Estonia — Country profile

Estonian (official) 67.2%, Russian 28.5%, other 3.7%, unspecified 0.6% (2021est.)

Orthodox 16.5%, Protestant 9.2% (Lutheran 7.7%, other Protestant 1.5%), other 3% (includes Roman Catholic, Muslim, Jehovah's Witness, Pentecostal, Buddhist, and Taara Believer), none 58.4%, unspecified 12.9% (2021 est.)

7.86 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

12.57 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Estonian 69.1%, Russian 23.7%, Ukrainian 2.1%, other 4.6%, unspecified 0.5% (2021 est.)

3.47 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.5 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

1.36 children born/woman (2025 est.)

-0.47% (2025 est.)

0.66 (2025 est.)

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

454,000 TALLINN (capital) (2023)

21.2% (2016)

28.2 years (2020 est.)

54.1% (2021 est.)

description: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white

meaning: blue stands for faith, loyalty, and devotion, and also the sky, sea, and lakes; black for the country's soil and the Estonian people's past suffering; white for striving for enlightenment and virtue and also for birch bark, snow, and summer nights illuminated by the midnight sun

18 years of age; universal; age 16 for local elections

24 February 1918 (from Soviet Russia); 20 August 1991 (declared from the Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)

civil law system

parliamentary republic

Independence Day, 24 February (1918)

blue, black, white

Conservative People's Party of Estonia (Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond) or EKRE
Estonia 200 or E200
Estonia Centre Party of (Keskerakond) or EK
Estonian Free Party or VAP
Estonian Freedom Party - Farmers' Assembly or V-PK
Estonian Greens or EER
Estonian Nationalists and Conservatives or ERK 
Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) or RE
Fatherland or I
Left Alliance or VL
Social Democratic Party or SDE
The Right or PP
TOGETHER organization points to sovereignty or KOOS

barn swallow, cornflower

15 urban municipalities (linnad, singular - linn), 64 rural municipalities (vallad, singular - vald)

urban municipalities: Haapsalu, Keila, Kohtla-Jarve, Loksa, Maardu, Narva, Narva-Joesuu, Paide, Parnu, Rakvere, Sillamae, Tallinn, Tartu, Viljandi, Voru

rural municipalities: Alutaguse, Anija, Antsla, Elva, Haademeeste, Haljala, Harku, Hiiumaa, Jarva, Joelahtme, Jogeva, Johvi, Kadrina, Kambja, Kanepi, Kastre, Kehtna, Kihnu, Kiili, Kohila, Kose, Kuusalu, Laane-Harju, Laane-Nigula, Laaneranna, Luganuse, Luunja, Marjamaa, Muhu, Mulgi, Mustvee, Noo, Otepaa, Peipsiaare, Pohja-Parnumaa, Pohja-Sakala, Poltsamaa, Polva, Raasiku, Rae, Rakvere, Räpina, Rapla, Rouge, Ruhnu, Saarde, Saaremaa, Saku, Saue, Setomaa, Tapa, Tartu, Toila, Tori, Torva, Turi, Vaike-Maarja, Valga, Viimsi, Viljandi, Vinni, Viru-Nigula, Vormsi, Voru

Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

the publicly owned broadcaster, Eesti Rahvusringhaaling (ERR), operates 3 TV channels and 5 radio networks; growing number of private commercial radio stations broadcasting nationally, regionally, and locally; fully transitioned to digital television in 2010; national private TV channels expanding service, with a range of channels aimed at Russian-speaking viewers; in 2016, there were 42 on-demand services available in Estonia, including 19 pay TVOD and SVOD services; roughly 85% of households accessed digital television services

.ee

34 (2025)

10 (2025)

ES

maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers

marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia

3,794 km

20 sq km (2016)

Europe

sometimes flooding occurs in the spring

the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; over 1,500 islands lie offshore

oil shale, peat, rare earth elements, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud

about twice the size of New Jersey

59 00 N, 26 00 E

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers

air pollution from sulfur dioxide from oil-shale-burning power plants; coastal seawater pollution

6.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

12.806 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Estonia’s defense policy aims to guarantee the country’s independence and sovereignty, protect its territorial integrity, including waters and airspace, and preserve constitutional order; Estonia’s main defense goals are developing and maintaining a credible deterrent to outside aggression and ensuring the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) can fulfill their commitments to NATO and interoperate with the armed forces of NATO and EU member states; the EDF’s primary external focus is Russia; since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Estonia has boosted defense spending, sent arms to Ukraine, and sought to boost the EDF’s capabilities in such areas as air defense, artillery, personnel readiness, and surveillance

Estonia has been a member of NATO since 2004, is fully integrated within the NATO structure, and relies on its NATO partners for defense; since 2017, Estonia has hosted a UK-led multinational NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative; as the EDF Air Force does not have any combat aircraft, NATO has provided airspace protection for Estonia since 2004 through its Baltic Air Policing mission; NATO member countries that possess air combat capabilities voluntarily contribute to the mission on four-month rotations; NATO fighter aircraft have been hosted at Estonia’s Ämari Air Base since 2014; Estonia also hosts a NATO cyber security center; it cooperates closely with the EU on defense issues through the EU Common Security and Defense Policy and is a member of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and Scandinavian countries designed to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and High North regions; Estonia also has close defense ties with its Baltic neighbors and has bilateral military agreements with a number of European countries, as well as Canada and the US (2025)

Estonian Defense Forces: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force; Estonian Defense League 

Ministry of Interior: Police and Border Guard Board, Internal Security Service (2025)

18-27 for compulsory military or governmental service for men; conscript service requirement 8-11 months depending on education; non-commissioned officers, reserve officers, and specialists serve 11 months; women can volunteer, and as of 2018 could serve in any military branch (2025)

the Estonian military has a mix of Soviet-era and more modern, Western-origin weapons and equipment; suppliers in recent years include France, Israel, South Korea, Sweden, Türkiye, and the US (2025)

approximately 7,500 active-duty military personnel (2025)