The 2025 compensation was calculated based on 4,051,004 electronically registered loans in public libraries.

The compensation budget totaled €1,412,360. Of that, €1,402,041 was distributed among 2,115 authors and rights holders, and €10,319 was allocated to collective management organizations for audio and video loans.

The full unit value was €1.48 for authors of original‑language works (including authors of forewords, afterwords and compilers), up from €1.42 last year. For authors of original works in translation, the unit value was €3.28 (up from €2.39). Translators received €0.34 per unit (up from €0.33), and authors of artistic design received €0.71 (down from €0.88).

Maximum payout has increased

Each author's compensation was calculated based on the number of loans, authorship category multipliers, the number of co‑authors and illustration volume multipliers.

The maximum compensation was €8,368. In 2025, the maximum amount was €7,924.

The authors receiving the maximum payout of €8,368 were: Marje Ernits, Kadi‑Riin Haasma, Indrek Hargla, Siiri Julge Alvemyr, Ülle Jälle, Kristiina Kass, Leelo Kassikäpp, Mika Keränen, Andrus Kivirähk, Ain Kütt, Heli Künnapas, Tõnu Lember, Piret Lemetti, Lilli Luuk, Katrin Pauts, Aino Pervik (in 2 separate categories), Ketin Priilinn, Raili Puskar, Piret Raud, Reeli Reinaus, Urve Tinnuri, Erik Tohvri, Ilmar Tomusk, Eet Tuule, Urmas Vadi and Tõnu Õnnepalu.

The highest number of loans was achieved by designer Villu Koskaru, with 118,086 loans in 2025.

The whole list of the 2026 payouts, sorted alphabetically, can be found here.

Lending compensation helps authors a lot

Writer Kairi Look, who appears in the lending‑compensation rankings with 6,238 loans and €6,409 in compensation, said libraries should strike a better balance between light entertainment and high‑quality literature.

She said that Estonia's system is something authors can genuinely be grateful for. "Lending compensation helps authors a lot," she said, noting that it forms an important part of a writer's annual income.

But she cautioned against drawing conclusions about the state of Estonian literature based solely on lending statistics. "They reflect public taste and the needs of people who borrow from libraries. A library borrower is often someone looking for entertainment literature," Look said.

Borrowers also include students with required reading lists and readers seeking more serious literature — though, she noted, high‑quality works have never been read as widely as contemporary titles whose long‑term value becomes clear only over time. "What we'll be reading in 20 or 50 years is hard to predict," she said.

Rain Siemer, CEO of bookseller chain Rahva Raamat, agreed that lending and sales rankings differ significantly. "They overlap only about 30–40 percent. Some authors are guaranteed sellers, while others appear briefly in sales charts and then disappear," he said.

Siemer noted that library borrowers tend to read lighter fiction, while bookstore rankings are more diverse — including fiction, crime, nonfiction and self‑help.

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