According to data from Statistics Estonia, 5,000 more people emigrated from Estonia last year than the average over the past decade. Although fewer Estonian citizens moved to Estonia in 2024 than left the country, the share of Estonian citizens among emigrants has declined over the past two years. The departure of Ukrainian citizens last year led to the highest level of emigration in the past decade.

Kristjan Erik Loik, lead analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that 2024 was exceptional in many ways for migration statistics.

"Although more people arrived in Estonia last year than left, the migration balance in 2024 was significantly lower than the average over the past 10 years," Loik said. "Even though the full-scale war in Ukraine, ongoing for more than three years, continues to drive Ukrainians to migrate, including to Estonia, the number of emigrants increased in 2024," he added.

Last year, the number of people arriving in Estonia exceeded the number leaving by 1,374: a total of 18,634 people moved to Estonia, while 17,260 people left. By age group, the migration balance was positive among children under five, people aged 15-29 and those over 60. A notable shift occurred among people aged 30-39, who had been the dominant group of immigrants over the past decade; however, in 2024, their migration balance turned negative.

According to Loik, men have generally made up a higher proportion of migrants in Estonia than women, averaging around 60 percent, and the same trend continued last year. The average age of immigrants was 36, while the average age of emigrants was 37, continuing the trend of an increasing average age among migrants year by year.

"Given the uneven age distribution of Estonia's population, it is also worth looking at the migration balance ratio — that is, the migration balance per 1,000 residents. This was highest among men aged 20-24, with 464 more arriving than leaving," Loik explained.

They were followed by women aged 20-24 and men aged 15-19. The most negative ratio was among women aged 30-34, with nearly 200 more leaving than arriving.

Departure of Ukrainians brings biggest emigration wave in past decade

Among immigrants, Ukrainian and Estonian citizens dominated, with 7,013 and 5,218 arrivals respectively, together accounting for two-thirds of all immigration. They were followed by citizens of Russia (617), Finland (505) and Latvia (477).

"The immigration of Ukrainians was nearly half of what it was the year before and almost five times lower than two years ago," Loik highlighted.

Before the outbreak of the war, an average of around 2,000 Ukrainian citizens arrived in Estonia each year, while up to 500 left.

"Last year, the number of Ukrainian citizens emigrating rose to nearly 4,000, which is also the main reason why emigration in 2024 was the highest in the past decade," he added. Estonia saw 3,000 more Ukrainian citizens stay than leave, which is significantly lower compared with 2022 and 2023.

In total, people from 131 different countries moved to Estonia. In relative terms — meaning arrivals per person who left — the highest ratios were among citizens of the Philippines, Uzbekistan and Turkey, assuming there were at least 10 migrants in each direction.

Migration balance of Estonian citizens negative for the first time in years

In 2024, fewer Estonian citizens moved to Estonia than left the country: 5,218 Estonian citizens arrived, while 6,472 departed — 1,254 more leaving than arriving. The last time the migration balance for Estonian citizens was negative was in 2020.

Compared with 2023, immigration decreased by 540 citizens, while emigration increased by 961. The most significant changes in the migration patterns of Estonian citizens last year occurred among men aged 35-44, who in 2023 had still been arriving in greater numbers than leaving. In 2024, however, their migration balance turned negative by 300 people. Similarly, emigration also grew considerably among women aged 30-44.

Russian citizens' migration balance negative for the first time in 20 years

Loik also highlighted a comparison over the past 10 years, noting that while Estonian citizens made up the largest share of immigrants in 2015 and 2019, Ukrainian citizens held that position in 2024.

"In addition to the decline in immigration of Estonian citizens, the lower number of Finnish and Russian citizens arriving also stands out. The 900 Finnish citizens who immigrated in 2015 has now dropped to 500," he explained.

Last year, 600 Russian citizens moved to Estonia, compared with about 1,700 in 2019.

"For the first time in 20 years, the migration balance for Russian citizens was negative. There has also been a significant drop in migration among people with undetermined citizenship — holders of so-called gray passports — from around 500 arrivals in 2015 to fewer than 200 in 2024," Loik said.

According to Loik, Indian citizens have shown notable growth in relative terms: 80 arrived in 2015, nearly 300 in 2019 and 261 last year. He added that immigration from Moldova has been similarly striking, with just nine Moldovan citizens arriving a decade ago compared with 200 last year. Pakistani citizens have also risen sharply in the rankings, from 28 arrivals 10 years ago to 114 now, as have Uzbekistani citizens, increasing from six to 112 over the same period.

There are also countries whose citizens peaked in immigration in 2019 but have not stood out in the comparison between 2015 and 2024. This includes Belarus, Iran, Nigeria, Brazil and Bangladesh, each of which had between 100 and 300 arrivals in 2019 but fewer than 100 last year. Latvian immigration has also declined, with 675 arrivals in 2019 compared with 477 in 2024.

Over the past decade, the primary source of immigration has been Europe. Last year, citizens of European Union countries accounted for 17 percent of immigration. Immigration from Asian countries is on the rise, now making up about 7 percent. Meanwhile, immigrants from Africa, the Americas and Oceania collectively accounted for up to 4 percent of all arrivals last year.

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