Harju County was followed by Tartu County and Ida-Viru County, which accounted for 12 percent and 7 percent of Estonia's GDP, respectively.

The smallest contributions continued to come from Hiiu County, Lääne County and Põlva County, where shares of GDP remained below 1 percent.

Last year, 62 percent of the total added value (the monetary expression of production minus intermediate consumption) was generated in Harju County. "Although this figure has exceeded the 60 percent threshold in Harju County since 2011, there is a noticeable steady increase in Tartu County's share, primarily driven by the influence of Tartu city," noted Statistics Estonia's leading analyst Kail Karilaid.

Tartu city's share of the total added value was 9 percent last year, compared to 7.9 percent in 2011.

Relative importance of the service sector growing

The service sector's share of Estonia's economy reached a historic high of 73 percent in 2023.

Karilaid explained that the service sector in Estonia has grown steadily, becoming the leading economic activity in most counties, surpassing the 70 percent threshold since 2015. "The increase in the service sector's share resulted from a decline in the shares of agriculture, industry and construction," Karilaid added.

The largest share of services in GDP was recorded in Tallinn and Tartu, where it exceeded the 80 percent mark for the first time. Tallinn's share was primarily driven by trade, information and communications, real estate and financial and insurance activities. Tartu's contribution was influenced by education, healthcare and social services, trade and real estate.

In most counties, the share of services surpassed 50 percent. Notable examples include Lääne County (67 percent), Saare County (64 percent) and Hiiu County (64 percent).

Ida-Viru County had the smallest share of services, accounting for only 48 percent of GDP.

Last year, industry and construction made up 25 percent of the economy, falling to their lowest historical level. "This is due to the continuous growth of the service sector since 1995," Karilaid explained.

The share of industry and construction remained highest in Ida-Viru County (51 percent), primarily due to the energy sector. It was followed by Rapla County (39 percent), Järva County (38 percent) and Võru County (37 percent), which have significant manufacturing industries. Additionally, the region surrounding Tartu city had a notable share of industrial activity at 40 percent.

The lowest shares of industry and construction were found in Harju County (19 percent), Tartu County (23 percent) and Põlva County (27 percent). According to Karilaid, this is explained by the dominance of the service sector in Harju and Tartu counties, as well as the relatively low industrial activity in Tallinn and Tartu. In Põlva County, agriculture remains the largest contributor to the economy.

In 2023, agriculture accounted for 2 percent of Estonia's economy, also reaching its lowest historical level. Its share has gradually declined since 1995. The highest shares of agriculture were recorded in Põlva County (12 percent), Jõgeva County (11 percent), Järva County (11 percent) and Lääne-Viru County (10 percent). The smallest shares were in Harju County (0.3 percent) and Ida-Viru County (1.2 percent).

GDP per capita up slightly from 2022

Last year, GDP per capita in Estonia was €27,868, an increase of €851 compared to 2022. Harju County continued to have the highest GDP per capita, which was 32 percent above the Estonian average.

Harju County was also the only county where GDP exceeded the national average. Tartu County came closest to the average, falling 3 percent below it. It was followed by Ida-Viru, Järva and Viljandi counties, where GDP per capita was 71 percent, 70 percent and 69 percent of the Estonian average, respectively.

"Ida-Viru County's strong performance is primarily driven by the manufacturing and energy sectors. Järva County benefits from a robust agricultural sector, while Viljandi County's result reflects a combination of agriculture and manufacturing," said Karilaid.

The lowest GDP per capita was recorded in Valga County, where it was just 52 percent of the national average. Slightly higher results were seen in Põlva (53 percent), Rapla (57 percent) and Lääne (58 percent) counties.

Over the past 20 years, Harju County, Jõgeva County, Viljandi County and Ida-Viru County have come closest to the national average. During the same period, Saare County, Hiiu County and Pärnu County have fallen the furthest behind the national average.

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