Estonia's population grew in only 3 counties in 2024
Data provided by the Ministry of the Interior shows that the population grew in only three Estonian counties in 2024 – Harju County, Tartu County and Hiiumaa. The biggest increase was in Rae Municipality, Harju County, where the population rose by 410 people.
The population of Harju County, which includes Estonian capital Tallinn, increased by 1,897 people over the course of 2024. Tallinn's population was up by 256 people on year to January 1, reaching a total of 461,602. According to the data from the Ministry of the Interior, the rest of Harju County, excluding Tallinn, totals 187,469 people.
The population of Tartu County increased by 777 people on year to 162,734. This data includes the city of Tartu, which saw a population drop of thirteen people over the course of the year. Of the municipalities in Tartu County, the biggest increases were in Kambja Municipality (+320), Luunja Municipality (+178) and Tartu Municipality (+172).
On the island of Hiiumaa, which consists of a single municipality, the population increased by 20 to a total of 9,778 as of January 1, 2025. In Hiiumaa's neighboring island Saaremaa, the population decreased by 49 people.
In numerical terms, the two municipalities with the largest population growth in Estonia last year were Rae and Harku, with increases of 410 and 403 respectively. In percentage terms, however, the population increased most in Kiili Municipality, with the addition of 330 people on year to reach a total of 6,791 – an increase of just under five percent.
Population falling in Ida-Viru County
In the other Estonian counties, the Ministry of the Interior reports that the population decreased. Ida-Viru County saw the biggest decrease, with the population falling by 1,794. In the other counties, the decrease was between 542 (Lääne-Viru County) and 49 (Saaremaa).
All the largest cities in Ida-Viru County saw their populations fall, with Narva losing as many as 836 citizens, Kohtla-Järve 417 and Sillamäe 197. Narva-Jõesuu's population remained more or less unchanged, with an increase of four people.
In the other major Estonian cities, the number of inhabitants also decreased. There were 73 fewer people in Pärnu, 176 in Haapsalu, 152 in Rakvere, 50 in Viljandi and 128 in Võru.
The number of inhabitants decreased by 2,750 in total across all Estonia's municipalities last year. These statistics were collected by the Ministry of the Interior. A more detailed overview of the Estonian population is provided by Statistics Estonia.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Jaan-Juhan Oidermaa, Michael Cole
