sign in sign up
<<
Home , Estonians

Fact Sheet May 2004 Today POPULATION BY NATIONALITY

Key Facts

· Estonia’s population is 1,35 million people (as of 1.01.2004). · More than 140 different nationalities and ethnic groups are represented in Estonia. The largest ethnic groups are (as % of the total population): 67.9%, Russians 25.6%, Ukrainians 2.1%, Belorussians 1.3%, 0.9%, Tatars 0.2%, Latvians 0.17%, Poles 0.16%, Jews 0.16%, 0.15%. · Altogether about 500 000 people, or 32% belong to various ethnic groups other than Estonians. · Estonian people increasingly see Estonia as a multicultural and multiethnic country. According to the Ethnic relations survey carried out in 2000 and 2002, 75% of Estonians are of the opinion that different nationalities and cultures enrich Estonian society and make it more interesting. 86% of the Estonian people find that even very different nationalities can live in the same country and have good relations.

Ethnic diversity, cultural diversity the total population decreased by 27 per cent. At the end of the 1980s, Estonians perceived their demographic change Different nationalities have always lived together in as a national catastrophe. This was a result of the Estonia. Tolerance and democracy are illustrated by the outrageous migration policies essential to the Soviet Law on the Cultural Autonomy for National Minorities, Nationalisation programme aiming to russify Estonia - passed already in 1925, which was not only the first in forceful administrative and military immigration of non- at the time but also very progressive. Estonians from the USSR coupled with the mass

Before the World War II, Estonia was a relatively deportations of Estonians to the USSR. During the purges up to 60 000 Estonians were killed or deported. homogeneous society – national minorities constituted about 12% of the population. The largest minority groups The migrant population has been brought predominantly in 1934 were Russians, Germans, Swedes, Latvians, from , , Belarus, and from other regions of Jews, Poles, Finns, and Ingrians. the USSR such as Tatarstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia etc.

World War II along with Soviet and Nazi occupations Minorities other than Russians make up 6.5% of the total interrupted the natural development of inter-ethnic population. Unlike the Russians, they did not have the relations, deforming the inner features of Estonian society. support of the authorities in preserving and practicing their By 1989, minorities constituted more than one third of the culture and language until Estonia regained independence population, the number of non-Estonians had grown in 1991. almost 5-fold, while the percentage of ethnic Estonians in

Nationality Census of 1934/per cent Census of 1989/per cent Census of 2000/per cent 1. Estonians 992 520 88.1 963 281 61.5 930 219 67.9 2. Russians 92 656 8.2 474 834 30.3 351 178 25.6 3. Ukrainians 92 0.008 48 271 3.083 29 012 2.1 4. Belarussians * * 27 711 1.769 17 241 1.3 5. Finns and Ingrians 1 088 0.1 16 622 1.061 12 195 0.89 6. Tatars 166 0.015 4 058 0.259 2 582 0.19 7. Latvians 5 435 0.5 3 135 0.2 2 330 0.17 8. Poles 1 608 0.14 3 008 0.192 2 193 0.16 9. Jews 4 434 0.4 4 613 0.295 2 145 0.156 10. Lithuanians 253 0.022 2 568 0.164 2 116 0.154 11. Germans 16 346 1.5 3 466 0.221 1 870 0.136 12. Armenians * * 1 669 0.106 1 444 0.105 13. Azerbaijani * * 1 238 0.079 880 0.064 21. Swedes 7 641 0.7 297 0.019 300 0.021 Other nationalities or nationality unknown 4 174 0.37 10 891 0.696 14 347 1.047 Total population 1 126 413 100 1 565 662 100 1 370 052 100 *Data included in “other nationalities”. Sources: Statistical Office www.stat.ee

historical justice. Although, many non-Estonians supported The beginning of the 1990s brought a rather new situation. the re-establishment of an independent Estonia, their new For Estonians, the restoration of independence and psychological situation in the 1990s can best be described democracy meant first and foremost the restoration of as ”seeking an identity”. Therefore, Estonia’s integration into

Press and Information Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Islandi väljak 1, 15049, Estonia Tel. +372 631 7600, Fax +372 631 7617, E-mail: [email protected] www.vm.ee

Fact Sheet May 2004

Europe and the global world is taking place parallel to mission (until its closure in 2001), UNDP, and diplomatic integration within Estonia, which aims at creating an open missions accredited to Estonia. multicultural society. The constitution and the Cultural The Government has taken a number of significant steps to Autonomy for Ethnic Minorities Act define the legal status and further the integration process: rights of national minorities living in Estonia. All minorities living in Estonia are guaranteed opportunities for the · In 1997, a new post of Minister without portfolio was preservation of their language and cultural distinctiveness, established, responsible for issues concerning above all through the organisation of education and social population and integration. activities in their mother tongue. More than seventy of such · In 1998, the Government formed the Integration societies and organisations have been registered to date. Foundation to support actions and projects directed They all have a possibility to get subsidies, for which towards integration. purpose 2.5 million EEK (160 000 EUR) have been allocated · In 2000, the Government approved the State Integration in the 2004 budget. Programme for 2000-2007 - a framework and a guide for the implementation of integration policy. Reviewing the Russian-language education is provided in public and also implementation occurs on an annual basis. in private schools at all levels: in preschool, primary and · In 2004, the government approved the action plans for the secondary schools, as well as in vocational schools and sub-programmes of the national integration programme higher education institutions. About 24% of all Estonian for the years 2004-2007, which calls for at least 5 000 schoolchildren are attending Russian-language primary and people to gain citizenship through naturalization every secondary schools. 10% of higher education students study year. in Russian. The integration process is based on long-term and There is also a public Jewish upper secondary school. In systematic support by the state. Total financing for integration addition, it is possible for those children, whose mother activities was about 3.4 million EUR in 2003. In 2004, the tongue differs from the language of study can apply to study financing of integration activities will be increased to 5 million their mother tongue and culture in state or municipal schools EUR. if a sufficient number of students are interested. For that The European Union member states and especially the purpose the corresponding regulation has been adopted by have strongly supported integration in the state, also the language teachers of different nationalities Estonian society. have been trained. Integration activities include the teaching of Estonian, In Estonia, 34 Russian newspapers and 26 magazines are support for the preservation of the languages and cultures of being published (Source: National Library www.nlib.ee). Out ethnic minorities, support for political-legal integration, the of the three all-Estonian TV channels, two offer regular development of dialogue between cultures, increasing programs in Russian. Five radio stations broadcast in awareness of Estonian multiculturalism and many other Russian. One of them is Radio 4, a radio station in public activities. law offering among others, broadcasts in the Ukrainian, Belorussian, Armenian and Yiddish languages. The Russian Measuring the integration language is widely represented in the Internet environment with many state institutions and agencies in offering Russian According to monitoring studies performed by Estonian services, among them also the state Internet centre social scientists in 2000 and 2002, the integration process to www.riik.ee. A great number of portals exist in Russian and date can be considered a success. The mutual tolerance web media publications are also available in Russian. between Estonians and non-ethnic Estonians has clearly

Non-Estonians participate in the work of almost all Estonian increased over the last ten years. Whereas in 1993, two parties. The present consists of the thirds of Estonians and 75% of non-ethnic Estonians representatives of several ethnic minorities, who have been considered ethnic relations to be strained, in 2002 only a small percentage of the population thought so. elected from the lists of different Estonian parties. The latest developments in the Estonian political landscape have During the period from 1992 to 2004, 126 612 people have shown that multi-ethnic parties prove to be more successful been granted Estonian citizenship through naturalisation, than parties with narrow ethnic self-determination. most of whom are young people.

Integration The proportion of speakers amongst non-ethnic Estonians has increased. Whereas ten years Integration in Estonian society is one of state’s priorities. It ago, 24% of non-ethnic Estonians evaluated their Estonian aims to create a balanced multicultural society. It is a two- language skills to be sufficient to manage in Estonia, then way process - the integration of non-Estonians into the open according to the 2002 monitoring study data, this proportion democratic society and the introduction of minority cultures to has risen to 44%. Estonians. Cultural Societies of National Minorities Integration harmonises the society around a strong common core and it gives the opportunity to maintain ethnic The public acknowledgement of ethnic minorities in Estonia differences based on the recognition of the cultural rights of began in 1988, when non-Estonians started to form their ethnic minorities. Integration is a bilateral process - both own cultural societies and associations. More than seventy Estonians and non-Estonians participate equally in the of such societies and organisations have been registered to harmonisation of society. date.

The largest of them are: Already in 1993, the President established a Roundtable of National Minorities comprising of the representatives of · The Estonian Union of National Minorities founded in ethnic minorities, stateless persons and political parties. 1988. It currently unites 24 ethnic cultural societies The Roundtable participates actively in the national www.ngonet.ee/nationalminorities. minorities policy. Standing guests at the Roundtable include Representative of the Minister of Ethnic Affairs, OSCE Fact Sheet May 2004

· International Association of National Cultural Societies More information about national minorities of Estonia “Lyra”, founded in 1995. It includes 32 and Estonian model of integration: different ethnic cultural societies. · Roundtable of National Cultural Societies of Ida- Minister of Population Affairs www.rahvastikuminister.ee Virumaa, founded in 1995, uniting 22 ethnic and cultural Non-Estonians Integration Foundation www.meis.ee societies. Presidential Roundtable on National Minorities · The Union of Slavic Educational and Charity www.president.ee/eng/institutsioonid Organisations - first organised in 1988 as the Society of State Integration Programme for years 2000 to 2007 Slavic Cultures. A legal successor of the organisation www.riik.ee/saks/ikomisjon/programme.htm founded in 1923. Integration of Non-Estonians, The Jaan Tõnisson Institute

The cultural societies support non-Estonians in preserving www.ngonet.ee/integratsioon Population, Estonian Institute www.estonica.org their national identities as well as in integrating into Estonian Information Centre of Finno-Ugric Peoples www.suri.ee society. Estonian National Culture Foundation -

www.erkf.ee/encf/default.html

Press and Information Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Islandi väljak 1, Tallinn 15049, Estonia Tel. +372 631 7600, Fax +372 631 7617, E-mail: [email protected] www.vm.ee