On 31 May Statistics Estonia published the first set of data obtained in the 11th population census conducted from 31 December 2011 to 31 March 2012. Compared to the previous census in 2000, the number of permanent residents in Estonia has decreased by 75,816, which is 5.5%.
By 31 March, Estonia had 693,884 women and 600,352 men permanently residing in the country. Of the enumerated permanent residents, 68.7% defined themselves as Estonians and 24.8% as Russians; 4.9% of permanent residents specified another ethnicity and 1.5% declined from specifying any ethnicity. According to the international definition, a permanent resident is a person who has lived in the country for at least a year before the census moment (31 December 2012) or intends to live in the country for at least a year.
“The preliminary results of the census confirm that the population trends that emerged after the restoration of independence have continued in Estonia,” said Ene-Margit Tiit, Head of Methodology of the Population and Housing Census commenting the figures.
In 2000, the proportion of children aged 0–14 in the population was 18%, whereas by 2011 it had declined to 15%. The proportion of people aged 65 and over has increased to 18% compared to 15% in 2000. The share of the working-age population (aged 15–65) has remained the same as in 2000, 67%. The regional concentration of the population has continued. Compared to the previous census, the populations of Harju and Tartu counties have grown and the populations of other counties have declined.
By December 2012 at the latest the results of the Population and Housing Census will undergo a further comparison with different state registers. This allows Statistics Estonia to assess the extent of undercoverage, or the number of persons who were not enumerated. This will be a basis for determining if any revisions are needed in the population statistics.
The complete results of the Population and Housing Census 2011 will be published over 2012 and 2013.
