Editing Demographics of Estonia (section)

== Ethnic groups ==
{{See also|Estonian Swedes|Baltic Germans|Russians in Estonia|Ukrainians in Estonia|Armenians in Estonia|Võros|Setos}}

'''Population of Estonia by ethnic groups 2022-2025''' <ref>{{cite web | url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvastik__rahvastikunaitajad-ja-koosseis__rahvaarv-ja-rahvastiku-koosseis/RV0222U/table/tableViewLayout2 | title=Rv0222U: Population by Sex, Ethnic Nationality and County, 1 January }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=RV067: POPULATION BY ETHNIC NATIONALITY AND SEX, 1 JANUARY |url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvastik__rahvastikunaitajad-ja-koosseis__rahvaarv-ja-rahvastiku-koosseis/RV067 |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=PxWeb |language=en}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right;"
|+
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! rowspan="2" | Ethnic<br />group
! colspan=2 | 2022
! colspan=2 | 2023
! colspan=2 | 2024
! colspan="2" |2025
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
!Number
! %
|-
| align=left | [[Estonians]]
| 919,693 ||{{percentage bar|width=70|69.06}}
| 925,892 ||{{percentage bar|width=70|67.79}}
| 931,993 ||{{percentage bar|width=70|67.80}}
|934,725
|{{percentage bar|width=70|68.23}}
|-
| align=left | [[Russians]]
| 315,242||{{percentage bar|width=70|23.67}}
| 306,801||{{percentage bar|width=70|22.46}}
| 296,268||{{percentage bar|width=70|21.55}}
|285,819
|{{percentage bar|width=70|20.86}}
|-
| align=left | [[Ukrainians]]
| 27,826||{{percentage bar|width=70|2.09}}
| 55,675||{{percentage bar|width=70|4.08}}
| 68,770||{{percentage bar|width=70|5.00}}
|73,597
|{{percentage bar|width=70|5.37}}
|-
| align=left | [[Belarusians]]
| 11,605||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.87}}
| 11,562||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.85}}
| 11,402||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.83}}
|11,089
|{{percentage bar|width=70|0.81}}
|-
| align=left | [[Finns]]
| 8,543||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.64}}
| 8,518||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.62}}
| 8,344||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.61}}
|8,080
|{{percentage bar|width=70|0.59}}
|-
| align=left | [[Latvians]]
| 3,827||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.29}}
| 4,094||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.30}}
| 4,232||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.31}}
|4,225
|{{percentage bar|width=70|0.31}}
|-
| align=left | [[Germans]]
| 2,701||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.20}}
| 2,900||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.21}}
| 2,923||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.21}}
|2,954
|{{percentage bar|width=70|0.22}}
|-
| align=left | [[Lithuanians]]
| 2,097||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.16}}
| 2,146||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.16}}
| 2,146||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.16}}
|2,095
|{{percentage bar|width=70|0.15}}
|-
| align=left | [[Tatars]]
| 1,938||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.15}}
| 1,984||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.15}}
| 2,022||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.15}}
|2,023
|{{percentage bar|width=70|0.15}}
|-
| align=left | [[Jews]]
| 1,852||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.14}}
| 1,939||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.14}}
| 2,013||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.14}}
|2,012
|{{percentage bar|width=70|0.15}}
|-
|align=left | [[Polish people|Poles]]
| 1,845||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.14}}
| 1,915||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.14}}
| 1,882||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.14}}
|1,883
|{{percentage bar|width=70|0.14}}
|-
| align=left | [[Armenians]]
| 1,666||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.13}}
| 1,755||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.13}}
| 1,804||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.13}}
|1,852
|{{percentage bar|width=70|0.14}}
|-
| align=left | [[Azerbaijanis]]
| 1,546||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.12}}
| 1,688||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.12}}
| 1,775||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.13}}
|1,837
|{{percentage bar|width=70|0.13}}
|-
| align=left |Other ethnic nationalities	
| 24,703||{{percentage bar|width=70|1.85}}
| 28,237||{{percentage bar|width=7
0|2.07}}
| 30,433||{{percentage bar|width=70|2.21}}
|31,626
|{{percentage bar|width=70|2.31}}
|-
| align=left | Ethnic nationality unknown
| 6,712||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.50}}
| 10,778||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.79}}
| 8,680||{{percentage bar|width=70|0.63}}
|6,178
|{{percentage bar|width=70|0.45}}
|-
! align=left | Total
! colspan=2 | 1,331,796
! colspan=2 | 1,365,884
! colspan=2 | 1,374,687
! colspan="2" |1,369,995
|-
|}

[[File:Share of Estonians.png|thumbnail|420px|Share of ethnic Estonians by Estonian locality]]
Today, Estonia is an ethnically fairly diverse country, ranking 97th out of 239 countries and territories in 2001 study by Kok Kheng Yeoh.<ref name="TOWARDS AN INDEX OF ETHNIC FRACTIONALIZATION">{{cite web
 |title=TOWARDS AN INDEX OF ETHNIC FRACTIONALIZATION
 |url=http://cmsad.um.edu.my/images/fep/doc/2001%20Pdf/FEA-WP-2001-003.pdf
 |publisher=University of Malaya
 |date=2008-10-17
 |access-date=2010-10-11
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813185730/http://cmsad.um.edu.my/images/fep/doc/2001%20Pdf/FEA-WP-2001-003.pdf
 |archive-date=2011-08-13
 |url-status=dead
 }}</ref> In 2008, thirteen of Estonia's fifteen counties were over 80% ethnic Estonian. The counties with the highest percentage Estonians are [[Hiiu County]] (98.4%) and [[Saare County]] (98.3%).  However, in [[Harju County]] (which includes the national capital, [[Tallinn]]) and [[Ida-Viru County]], ethnic Estonians make up only 59.6% (55.0% in Tallinn) and 19.7% of the population, respectively.  In those two counties, [[Russians]] account for 32.4% (36.4% in Tallinn) and 71.2% of the population, respectively.  In the nation as a whole, Russians make up 23% of the total population.<ref name="Population by sex, ethnic nationality and county, 1 January">{{cite web
 |title=Population by sex, ethnic nationality and county, 1 January
 |url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvastik__rahvastikunaitajad-ja-koosseis__rahvaarv-ja-rahvastiku-koosseis/RV069
 |publisher=[[Statistics Estonia]]
 |date=2008-10-17
 |access-date=2009-10-05
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201124514/http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=PO0222&ti=POPULATION+BY+SEX%2C+ETHNIC+NATIONALITY+AND+COUNTY%2C+1+JANUARY&path=..%2FI_Databas%2FPopulation%2F01Population_indicators_and_composition%2F04Population_figure_and_composition%2F&lang=1
 |archive-date=2017-12-01
 }}</ref>

After gaining independence following World War I a population census was held in 1922 and 1934. At that time Estonians were still the predominant ethnic group, while all others constituted 12% of the population of Estonia.

Major Jewish communities were present in Estonia between 1918 and 1940 in [[Tallinn]], [[Pärnu]], [[Kilingi-Nõmme]], [[Narva]], [[Tartu]], [[Valga, Estonia|Valga]], and [[Võru]].<ref>
{{cite book |url=http://www.geschichteinchronologie.ch/eu/estland/EncJud_juden-in-Estland-ENGL.html |title=Encyclopaedia Judaica. Jews in Estonia |year=1971 |volume=6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922205912/https://geschichteinchronologie.ch/eu/estland/EncJud_juden-in-Estland-ENGL.html |archive-date=2012-09-22}}</ref>

'''Population of Estonia by ethnic group 1897–2021'''
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right;"
|+
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! rowspan="2" | Ethnic<br />group
! colspan=2 | census 1897<ref>{{cite web|url=http://demoscope.ru/weekly/ssp/rus_lan_97_uezd_eng.php|title=Demoscope Weekly – Annex. Statistical indicators reference.|website=Demoscope.ru|access-date=7 November 2017}}</ref>
! colspan=2 | census 1922<sup>1</sup>
! colspan=2 | census 1934<sup>1</sup>
! colspan=2 | census 1959<sup>2</sup>
! colspan=2 | census 1970<sup>3</sup>
! colspan=2 | census 1979<sup>4</sup>
! colspan=2 | census 1989<sup>5</sup>
! colspan=2 | census 2000<sup>6</sup>
! colspan=2 | census 2011<ref name="pub.stat.ee">{{cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2011__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__rahvus-emakeel-ja-keelteoskus-murded|title=Ethnic nationality. Mother tongue and command of foreign languages. Dialects|website=pub.stat.ee}}</ref>
! colspan=2 | census 2021<ref name=PSENC2021>{{cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvaloendus__rel2021__rahvastiku-demograafilised-ja-etno-kultuurilised-naitajad__rahvus-emakeel/RL21428/table/tableViewLayout2|title=Population by sex, ethnic nationality and county (2021)|website=stat.ee}}</ref>
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
|-
| align=left | [[Estonians]]
| 867,794||90.6
| 969,976||87.6
| 992,520||88.1
| 892,653||74.6
| 925,157||68.2
| 947,812||64.7
| 963,281||61.5
| 930,219||67.9
| 902,547||69.7
| 919,711||69.1
|-
| align=left | [[Russians]]
| 37,599||3.9
| 91,109||8.2
| 92,656||8.2
| 240,227||20.1
| 334,620||24.7
| 408,778||27.9
| 474,834||30.3
| 351,178||25.6
| 326,235||25.2
| 315,252||23.6
|-
| align=left | [[Ukrainians]]
| 504||0.1
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 92||0.0
| 15,769||1.3
| 28,086||2.1
| 36,044||2.5
| 48,271||3.1
| 29,012||2.1
| 22,573||1.7
| 27,828||2.1
|-
| align=left | [[Belarusians]]
| 272||0.0
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 10,930
| 0.9
| 18,732
| 1.4
| 23,461
| 1.6
| 27,711
| 1.8
| 17,241
| 1.3
| 12,579||1.0
| 11,606||0.9
|-
| align=left | [[Finns]]
| 362||0.0
| 401
| 0.0
| 1,088
| 0.1
| 16,699
| 1.4
| 18,537
| 1.4
| 17,753
| 1.2
| 16,622
| 1.1
| 11,837
| 0.9
| 7,589||0.6
| 8,543||0.6
|-
| align=left | [[Latvians]]
| 5,470||0.6
| 1,966
| 0.2
| 5,435
| 0.5
| 2,888
| 0.2
| 3,286
| 0.2
| 3,963
| 0.3
| 3,135
| 0.2
| 2,330
| 0.2
| 1,764||0.1
| 3,827||0.3
|-
| align=left | [[Germans]]
| 33,362||3.5
| 18,319
| 1.7
| 16,346
| 1.5
| 670
| 0.1
| 7,850
| 0.6
| 3,944
| 0.3
| 3,466
| 0.2
| 1,870
| 0.1
| 1,544||0.1
| 2,701||0.2
|-
| align=left | [[Lithuanians]]
| 44||0.0
| 436||0.0
| 253 
| 0.0
| 1,616
| 0.1
| 2,356
| 0.2
| 2,379
| 0.2
| 2,568
| 0.2
| 2,116
| 0.2
| 1,727||0.1
| 2,097||0.2
|-
| align=left | [[Tatars]]
| 36||0.0
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 166
| 0.0
| 1,534
| 0.1
| 2,204
| 0.2
| 3,195
| 0.2
| 4,058
| 0.3
| 2,582
| 0.2
| 1,993||0.2
| 1,938||0.1
|-
| align=left | [[Jews]]
| 3,837||0.4
| 4,566
| 0.4
| 4,434
| 0.4
| 5,433
| 0.5
| 5,282
| 0.4
| 4,954
| 0.3
| 4,613
| 0.3
| 2,145
| 0.2
| 1,973||0.2
| 1,852||0.1
|-
|align=left | [[Polish people|Poles]]
| 1,941||0.2
| 969
| 0.1
| 1,608
| 0.1
| 2,256
| 0.2
| 2,651
| 0.2
| 2,897
| 0.2
| 3,008
| 0.2
| 2,193
| 0.2
| 1,664||0.1
| 1,845||0.1
|-
| align=left | [[Swedes]]
| 6,083||0.6
| 7,850
| 0.7
| 7,641
| 0.7
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 435
| 0.0
| 254
| 0.0
| 297
| 0.0
| 300
| 0.0
| 380
| 0.0
| 811
|-
| align=left | [[Armenians]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 1,428||0.1
| 1,666||0.1
|-
| align=left | [[Azerbaijanis]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 940 ||0.0
| 1,546||0.1
|-
| align=left | [[French people]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 117 ||0.0
| 1,275||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Italians]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 230 || 0.0
| 1,181||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Hindus]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 90 ||0.0
| 1,165||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Englishmen]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 270 ||0.0
| 999||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Georgians]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 490 || 0.0
| 946||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Spaniards]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 100 || 0.0
| 767||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Turkish people]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 86 || 0.0
| 763||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Moldovans|Moldavians]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 511 || 0.0
| 730||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Romani people]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 482 || 0.0
| 676||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Americans]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 245||0.0
| 645||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Pakistanis]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 27||0.0
| 560||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Romanians]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 91||0.0
| 517||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Arabs]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 80||0.0
| 489||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Brazilians]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 29||0.0
| 460||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Chinese people|Chinese]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 90||0.0
| 427||0.0
|-
| align=left | [[Persians]]
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| colspan=2 align=center | —
| 23||0.0
| 426||0.0
|-
| align=left |Other
| 1,047||0.1
| 11,467
| 1.0
| 4,266
| 0.4
| 6,116
| 0.5
| 6,883
| 0.5
| 9,042
| 0.6
| 13,798
| 0.9
| 19,174
| 1.4
| 7,538||0.6
| 18,575||1.4
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! align=left | Total
! colspan=2 | 958,351
! colspan=2 | 1,107,059
! colspan=2 | 1,126,413
! colspan=2 | 1,196,791
! colspan=2 | 1,356,079
! colspan=2 | 1,464,476
! colspan=2 | 1,565,662
! colspan=2 | 1,370,052
! colspan=2 | 1,294,455
! colspan=2 | 1,331,824
|-
|}

As a result of the Soviet occupation from 1944 to 1991 and Soviet policies, the share of ethnic Estonians in the population resident within currently defined boundaries of [[Estonia]] dropped to 61.5% in 1989, compared to 88% in 1934.<ref name="Population of Estonia by population censuses">
{{cite book |url=http://www.stat.ee/dokumendid/26380 |title=Eesti rahvastik rahvaloenduste andmetel (Population of Estonia by population censuses) |publisher=Eesti Statistikaamet (Statistical Office of Estonia) |year=1996 |isbn=9985-826-44-2 |volume=2 |language=et, en |format=PDF |access-date=2009-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115140334/http://stat.ee/dokumendid/26380 |archive-date=2018-11-15}}</ref>  But in the decade following the restoration of independence, large scale emigration by ethnic Russians, as well as ethnic groups of other former Soviet countries, and the removal of the Russian military bases in 1994 caused the proportion of ethnic Estonians in Estonia to increase from 61.5% in 1989 to 68.7% in 2008.  In the same period the proportion of ethnic Russians decreased from 30.0% to 25.6%, the proportion of ethnic [[Ukrainians]] decreased from 3.1% to 2.1%, and the proportion of ethnic [[Belarusians]] decreased from 1.8% to 1.2%.<ref name="Population by sex, ethnic nationality and county, 1 January"/><ref name="Population of Estonia by population censuses"/>

[[File:Estonia ethnic makeup.png|thumb|1897–2011 Estonia ethnic makeup|320px]]

[[File:Citizenship of the Estonian population (2010-07-02).png|thumb|320px|right|Citizenship of the population of Estonia in 2010. Data is taken from [[Statistics Estonia]].<ref name="Citizenship">{{cite web
 |title=Citizenship
 |url=http://estonia.eu/about-estonia/society/citizenship.html
 |publisher=Estonia.eu
 |date=2010-07-02
 |access-date=2010-08-20
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601195852/http://estonia.eu/about-estonia/society/citizenship.html
 |archive-date=2012-06-01
 |url-status=dead
 }}</ref>
{{legend|#63aafe|Estonian: 1,148,895}}
{{legend|#dd2d32|Russian: 95,939}}
{{legend|#fff58c|Others: 21,517}}
{{legend|#4ee257|Undetermined: 99,173}}]]
In 2008, the largest ethnic groups in Estonia were Estonians 68.7%, Russians 25.6%, Ukrainians 2.1%, Belarusians 1.2%, and [[Finns]] 0.8%.  These five groups made up 98.4% of Estonia's population.<ref name="Population by sex, ethnic nationality and county, 1 January"/>

The numbers had changed a little by the time of the 2021 census, when they were reported as Estonians 69.1%, Russians 23.6%, Ukrainians 2.1%, Belarusians 0.9%, and Finns 0.6%.<ref name=PSENC2021/><gallery mode="packed" caption="Population pyramids of ethnic groups within Estonia">
File:Estonians population pyramid in Estonia in 2021.svg|Estonians
File:Russian population pyramid in Estonia in 2021.svg|Russian
</gallery>