,
art) was born. In 1869, the first singing festival took place in Dorpat;
The song festival tradition is still an important part of Estonian
culture and national identity.
As of 1897, the average literacy
in the Estland province among Protestants was 83% (among all residents
of Estland - 79.9%).
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries,
industrialization, modernization and the rapid development of cities had
a strong influence on Estonian culture. In the first decade of the 20th
century, the Baltic-German culture in Estonia had already faded into the
background. In architecture, literature and music, along with following
world trends, signs of a national style arose, artistically mature works
appeared.
Estonia made its debut at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, three
years later the country's Olympic Committee was created. In the 1920s
and 1930s, Estonian athletes won 6 gold, 6 silver, 9 bronze medals - all
the gold medals were won by wrestlers and weightlifters. Christian
Palusalu at the 1936 Olympic Games won gold medals in both Greco-Roman
and freestyle wrestling (one of only two wrestlers in history). Palusalu
was recognized as the best athlete of the country of the 20th century.
In the 1930s, the country's chess team achieved significant success,
and Paul Keres was one of the strongest players in the world in the
middle of the 20th century.
At the 1952-1988 Olympic Games,
Estonian athletes participated in the USSR national team. The sailing
regatta of the 1980 Summer Olympics was held in Tallinn. Olympic gold
medals were won by Ants Antson (skating), Johannes Kotkas (wrestling),
Aavo Pikkuus, Erika Salumäe (both cycling), Tiit Sokk (basketball),
Vilyar Loor (volleyball) , Ivar Stukolkin (swimming), Jaak Uudmäe
(athletics).
In the post-Soviet period, Estonian athletes have
won more than 20 medals at the Summer and Winter Olympics. The winners
of the Summer Games were athletes Erki Nool (decathlon) and Gerd Kanter
(discus throw), Jüri Jaanson (rowing), brothers Tõnu and Toomas Tõniste
(sailing).
One of the world's winter sports centers is Otepää,
which hosted the 2010 and 2015 European Biathlon Championships. Skiers
Kristina Šmigun and Andrus Veerpalu were among the leaders in their
sport in the 1990-2000s, Olympic champions.
Race car drivers
Marco Martin and Ott Tänak won World Rally Championships.
National symbols
Official
Limestone
In ancient times, there
were large deposits of limestone in Estonia. The ancient Estonians built
houses from it.
Cornflower
Cornflower grows in rye, and
Estonians made bread from rye, which they greatly appreciated. Girls
also wove wreaths from cornflowers.
barn swallow
The rustic
swallow among the Estonians was associated with cleanliness and
intelligence, because the swallows "predicted the weather." The swallow
has the colors of the Estonian flag - black and white.
unofficial
Oak
Estonians associated oak with strength. The large coat of arms of
Estonia is decorated with golden oak branches.
Holidays
Public
holidays
January 1 New Year Uusaasta
24 February Independence Day
(1918), anniversary of the Republic of Estonia Iseseisvuspäev, Eesti
Vabariigi aastapäev
Good Friday Suur reede
First day of Easter
Ülestõusmispühade 1. püha
May 1 Spring Festival Kevadpüha
Holy
Trinity Day Nelipühade 1. püha
June 23 Victory Day (under Võnnu over
the Landeswehr; 1919) Võidupüha
June 24 Midsummer Day Jaanipäev
August 20 Independence Restoration Day (1991) Taasiseseisvumispäev
24
December Christmas Eve Jõululaupäev
December 25, 26 Christmas Day 1.
ja 2. Jõulupüha
State significant dates
January 6 Feast of the
Three Kings (Epiphany) Kolmekuningapäev
February 2 Anniversary of the
signing of the Tartu Peace Treaty Tartu rahulepingu aastapäev
March
14 Mother Tongue Day Emakeelepäev
Second Sunday in May Mother's Day
Emadepäev
June 4 Estonian Flag Day Eesti lipu päev
June 14 Day of
Mourning Leinapäev
August 23 Day of Remembrance for the Victims of
Communism and Nazism Kommunismi ja natsismi ohvrite mälestuspäev
Second Sunday in September Grandparents' Day Vanavanemate päev
22
September Resistance Day Vastupanuvõitluse päev
Third Saturday in
October Kindred Peoples' Day Hõimupäev
November 2 Memorial Day
Hingedepäev
Second Sunday in November Father's Day Isadepäev
November 16 Taassünni päev Revival Day
Mass media
The Estonian
media market is mainly controlled by two large concerns: Eesti Meedia
and Ekspress Grupp.
Eesti Meedia owns several media in Estonia,
including the largest Estonian newspaper Postimees and the second
largest television channel Kanal 2. The owner of Eesti Meedia is the
Norwegian company Schibsted Media Group, the chairman of the board is M.
Kadastik, a friend of A. Ansip ( former prime minister of Estonia and
chairman of the Estonian Reform Party).
The Ekspress Grupp
concern, as of 2008, owns the companies Eesti Ekspressi Kirjastuse AS,
AS Maaleht, AS Rahva Raamat, AS Printall, UAB Ekspress Leidyba, TeleTell
Infoline SRL, OÜ Ekspress Internet", "AS Ekspress Hotline" and "AS
Delfi". More than 60% of the Estonian population use the products of
Ekspress Grupp. The largest shareholder of the Ekspress Grupp is the
entrepreneur Hans H. Luik.
The Estonian Public Broadcasting
Corporation (ERR) also operates in Estonia, funded from the state
budget. ERR includes 2 Estonian television channels (ETV and ETV2, as
well as the Russian-language channel ETV+), 5 Estonian radio channels
and a number of Internet news portals. The chairman of the board of ERR
is the ex-Minister of Culture of Estonia, a native of the Reform Party
Margus Allikmaa.
TV
TV channels broadcasting in Estonian
In
addition to the two public TV channels ETV (there is also an HD version)
and ETV2, the commercial channel Kanal 2, the entertainment channel TV3,
the Tallinn TV channel Tallinna TV, the international TV channel France
24 English, a test channel (TEST) are broadcast throughout Estonia.
Besides:
TV6 - entertainment channel;
Kanal 11 - women's TV
channel;
Kanal 12 - film channel, has its own test channel "TEST";
Neljas ("Fourth") - has programs of various genres;
Alo TV is a music
channel of classical Estonian music;
Fox Life and Fox Crime Estonia
are TV channels based on the American channels Fox Crime and Fox Life;
Sony and E!Entertaiment TV Estonia are TV channels based on the American
channels Sony Entertainment and E!Entertaiment;
Tallinna TV - Tallinn
TV channel, broadcast throughout Estonia, has its own HD version;
4
and 5 Multimania - children's TV channels from Latvia, broadcasting in
Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian and Russian;
Lolo TV - purely Estonian
version of 4 and 5 Multimania, broadcasting in Estonian and Russian;
TV10 is a small Estonian sports channel;
TV1000 Eesti - created on
the basis of the TV1000 channel and adapted for Estonia;
Seitse -
music channel;
Musakanal - music channel, subsidiary of SEITSE;
Kinnisvara TV is a real estate channel.
TV channels broadcasting in Russian
ETV+ is a public legal TV
channel of the Estonian Radio and Television Broadcasting (ERR),
broadcasting in Russian. The TV channel began broadcasting on September
28, 2015. The main part of the morning and evening air is occupied by
programs of our own production;
3+ Estonia is an entertainment
channel owned by the Swedish media group Modern Times Group. The main
part of the airtime is occupied by serials and programs of the Russian
channels STS, TNT and TV-3;
PBK Estonia is a TV channel created on
the basis of the Russian Channel One. The channel broadcasts both
programs from Estonia and Russian programs;
Continent Europe is a TV
channel for Russian-speaking residents of Europe. Most of the airtime is
occupied by documentaries and Soviet cinema. The rest: programs from
Estonia and some other European countries;
REN TV Estonia is a TV
channel based on the Latvian TV channel REN TV Baltic, adapted for
Estonia. The main content is programs from Russia;
Orsent TV - TV
channel broadcasts mainly programs from Estonia and films of Soviet
production. There is a special VTV program, where some programs are
broadcast from Russia and Belarus;
TVN is a TV channel that
broadcasts many programs of various genres from Estonia, as well as
documentaries, concerts and Soviet cinema;
RTR-Planet Baltic is the
Baltic version of the international TV channel RTR-Planet. Transfers
only from Russia. Adapted for Estonia;
NTV Mir Estonia - the Estonian
version of the NTV Mir channel;
CTC Estonia - the Estonian version of
the CTC International TV channel;
LIFE TV is a family and Christian
TV channel. Satellite Hot-Bird 13b, cable networks, IPTV, internet
online. Broadcasting in Russian and Estonian.
radio stations
Radio stations broadcasting in Estonian
Estonian Radio is a structure
that is a division of the Estonian Public Broadcasting Corporation and
unites several radio channels:
Vikerraadio is the most popular
Estonian radio station, in fact, the main radio station in Estonia;
Raadio 2 - news, music, etc.;
Klassikaraadio - classical music;
Raadio Tallinn is a Tallinn radio station broadcasting news releases,
music programs, as well as rebroadcasting programs from foreign radio
stations BBC, Deutsche Welle and RFI;
Kuku Raadio is one of the first
commercial radio stations in Estonia;
Sky Plus - music, news, traffic
information, radio quizzes;
Tartu Raadio is a radio station
broadcasting in the city of Tartu;
Radio Mania - music, news, radio
show, positions itself as a rock radio station;
Raadio 3 - news,
music, etc.;
Raadio Elmar - music in the Adult Contemporary format;
Power Hiit Radio - TOP music;
Energy FM - TOP music;
Retro FM -
Gold Retro music (70s, 80s, 90s, 00s);
Pärnu Raadio - radio station
of the city of Pärnu (broadcasts only in the city of Pärnu and its
environs);
Raadio Elmar - music, news, etc.;
Star FM - music,
news, etc.;
Ring FM - music, news, etc.
Radio stations
broadcasting in Russian
Rating data of radio stations broadcasting in
Russian, according to TNS Gallup Media research
Radio 4 of
Estonian Radio. The broadcasts of Radio 4 of the Estonian Radio can also
be heard in Finland, Russia, Latvia and Sweden. The only
Russian-language radio that focuses on conversational programs, as well
as rebroadcasting programs from the foreign radio station Radio Liberty;
Russian radio;
SKY Radio;
People's Radio;
DFM;
Humor FM;
Wave;
Eli Family Radio/Voice of Hope/Transworld Radio.
Printed
publications
in Estonian
"Eesti Päevaleht" - socio-political daily
newspaper;
"Postimees" - socio-political daily newspaper, in Soviet
times was the main newspaper of the city of Tartu and was published
under the name "Edasi" (Forward);
"Õhtuleht" - a daily tabloid, in
2000-2008, after merging with the newspaper "Sõnumileht", it was
published under the name "SL Õhtuleht";
Eesti Ekspress is a
socio-political weekly published since 1989;
"Äripäev" - economic
newspaper;
"Maaleht" - weekly, published since 1987;
Kesknädal is
a regular newspaper associated with the Estonian Center Party;
Pealinn is a free newspaper published by the city of Tallinn.
In
Russian
Delovye Vedomosti is a Russian-language economic newspaper
published every two weeks. In addition to translated articles from
Äripäev, the newspaper publishes original articles;
Komsomolskaya
Pravda - Baltiya is the Baltic issue of the popular Russian newspaper
Komsomolskaya Pravda. Published in a weekly format, except for Estonia,
distributed in Latvia and Finland;
MK Estonia is the Estonian version
of Moskovsky Komsomolets. The only all-republican weekly in Russian;
Stolitsa is a free newspaper published by the city of Tallinn.
The
newspapers Postimees in Russian and Day by Day were officially closed in
October 2016.
Bilingual (Russian and Estonian)
Linnaleht (City Newspaper) is a
free weekly newspaper covering the news of the Estonian capital.
In
other languages;
"The Baltic Times" (English);
"The Baltic
Worldwide" (English);
"Baltische Rundschau" (German, English).
news sites
DELFI is a network of the largest online news portals
in the Baltic States and Ukraine (until 2014). There are two DELFI
portals in Estonia, in Estonian and in Russian, both of which are
Estonia's leading news portals in terms of the number of visitors;
News portals ERR Uudised (in Estonian), Novosti ERR (in Russian) and ERR
News (in English) of the Estonian Public Broadcasting Corporation;
Rus.postimees is the Internet portal of the Postimees newspaper. It has
versions in Estonian, Russian and English;
Many Estonian newspapers
have their own news websites;
"Southern Capital" - Russian-language
information portal of the city of Tartu;
Sekundomer is a
Russian-language online publication about sports in Estonia and sports
events in Ida-Virumaa;
and others.
freedom of speech
According to the rating of the international organization Reporters
Without Borders, in 2013 Estonia dropped from 3rd to 11th place in the
world in terms of freedom of speech. A similar opinion about the high
level of freedom of speech in Estonia is shared by the American
non-governmental organization Freedom House.
In an article
published in June 2010 by the Russian news agency REGNUM, a number of
facts were presented that, according to the agency, testify to the
constant pressure on journalists in Estonia.
In March 2011, the
European Parliament adopted a resolution in which it expressed serious
concern about the situation with media pluralism and freedom in a number
of EU countries, including Estonia. In the same month, the Mayor of
Tallinn, leader of the Estonian Center Party and former Estonian Prime
Minister E. Savisaar (who signed a cooperation agreement with United
Russia and was later on trial for corruption) issued a statement that
the Estonian media were less free than Russian ones. According to
Savisaar, A. Ansip, who at that time was the Prime Minister of Estonia,
built a vertical of power, including in the information sphere, much
tougher than Russian President V.V. Putin. In 2008, the Estonian
Journalists' Union named Ansip as the main opponent of freedom of speech
in Estonia.
Transport and communications
Since January 1,
2013, Tallinn's public transport has become free for all registered
residents of the city. The right to travel free of charge is also
granted to students under the age of 19, regardless of their place of
residence, and is reserved for all groups of beneficiaries who
previously had such a right. Also, from January 1, 2013, paper tickets
were canceled and contactless plastic cards were introduced, which must
be registered at the entrance to the transport through special
registrars (validators). If you do not have a card, you must purchase a
one-time ticket from the driver. Estonia became the first European
country to introduce free public transport in almost the entire country.
In 11 out of 15 counties, from July 1, 2018, passengers can use buses
free of charge.
Since 2000, the Estonian government has moved to paperless cabinet
meetings using an electronic documentation network on the Internet.
According to the results of the competition of the European Commission,
the project for the transition of the public sector to electronic
documents, as a result of which about 500 institutions have already
joined the electronic document exchange, including all ministries,
county governments and almost all departments and inspectorates, was
recognized as the best in Europe.
Since 2000, it has been
possible to file tax returns electronically in Estonia. In 2010, 92% of
Estonian tax returns were submitted online. Through a single portal, a
citizen can receive various public services via the Internet.
The
Internet segment in Estonia is one of the most developed both in Europe
and worldwide. In 2019, according to the ITU, there were 1,276,521
Internet users in the country, which was approximately 97.9% of the
country's population, according to this indicator, Estonia ranked 1st in
the EU. According to the tenth report of the Freedom House think tank,
which analyzes the rights and freedoms of people in the public web space
in 65 countries, which covers the period from June 2019 to June 2020:
Estonia ranks second in the world in Internet freedom after Iceland
Information Technology Estonia ranks 24th out of 142 countries of the
world, and is confidently leading in the ranking of Internet openness.
71% of house and apartment owners, as well as all Estonian schools, have
Internet access points. More than 1,100 free Wi-Fi zones have been
created in the country. Since 2006, the construction of WiMAX wireless
networks has begun in Estonia, which by 2013 cover almost the entire
territory of the country.
As of January 2009, over 1,000,000
ID-card holders (90% of the total Estonian population) lived in Estonia.
The ID-card is an identity document for all Estonian citizens over 15
years of age and permanent residents of Estonia who are in the country
on the basis of a residence permit. With the help of an ID card,
Estonian residents can verify their identity in both conventional and
electronic ways, as well as use the card to obtain a digital signature,
participate in elections, and even purchase public transport tickets.
In October 2005, online elections to local self-government bodies
were held. Estonia became the first country in the world to implement
internet voting as one of the means of voting. In 2007, Estonia became
the first country in the world to provide its voters with the
opportunity to vote via the Internet in parliamentary elections. A
record 247,232 votes, 43.8% of the total, were cast online in the 2019
parliamentary elections in Estonia.
Electronic residence (e-Residency) is a program launched by the
Estonian government on December 1, 2014, which allows people who are not
Estonian citizens to have access to services from Estonia such as
company formation, banking services, payment processing and tax payment.
The program gives all its participants (so-called e-residents) smart
cards, which they can use later to sign documents. The program is aimed
at people from location-independent businesses such as software
developers and writers.
British journalist Edward Lucas became
the first virtual resident of Estonia.
Virtual residency is not
related to citizenship and does not entitle you to physically visit or
resettle in Estonia. Virtual residence does not affect the taxation of
income of residents, does not oblige to pay income tax in Estonia and
does not exempt from taxation of income in the country of residence
(citizenship / nationality) of the resident. Virtual Residency allows
you to use the following features: company registration, document
signing, encrypted document exchange, online banking, tax filing, as
well as managing medical services related to medical prescriptions. A
smart card issued by the relevant authorities provides access to
services. Registering a business in Estonia is “useful for online
entrepreneurs in emerging markets who do not have access to online
payment providers,” as well as for start-ups from countries such as
Ukraine or Belarus that are subject to financial restrictions from their
governments.
As of 2019, more than 60,000 people became
e-residents of Estonia, in 2020 - more than 65,000 people, they created
more than 10,100 companies. Over 5 years of operation, the program has
brought more than 35 million euros of direct income to the Estonian
economy, as well as indirect economic benefits. As of 2021, more than
80,000 people from 170 countries have become Estonian e-residents.