The Government of the Republic is appointed by the President within 3 days after receiving a respective mandate from the Riigikogu or after the candidate for Prime Minister set up by the Riigikogu has presented him or her with the composition of the government.
According to the constitution, the Government of the Republic directs and coordinates the activities of governmental institutions. Governmental institutions comprise ministries, the state Chancellery and county governments as well as administrations and inspectorates and their local institutions authorised to represent executive state power.
There are 11 ministries in Estonia. Each ministry fulfils the tasks deriving from law and assigned by the Government of the Republic, and is the superior institution to administrations, inspectorates and other state organisations under its jurisdiction. The jurisdictions of ministries are established by the Riigikogu pursuant to the Government of the Republic Act.
Since regaining independence in 1991, Estonia has had 19 governments, all of which have been coalition governments comprising representatives of many political parties. There are 10 parties in Estonia. The largest of them, Keskerakond, Reformierakond, Isamaa, Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond and Eestimaa Konservatiivne Rahvaerakond have also most frequently been the coalition members in different combinations.
Estonian main development goals have been laid down in the long-term strategy “Estonia 2035” adopted in 2021. Estonia 2035 has been built around two central challenges: ensuring sustainable economic growth and improving the quality of life for its citizens.
To tackle these challenges, five strategic goals have bee set in five main areas:
- Smart and Active People: Emphasizing education, health, and well-being.
- Strong and Innovative Economy: Promoting economic resilience and innovation.
- Caring and Cooperative Society: Fostering social inclusion and community support.
- High-Quality Living Environment: Ensuring sustainable and safe living conditions.
- Innovative and Trustworthy Governance: Enhancing transparency and efficiency in governance.
The promotion of education and research has been one of the continuous priorities of the government.
According to Statistics Estonia, in 2023, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Estonia decreased by 3% compared to 2022.
In 2023, GDP at current prices was 37,7 billion Euros.
After several years of growth, Estonia's GDP has been falling since 2022, driven by a combination of high inflation rates, declining exports, and significant pressures on wages due to increasing labor costs.
Statistics
Population by age group, 1 January 2000, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018
| 0-9 | 10-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-54 | 55-64 | 65- | |
| 2000 | 143,147 | 210,738 | 189,239 | 186,624 | 278,713 | 157,980 | 205,630 |
| 2005 | 126,519 | 188,730 | 196,643 | 181,763 | 282,448 | 148,678 | 222,405 |
| 2009 | 141,508 | 142,713 | 208,691 | 185,980 | 272,497 | 159,151 | 228,887 |
| 2014 | 146,745 | 122,594 | 183,150 | 181,962 | 268,489 | 171,096 | 241,783 |
| 2015 | 146,657 | 122,781 | 176,690 | 182,747 | 266,873 | 171,171 | 246,352 |
| 2016 | 147,195 | 124,188 | 173,629 | 184,219 | 264,150 | 172,238 | 250,325 |
| 2017 | 147,050 | 126,105 | 166,965 | 185,325 | 262,965 | 172,751 | 254,474 |
| 2018 | 145,875 | 129,524 | 159,976 | 188, 315 | 263,639 | 173,422 | 258,382 |
Source: Statistics Estonia. http://andmebaas.stat.ee/Index.aspx?lang=et&DataSetCode=RV021# 25/10/2018
Prognosis of population number (on the basis of 2014 data)
| January 1, 2013 | 1,320,000 |
| January 1, 2018 | 1,319,133 |
| 2040 | 1,195,000 |
Source: Statistics Estonia. https://www.stat.ee/pressiteade-2014-02 25.10.2018
Births, deaths and natural increase, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017
| Year | Births | Deaths | Natural increase |
| 2000 | 13,067 | 18,403 | -5,336 |
| 2005 | 14,350 | 17,316 | -2,966 |
| 2010 | 15,825 | 15,790 | 35 |
| 2013 | 13,531 | 15,244 | -1,713 |
| 2014 | 13,551 | 15,484 | -1,933 |
| 2015 | 13,907 | 15,243 | -1,336 |
| 2016 | 14,053 | 15,392 | -1339 |
| 2017 | 13,784 | 15,543 | -1759 |
Source: Statistics Estonia. https://www.stat.ee/34268 25.10.2018
Migration of population, 2005, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017
| Year | Immigration | Emigration |
| 2005 | 1,436 | 4,610 |
| 2010 | 2,819 | 5,294 |
| 2013 | 4,098 | 6,740 |
| 2014 | 3,904 | 4,637 |
| 2015 | 15,413 | 13,003 |
| 2016 | 14,822 | 13,792 |
| 2017 | 17,616 | 12,358 |
Source: Statistics Estonia. https://www.stat.ee/ppe-43537 25.10.2018
Level of education of population aged 15-74, (%) 2000, 2005, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017
| 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| First level of education or lower | 25.2 | 22.5 | 19.7 | 15.6 | 15.5 | 17.8 | 17.7 |
| Second level of education | 51.4 | 50.4 | 51.0 | 51.6 | 51.1 | 48.5 | 47.8 |
| Third level of education | 23.4 | 27.1 | 29.3 | 32.8 | 33.4 | 33.7 | 34.5 |
Source: Statistics Estonia. http://andmebaas.stat.ee/Index.aspx?lang=et&DataSetCode=TT126 25.10.2018
Labour status of population aged 15-69, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017
| 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| Labour force, thousand | 680.5 | 663.9 | 673.3 | 666.1 | 675.5 | 682.3 | 690.6 |
| employed, thousands | 580.4 | 610.1 | 560.0 | 616.6 | 633.4 | 635.8 | 650.4 |
| unemployed, thousands | 100.0 | 53.8 | 113.6 | 49.5 | 42.1 | 46.5 | 40.2 |
| Inactive persons, thousands | 333.3 | 333.5 | 289.9 | 264.5 | 251.1 | 245.7 | 232.9 |
| Total, population aged 15-69, thousands | 1013.8 | 999.4 | 963.4 | 930.6 | 926.6 | 928.0 | 923.5 |
| Labour participation rate, % | 67.1 | 66.4 | 69.9 | 71.6 | 72.9 | 73.5 | 74.8 |
| Employment rate, % | 57.3 | 61.0 | 58.1 | 66.3 | 68.4 | 68.5 | 70.4 |
| Unemployment rate, % | 14.7 | 8.1 | 16.9 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 6.8 | 5.8 |
Source: Statistics Estonia. http://andmebaas.stat.ee/Index.aspx?lang=et&DataSetCode=TT469# 25.10.2018
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 2013-2017
| 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| GDP at current prices, million euro | 18,932.3 | 19,766,3 | 20,347.7 | 21,098.3 | 23,603.4 |
|
Change of GDP chain-linked volume compared to the same period of the previous year (%) |
1.9 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 4.7 |
| GDP at current prices per capita, euros | 14,364.4 | 15,036.6 | 15,478.1 | 16,034.7 | 17,925.8 |
Source: Statistics Estonia. http://andmebaas.stat.ee/Index.aspx?lang=et&DataSetCode=RAA0012, 25.10.2018