Tallinn's Registered Population Up 0.9% in 2012
According to January 1 figures from the Population Register, Tallinn has 419,830 official residents - an increase of 3,686 people since the end of 2011.
Unlike the 2011 census, which counted the number of people actually living in the capital (393,222 as of a year ago), the Population Register indicates the number of those who have put themselves on the books as Tallinn residents.
The pace of registration growth has escalated in the last few months - October saw 366 new residents sign up, 475 more did so in November and 1,248 in December, Tallinn's press service said.
Taavi Aas, deputy mayor of Tallinn, said that the main reason for the surge is the fact that Tallinn residency guarantees the right to free public transport.
The increase in registrations will be welcome news for city officials. Municipalities like Tallinn receive an 11.4 percent tax on the personal incomes of every official resident, with the rest of the person's income tax, 9.6 percent, going to state coffers.
Tallinn's 2013 budget foresees an annual income tax revenue increase of 17.5 million euros.