Estonian Human Development Report

to reality. The greatest inaccuracy exists among younger
people (20–34), and more people live in the environs of the
larger cities than is reflected in the register (Tammur et al
2006, Tammur et al 2009). Comparing various information
sources, one can say that Estonia foreign migration,
especially emigration is underestimated, although the difference
between the statistics of Estonia and foreign countries
has been decreasing in recent years. The noticeable
increase in the number of immigration entries indicates
the development of residential registration rather than
increased immigration. The registration of emigration
has developed more uniformly. Under-registration probably
occurred more often in 2000–2004. Here we should
consider that emigration cannot be registered for foreigners
whose immigration was not registered (Tammur et al
2009).
External migration
Reasons for emigration and its history
Table 1.2.1. Primary emigration destination
countries by years
Emigration year
2004 2005 2006 2007
Total
Finland 1960 3513 4451 3163 13 087
Russia 350 353 276 221 1200
Germany 136 148 145 206 635
United Kingdom 45 87 125 164 421
Sweden 70 59 78 108 315
USA 61 60 81 57 259
Ukraine 46 82 38 32 198
Other countries 259 308 333 433 1333
Total 2927 4610 5527 4384 17 448
Source: Statistics Estonia
After the World War II, massive international migration
started from economically less-developed countries to
more successful countries, and this trend continues today.
In time, only the reasons for migration have changed.
During this period, Estonia has changed from a country
of destination for migration to a country of dispatch.
Before the Second World War, Estonia was one of the ethnically
most homogenous regions in Europe (in 1934 Estonians
comprised 88% of the population) and immediately
after the war, the ratio of Estonians in the population was
even 97% (Tiit 1993: 1678). Then, as a result of the annexation
period in 1945–1989, the relative importance of the
Estonian indigenous population was reduced to 62%. The
annual net migration throughout the entire 40 years was
5,000–10,000 people, which is 0.3–0.8% of the population
(Tiit 1993).
As a result of the political and economic changes
that took place at the end of the 1980s and beginning of
the 1990s, migration in Estonia (like most other transition
countries) changed direction, and as of 1990, the net
migration became negative. In 1989–1994, approximately
80,000 people (i.e. about 5% of the population) left Estonia.
Immigrants that had arrived during previous periods
from other regions of the Soviet Union, especially recent
immigrants, also Russian military personnel and their
families as well as Jews, Germans and Finns that repatriated
for economic reasons left Estonia. As a result of
the emigration, the share of Estonians in their homeland
increased to almost 68% in 2000.
In the second half of the 1990s and the beginning of
the 2000s, the reason for emigration changed – returning
to ethnic homelands started to decrease, while going to
work (and also study) in countries with higher developmental
levels for economic reasons increased. As before,
the majority of emigrants were Russian, although the ratio
of Estonians among the emigrants continually increased.
The net migration was negative with regards to all important
countries of destination. Besides Russia, the second
important country of destination for migration was Finland,
the importance of which continually increased, and
as of 2001, Finland became the primary country of destination
for emigration from Estonia. Finland did not become
a country that received immigrants until the 1990s (Forsander
2003), which is apparently related to the opening
of borders in former socialist countries. Currently, immigrants
with Estonian citizenship are the main immigrant
group in Finland (Herm 2008). Other countries in Europe
and countries further away have been important emigration
destinations for Estonia in different years.
Emigration 2004–2007
According to Statistics Estonia data, over 17,000 people
left Estonia for other countries during the four years being
examined, which is more than 1% of the total population.
The main country of destination for Estonian emigration
is Finland, to which over 13,000 people emigrated within
four years. Finland was followed in importance by Russia
and Germany (Table 1.2.1.). Since data exchange has
occurred between the Estonian and Finnish population
registers, which is unfortunately lacking with other countries,
the Finnish migration data is notably more reliable
than that of other countries. Finland is the primary destination
for Estonian emigrants. This fact is not changed by
presumed underestimates of the migrants to other countries.
Along with other European countries, the CIS countries,
which receive very diverse migration flows, are
important countries of destination for Estonian emigration.
While emigration from Estonia has generally
increased, migration to the CIS countries has decreased
almost threefold in 2000–2007. Although only 16% of all
Estonian migrants to foreign countries went to CIS countries
(primarily, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus), the age and
ethnic composition of these emigrants were quite specific.
Many relatively older, over-60-year-old people left,
whereas 91% of those departing were Russians, Ukrainians
and Belarusians (Anniste 2009).
The gender of the emigrants from Estonia in 2004–
2007 corresponds to the gender distribution of the Estonian
population: men comprised 46% and women 54%.
The age distribution of the migrating population was
usually significantly younger than the settled population.
The average age of those who relocated from Estonia
to another country was 35 years and the median age
was 33, which reflects the greater migration of younger
working-aged people. Older working-age people and pensioners
migrate less frequently and the number of immigrants
over the age of 60 drops sharply. Connecting the
emigration from new member states primarily with work
migration and taking into account the greater unemploy-
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