Estonia good place to be a mother

Estonia ranks high in the annual Mothers’ Index released by the international nonprofit Save the Children in the run-up to Mother’s Day, but placed even four rungs higher three years ago. The Mothers’ Index rankings are determined by five indicators on education, income, women’s political representation, and the chances a mother and her baby will survive.

This year’s index ranks Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and the Netherlands as the best places in the world to be a mother.

Estonia was ranked 21st out of 176 countries surveyed, below Ireland and ahead of Canada. Of neighboring countries Latvia placed 38th, Lithuania 26th and Russia 59th.

Being a mother is the toughest in Sierra Leone, Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo, the survey found.

In 2010 Estonia was ranked 17th.

Source: BNS via Estonian Review

6,629 more persons emigrated than immigrated last year

According to Statistics Estonia, 1,286,000 persons lived in Estonia on 1 January 2013. Due to migration the population declined by more than 6,600 persons, due to the natural increase by 1,400 persons

The revised population number as of 1 January 2013 was 1,286,479, which is by 8,007 persons smaller than a year earlier. The natural increase was negative in 2012 -1,378: 14,056 persons were born and 15,434 persons died. The net migration was also negative, 6,629 more persons emigrated than immigrated. There were 4,244 immigrants and 10,873 emigrants, which is 4,659 persons more than a year earlier.

By counties the population number increased only in Harju county (by 2,626 persons), the population number decreased the most in Ida-Viru county (-2,891 persons). Proportionally the loss of the population was the biggest in Jõgeva and Valga counties. The natural increase was positive in Harju county and in two bigger cities: in Tallinn and Tartu. Immigration exceeded emigration only in Tallinn. In Harju county, excluded Tallinn, the net migration was negative. Registration of immigration to Tallinn increased significantly in December 2012. This can be explained by enabling free public transport for residents of Tallinn. Together with the natural increase the number of residents of Tallinn increased by 2,160 persons during 2012.

The estimated population number is based on the final population number of the 2011 Population and Housing Census (published on 12.12.2012, according to which there were 1,294,455 permanent residents in Estonia), which have been supplemented with the data on registered births, deaths and migration as of 31.12.2011 and during 2012.

Together with the population number as of 1 January 2013 we published the new data also for 1 January 2012. While comparing the new population numbers with the population numbers of the previous years it must be taken into account that the indicators have been calculated using different data sources (2000 and 2011 Population Census), which is the reason for the drastic decline in the population number. Similarly to many other European Union Member States, Statistics Estonia has started to adjust the population number during the years between the two censuses, in the course of which the undercoverage of the 2011 as well as of the 2000 Population Censuses will be eliminated (i.e. the people who for some reason have been not enumerated will be taken into account as well). The revised population figures between the population censuses for the years 2000–2013 will be published by Statistics Estonia during the 1st quarter of 2014.

Source: Statistics Estonia

Every third person in Estonia is married

According to the data of the 2011 Population and Housing Census (PHC 2011), the share of persons living in a consensual union has increased significantly and the share of people living with a legal spouse has decreased compared to the previous, 2000 Census.

In 2011, 34.5% of the  population aged 15 and older lived with a legal spouse and 15.6% lived in a  consensual union. Compared to the 2000 Population Census, the share of persons  living with a legal spouse decreased by 5.4 percentage points and the share of  persons living in a consensual union increased by 4.7 percentage points. 38% of  men aged 15 and older live with the legal spouse and 17.1% live in a consensual  union, the respective indicators for women are 31.7% and 14.3%. The share of  women living with the partner is smaller as the number of women in population  is smaller. 428 persons were cohabiting with same-sex partner (206 men and 222  women).

Of persons living  without a partner, the largest share make up those who have never been legally  married (25.4%). 9.8% of persons living without a partner are divorced and 9.6%  widowed. Compared to the previous Census, among persons aged 15 and older, the  share of people living without a partner has increased by 0.9 percentage  points. Among persons without a partner the share of women was larger (54.1%)  than that of men (44.9%).

90% of men and 80% of women aged 15–24 are  living without a partner. The time of starting cohabitation is between 25–34  years of age, in this age group almost half of men and nearly 61% of women live  with a partner. Cohabitation with a legal spouse is the most common marital  status among men and women aged 36–49. About 59% of women aged 50 and older  live without a partner, but 59% of men of the same age group live with a legal  spouse.

Persons aged 15 and older by marital status, 2000 and 2011

	PHC2011	PHC2000
Persons aged 15 and older TOTAL	1 094 564	1 121 582
Living with a partner	548 286	570 030
..living with a legal spouse	378 026	447 584
..cohabiting	170 260	122 446
Living without a partner	546 278	549 373
..separated from a legal spouse	42 537	56 101
..never been legally married	277 689	269 466
..divorced	107 678	93 351
..widowed	105 428	114 055
..legal marital status unknown	12 946	16 400

More detailed data can be found in the Statistical Database.

The schedule of publication of the results of PHC 2011  is available on the website www.stat.ee/phc2011.

The eleventh Population  Census in Estonia was conducted from 31 December 2011 until 31 March 2012.  Previous censuses were carried out in 1881, 1897, 1922, 1934, 1941, 1959, 1970,  1979, 1989 and 2000. The next Population Census in Estonia will be conducted in  2020/2021.

Source: Statistics Estonia

29% of people in Estonia affiliated with religion

According to the data of the 2011 Population and Housing Census (PHC 2011), 320,872 persons or 29% of Estonian population aged 15 and older are affiliated with a particular religion. This percentage has not changed compared to the previous, 2000 Census.

During the period  between the censuses, the number religions in  Estonia has increased. In 2011, 90 religious affiliations were followed  by believers. At the same time 54% of the population aged 15 and older does not  feel an affiliation to any religion. Compared to the 2000 Census, the number of  persons who did not wish to answer the question in relation to religion has  increased, accounting for 14% in total. Relation to the religion is unknown in  case of nearly 2% of the population aged 15 and older.In the 2011  Population Census the most prevalent religion among the population aged 15 and  older was Orthodoxy (16% are affiliated with it) and Lutheranism (10% are  affiliated with it).Of Estonians aged 15  and older 19% are affiliated with a particular religion, of non-Estonians –  50%.

Different ethnic  nationalities living in Estonia follow their traditional religion. Among  Estonians Lutheranism is most prevalent, 14% of Estonians aged 15 and older are  affiliated with it. 27% of Finns, 15% of Germans and 14% of Latvians living in  Estonia consider themselves Lutherans.

51% of Byelorussians,  50% of Ukrainians, 47% of Russians and 41% of Armenians feel an affiliation to  Orthodoxy.

47% of Poles and 33%  of Lithuanians living in Estonia are Catholics. Islamic religion is most  widespread among Tatars.

In urban settlements of Estonia live three times  more believers than in rural settlements, the reason for it is first and  foremost related to the ethnic composition of the population.

More detailed data can be found in the Statistical Database.

Read more from Statistics Estonia

Museums are open long time and entrance is free on May 18 museum night

Museum Night “People in the night”

Time: May 18
Location: different museums in Tallinn and Estonia
Web site: www.facebook.com/Muuseumioo

Once a year, on a Saturday evening in May, museums stay open almost till midnight and offer free admission to mark pan-European Museum Night.
Museum Night has a different motto each year, and this year’s is ‘People in the night”.

Programs in Estonian: http://www.muuseumiöö.ee/programmid

An Estonian household member spends 289 euros per month

The compulsory expenditure or expenditure on food and dwelling accounted for 45% of the budget, remaining on the same level as in 2011. In 2012, a household member spent on food and non-alcoholic beverages 79 euros per month, which accounted for 27% of the total expenditure. Compared to the previous year, the expenditure on food increased nearly 5%. Expenditure on dwelling per household member amounted to over 51 euros per month (18% of the household budget), which was 4 euros more than in 2011.

Expenditure on transport (incl. public transport tickets, motor fuel, oil) totalled 36 euros, on leisure time 27 euros, on communication services 16 euros, on housekeeping 16 euros, on clothing and footwear 14 euros and on health 10 euros per month per household member. Compared to the previous year, the expenditure on transport has increased the most – a household member spent on transport 16% more than in 2011. Households have also started to spend more on health, clothing and footwear, household equipment, eating out and spending leisure time (incl. travelling).

In urban areas a household member spent on average 296 euros per month and in rural areas the respective indicator was 273 euros. A household member in urban areas spent on average 18 euros more on dwelling than a household member in rural areas, the share of dwelling in total expenditure accounted for 19% in urban and 14% in rural areas. Expenditures on food, clothing and footwear, leisure time, health and eating out were also larger in urban areas. On the other hand, rural households spent 15% of their budget on transport, in urban areas the expenditure on transport accounted for 11% of the household budget.

By counties, the expenditures of households were the biggest in Harju county (335 euros per month per household member) and Tartu county (328 euros per month per household member). The smallest expenditures were in households of Ida-Viru county, Valga county and Põlva county (respectively 200, 209 and 217 euros per month per household member).

More detailed overview has been provided in the blog of statistics (only in Estonian).

The estimates are calculated according to the data of the Household Budget Survey conducted by Statistics Estonia. In 2012, more than 3,500 households participated in the survey. Household is a group of persons who live at the same address and share joint financial resources and whose members consider themselves to be members of one household, while family is based on relationship or kinship. In 2012, nearly 600,000 households lived in Estonia and the average size of a household was 2.2 persons.

Mortgage payments, real estate purchases, financial investments, expenses on major repairs or construction and other investments are not taken into account as household’s consumption expenditures.

The Household Budget Survey is carried out by statistical organisations of all European Union Member States on the basis of the harmonised methodology.

Source: Statistics Estonia

Estonian skier Veerpalu cleared of doping charges

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on published on March 26 its ruling in the case of Estonian skier Andrus Veerpalu, clearing the two-time Olympic gold medallist of doping charges, BNS news reported.

The sports court satisfied the appeal in the case of Veerpalu vs. International Ski Federation (FIS) and overturned the FIS decision of 22 August 2011 that found the skier guilty of doping and banned him from competing, the Aivar Pilv law office representing Veerpalu said.

The publication of the decision was delayed because the rule is that decisions have to be first released by the CAS itself, but the court’s website suffered from an overload due to huge public interest, Veerpalu’s representatives said.

The doping saga goes back to the end of January 2011 when officials from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) took a post-training sample from Veerpalu, who was preparing at the time for the Oslo World Championship at Otepää, Estonia. The positive result of the test for human growth hormone was initially kept secret from the public, with Veerpalu announcing that he would not take part in the championship and would end his career.

That both the A and B sample from Veerpalu had tested positive was announced at a press conference convened by the Estonian Ski Association in April 2011.

FIS slapped a three-year competition ban on Veerpalu in summer 2011. The skier who has firmly denied wrongdoing appealed the decision with CAS.

Source: BNS news in Estonian Review

One third of Estonian immigrants don’t understand the native language

One third of Estonian residents with a migrant background aged 15-74 do not speak the official language of the country, the share of non-Estonian-speakers being the largest among citizens of Russia.

Of the immigrant population 33 percent have no knowledge of Estonian whatsoever, 18.7 percent know enough to understand daily discourse, 16.5 percent are able to converse on daily topics, 24.3 percent can speak and write Estonian, and for 7.5 percent Estonian is their mother tongue or the language they speak at home.

According to Siim Krusell, chief analyst of Statistics Estonia, there were 797,800 ethnic Estonians and 226,500 immigrants as of 2012. Of the latter, 91,000 had Estonian citizenship. Nationals of other countries number 134,700, including 66,100 Russian citizens, and persons with undefined citizenship number 59,100.

Read more from BBN

Estonian population decreased last year

According to Statistics Estonia, by preliminary data, the estimated population number in Estonia was 1,286,540 on 1 January 2013. The decline in the population in 2012 was mainly influenced by the increase of emigration and the growth in the number of deaths.

In 2012, 10,871 persons emigrated from Estonia, which are 4,657 persons more than a year earlier. At the same time 4,416 persons immigrated to Estonia. Thus we have achieved the largest negative net migration over the past decade which means that 6,455 more people emigrated than immigrated. Net migration has been negative over the entire last decade and it was the lowest due to emigration during the period 2007–2009.

14,054 live births and 15,514 deaths were registered in 2012. Compared to the previous year, the number of births decreased by 624 and the number of deaths increased by 270. The decline in the number of births and the growth in the number of deaths have also influenced the natural increase, which was negative again – there were 1,460 more deaths than births. The natural increase has been negative since 1991, but started to decline since 2004. In 2010 the natural increase was positive by 34 births, but by now there has been a turn once again. In 2012, the negative natural increase achieved the highest level during the last five years.
the highest level during the last five years.

The estimated population number is based on the final population number of the 2011 Population and Housing Census (published on 12.12.2012, according to which there were 1,294,455 permanent residents in Estonia), which have been supplemented with the data on registered births, deaths and migration during 2012. Earlier population registration was based on the population number of the previous, 2000 Population Census.

Similarly to many other EU Member States, Statistics Estonia has started to adjust the population number between the two censuses, in the course of which the undercoverage of the 2011 as well as of the 2000 Population Censuses will be eliminated (i.e. the people who for some reason have been not enumerated will be taken into account as well). The revised population figures for the years 2000–2013 will be published by Statistics Estonia during the 1st quarter of 2014. The works mentioned above are needed in order to get the base for conducting the register-based Population Census in 2020.

See graph here

Source: Statistics Estonia

The population of Estonia is concentrated around larger cities

According to the final results of the 2011 Population and Housing Census (PHC 2011), 1,294,455 permanent residents were enumerated in Estonia. The census results indicate the continued concentration of the population around major cities.

Compared to the previous census of 2000, the population of Estonia has decreased by 75,597 persons, i.e. by 5.5%. The population has grown only in Harju and Tartu counties.

“Among local government units, population increase has been the biggest in the rural municipalities around Tallinn city – in some of these municipalities, the number of inhabitants has doubled compared to the previous census,” said Ms Diana Beltadze, Project Manager of the 2011 Population and Housing Census.

For example, the population has increased to 18,533 in Viimsi rural municipality (7,978 in 2000), to 15,721 in Rae rural municipality (7,979 in 2000), and to 14,181 in Harku rural municipality (6,617 in 2000).

There has also been a significant increase in population in some rural municipalities around Tartu city (from 4,780 to 7,751 in Ülenurme rural municipality and from 5,121 to 6,991 in Tartu rural municipality) and around Pärnu city (from 2,535 to 4,474 in Sauga rural).

Map 1. Relative population change in local government units, 2000–2011

Estonian cities are shrinking

There are only three cities in Estonia (excl. cities without municipal status) where the population has increased between the two censuses: Saue (11.2%), Maardu (4.7%) and Keila (4%). In the remaining cities, the population has decreased. Compared to 2000, the decrease in population has been the biggest in smaller cities.

Cities	2000	2011	change	%
Saue	4,958	5,514	556	11.2
Maardu	16,738	17,524	786	4.7
Keila	9,388	9,763	375	4
Tallinn	400,378	393,222	–7,156	–1.8
Sindi	4,179	4,076	–103	–2.5
Tartu	101,169	97,600	–3,569	–3.5
Paldiski	4,248	4,085	–163	–3.8
Elva	6,020	5,607	–413	–6.9
Rakvere	17,097	15,264	–1,833	–10.7
Põlva	6,467	5,767	–700	–10.8
Kuressaare	14,925	13,166	–1,759	–11.8
Narva-Jõesuu	2,983	2,632	–351	–11.8
Kunda	3,899	3,422	–477	–12.2
Pärnu	45,500	39,728	–5,772	–12.7
Põltsamaa	4,849	4,188	–661	–13.6
Jõgeva	6,420	5,501	–919	–14.3
Valga	14,323	12,261	–2062	–14.4
Narva	68,680	58,663	–10,017	–14.6
Paide	9,642	8,228	–1,414	–14.7
Tõrva	3,201	2,729	–472	–14.7
Võru	14,879	12,667	–2,212	–14.9
Haapsalu	12,054	10,251	–1,803	–15
Viljandi	20,756	17,473	–3,283	–15.8
Sillamäe	17,199	14,252	–2,947	–17.1
Võhma	1,596	1,314	–282	–17.7
Kärdla	3,773	3,050	–723	–19.2
Loksa	3,494	2,759	–735	–21
Kohtla-Järve	47,679	37,201	–10,478	–22
Mustvee	1,753	1,358	–395	–22.5
Kiviõli	7,405	5,634	–1,771	–23.9
Mõisaküla	1,165	825	–340	–29.2
Kallaste	1,211	852	–359	–29.6
Püssi	1,872	1,083	–789	–42.1

The shares of the urban and rural population have not changed much since the 2000 census. According to 2011 data, 67.9% of the population lives in urban settlements (incl. cities, cities without municipal status and towns). In 2000, 69.2% of the population of Estonia lived in urban settlements.

Of the 4,438 villages in Estonia, 12 have more than 1,000 residents and 645 have 100–999 residents. Most of the villages (3,781) are inhabited by less than 100 persons, and 327 villages have less than three permanent residents. There were 102 villages with no permanent residents. 

Several big villages have developed in areas close to cities. The villages with the biggest population are: Peetri – 4,435 (Harju county), Muraste – 1,698 (Harju county), Randvere – 1,690 (Harju county), Vahi – 1,620 (Tartu county), Alliku – 1,575 (Harju county), Tammiste – 1,562 (Pärnu county), Pärnamäe – 1,556 (Harju county), Lohkva – 1,288 (Tartu county), Püünsi – 1,256 (Harju county), and Papsaare – 1,028 (Pärnu county).

Average age has increased

Compared to the previous census, the average age of the Estonian residents has increased. The 5.5-year increase in life expectancy between 2000 and 2011 is considered the main reason for this. In 2000, the average age was 38.7 years, whereas in 2011 it was 40.8 years. The average age of men is 37.7 years (35.9 in 2000) and the average age of women is 43.4 years (41.1. in 2000).

The residents of Harju and Tartu counties are younger than the average, with their respective average ages being 36.3 and 38.1 years. The residents’ average age is the highest in Piirissaare (63.1 years) and Alajõe (53.9 years) rural municipalities.

The results of PHC 2011 regarding the age-sex distribution of the population in local government units can be found in Statistics Estonia’s database. The results of PHC 2011 will be published over the course of 2012 and 2013. The schedule of publication can be found at www.REL2011.ee.

The 11th population census in Estonia was conducted from 31 December 2011 until 31 March 2012. Previous censuses were carried out in 1881, 1897, 1922, 1934, 1941, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989 and 2000. The next population census will be conducted in Estonia in 2020/2021.

See a larger map at Statistics Estonia website