Geography
Size snapshot: about twice the size of New Jersey.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Estonia
EuropeLand of Contrasts
Estonia is a place of striking contrasts. Explore the contradictions that define this nation.
Estonia is a place of striking contrasts. #7 in spirits consumption but near the bottom in fertility rate. Explore the contradictions that define this nation.
59.0, 26.0 - Europe
Area
45K km²
Pop.
1.34M
Stats
194
Reality brief
Estonia is a country in Europe with a population of 1.34M and an area of 45,227 km². Life expectancy is 78.5 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Human Development Index
0.91#36globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Internet Users (%)
92.24%#48globally
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
CO2 Per Capita
6.1 t/person/yr#52globally
Annual carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per person, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$49,321.04#51globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
GDP Per Capita
$41,546.12#52globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Life Expectancy
79.2 years#65globally
Average number of years a newborn would be expected to live if current mortality patterns stayed the same, from Our World in Data.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Estonia
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include Estonian (official) 67.2%, Russian 28.5%, other 3.7%, unspecified 0.6% (2021est.).
CIA 2026
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Estonia.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Estonia
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Gender Pay Gap (%)
24.65% of male wages#2globallyTop stat
Women's earnings shortfall compared with men in the same wage decile, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Spirits Consumption
4.6 L/person/yr#7globallyTop stat
Liters of spirits consumed per person per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Coastline Length
3.8K km#32globallyTop stat
Total coastline length from CIA World Factbook.
Military Spending
3.4% of GDP#23globallyTop stat
Military expenditure as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #135 in foreign patents
#1351.0Foreign Patents
How many patent applications are filed by non-residents each year.
Keeps infant mortality unusually low
#1941.6 per 1k birthsInfant Mortality
Infant deaths before age 1 per 1,000 live births, from World Bank Open Data.
Only ranks #194 in fdi inflows (% gdp)
#194-7.97% of GDPFDI Inflows (% GDP)
Foreign direct investment net inflows as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Keeps air pollution (pm2.5) unusually low
#1946.1 µg/m³Air Pollution (PM2.5)
The average level of fine particle air pollution (PM2.5) that people are exposed to.
Ranks #17 globally in beer consumption
#174.0 L/person/yrBeer Consumption
Liters of beer consumed per person per year, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Compared with the region
How Estonia Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Estonia
Europe avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $49,321.04
- Region avg
- $57,483.02
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Estonia$49,321.04
Europe$57,483.02
World$31,844.55
+55% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 78.5 years
- Region avg
- 80.0 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Estonia78.5 years
Europe80.0 years
World73.7 years
+6% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.91
- Region avg
- 0.89
- World avg
- 0.74
Estonia0.91
Europe0.89
World0.74
+22% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 92.24%
- Region avg
- 90.13%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Estonia92.24%
Europe90.13%
World70.29%
+31% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Estonia
Country briefing
After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918.
Read the full Factbook note
After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 -- an action never recognized by the US and many other countries -- it regained its freedom in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with the West. It joined both NATO and the EU in 2004, formally joined the OECD in 2010, and adopted the euro as its official currency in 2011.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
- Climate
- maritime; wet, moderate winters, cool summers
- Terrain
- marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
- Natural Resources
- oil shale, peat, rare earth elements, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud
- Natural Hazards
- sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
- Size Comparison
- about twice the size of New Jersey
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Estonian (official) 67.2%, Russian 28.5%, other 3.7%, unspecified 0.6% (2021est.)
- Religions
- 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Estonian 69.1%, Russian 23.7%, Ukrainian 2.1%, other 4.6%, unspecified 0.5% (2021 est.)
- Major Cities
- 454,000 TALLINN (capital) (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Tallinn
- Capital Coordinates
- 59 26 N, 24 43 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Estonia
- Name Origin
- derives from the name of the people who lived along the eastern Baltic Sea in the first centuries A.D., which came from the Baltic word aueist, meaning "waterside dwellers"
- Independence
- 24 February 1918 (from Soviet Russia); 20 August 1991 (declared from the Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)
- National Symbols
- barn swallow, cornflower
- National Anthem
- "Mu isamaa, mu onn ja room" (My Native Land, My Pride and Joy)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 2 (both cultural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- high-income, service-based EU and eurozone economy; rebound in exports playing a role in economic recovery; rising food prices contributing to inflation; decrease in labor force participation and rising unemployment rate; recovery depends on boosting private investment and productivity rates
- Industries
- food, engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textiles; information technology, telecommunications
- Agricultural Products
- milk, wheat, barley, rapeseed, peas, oats, potatoes, rye, pork, triticale (2023)
- Export Partners
- Finland 14%, Latvia 10%, Lithuania 9%, Sweden 7%, Russia 6% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- cars, wood, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, prefabricated buildings (2023)
- Import Partners
- Finland 11%, Germany 11%, China 10%, Lithuania 6%, Poland 6% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- cars, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, natural gas, packaged medicine (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense4 facts
- Military Forces
- Estonian Defense Forces: Land Forces, Navy, Air Force; Estonian Defense League Ministry of Interior: Police and Border Guard Board, Internal Security Service (2025)
- Military Service
- 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)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 52.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 9.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 10.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 27.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 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
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Wealth & Economy13 statsBest: #2
Gender Pay Gap (%)
High-Tech Exports (%)
Employment Rate (%)
Long-Term Unemployment
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
GDP Per Capita
Youth Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
Inflation Rate
GDP (Nominal)
Government Debt (% GDP)
GDP Growth Rate
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
Lifestyle4 statsBest: #7
Society & Equality6 statsBest: #8
Education & Future8 statsBest: #13
Human Development Index
R&D Spending (% GDP)
Education Spending (% GDP)
University Enrollment Rate
Leisure Time
Domestic Patents
Life Expectancy
Foreign Patents
Demographics12 statsBest: #13
Death Rate
Elderly Population (%)
Median Age
Dependency Ratio
Urban Population (%)
Land Area
Population
Population Density
Youth Population (%)
Teen Birth Rate
Fertility Rate
Birth Rate
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #23
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #28
Suicide Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Smoking Rate
Doctors (per 1,000)
Life Expectancy
Obesity Rate
Health Spending (% GDP)
Child Mortality
Infant Mortality
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #32
Coastline Length
3.8K km#32
Lowest Elevation
0 m#78
Land Border Length
657 km#134
Highest Elevation
318 m#205
Environment9 statsBest: #33
Forest Coverage (%)
Electricity Access (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Renewable Energy (%)
Protected Land (%)
Forest Area
Total CO2 Emissions
Irrigated Land
20 km²#163
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Technology3 statsBest: #35
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #83
Energy1 statsBest: #108
Electric Generating Capacity
3.23M kW#108
Keep exploring
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Where Estonia leads
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Share a country stat
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Estonia
#36 in Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
Top 15% globally
0.91
Frequently Asked Questions about Estonia
What is the population of Estonia?
Estonia has a population of 1.34M, ranking #156 globally by population.
What continent is Estonia in?
Estonia is located in Europe. It has an area of 45,227 km².
What is the life expectancy in Estonia?
Life expectancy in Estonia is 78.5 years, ranking #59 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Estonia?
Estonia's GDP per capita (PPP) is $49,321.04, ranking #51 globally.
What is Estonia known for in global statistics?
Estonia ranks particularly high in Human Development Index (#36), Internet Users (%) (#48), CO2 Per Capita (#52).
What is Estonia's Human Development Index?
Estonia has an HDI of 0.905, ranking #36 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Estonia?
Estonia has a population density of 32.1 people per km², ranking #168 globally.