According to preliminary data from the Statistics Department, as of January 1, the population of Estonia was 1,362,954, which is 7,041 fewer than a year ago.
In 2025, 9,092 were born and 15,427 died. According to preliminary data, the migration balance was also negative: according to registered migration data, 11,298 people arrived in the country, while 12,004 left it.
According to Kadri Rootalu, head of the population and education statistics service at the Statistics Department, the demographic trends of recent years worsened in 2025. "Last year, more than 6,000 more people died than were born. The number of emigrants remained at the same level as the previous year, but the number of immigrants decreased. The migration balance was negative for the first time since 2014. In total, Estonia's population decreased by 7,041 people," she explained.
Last year, 9,092 children were born, which is six percent less than in 2024. "In 2025, 600 fewer children were born than the year before. The number of newborns began to decline sharply in 2022, and last year was the second in history when the annual number of births fell below 10,000," Rootalu explained.
She added that the decline in birth rates in 2025 was not as sharp as in 2024. "If in 2024, more than 1,200 fewer children were born, or almost 12%, compared to 2023, last year's figures improved," said Rootalu.
The decline in birth rates has also been linked to the decrease in the total number of women of childbearing age. "In 2025, the number of women aged 20–44 was 210,000, which is 10,000 fewer than 10 years ago. However, in the last three years, the number of women in this age group has remained generally unchanged," she noted.
According to Rootalu, neighboring countries are experiencing the same trends as Estonia. "According to preliminary data, the number of newborns has also significantly decreased in Latvia and Lithuania. In Finland, the birth rate slightly increased in the first nine months of last year, but in the long term, this indicator remains low," she said.
The number of deaths in Estonia decreased by 300 in 2025 compared to the year before last. Last year, 15,427 people died, which is comparable to the average figure for 2010–2019.
According to registered migration data, 11,298 people arrived in Estonia last year, while 12,004 left the country, meaning emigration exceeded immigration by 706 people. This is the first time since 2014 that the migration balance was negative, meaning the number of people leaving exceeded the number of those arriving.
"About 35% of immigrants, or 4,000 people, were citizens of Ukraine, which is less than in previous years. In 2022, 33,200 arrived in Estonia, in 2023 – 13,100, and in 2024 – 7,000 citizens of Ukraine," Rootalu said, adding that, according to preliminary data, the migration balance of Estonian citizens was also negative. "However, overall, over the last decade, the migration balance of Estonian citizens has been balanced," she noted.
