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Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Methodology and quality
  3. ESMS metadata
  4. Vital events. Migration

Vital events. Migration

1. Contact
1.1. Contact organisation

Statistics Estonia

1.2. Contact organisation unit

Population and Social Statistics Department

1.3. Contact name

Kristjan Erik Loik

1.4. Contact person function

Leading Analyst

1.5. Contact mail address

20 Narva Rd., 51009 Tartu, Estonia

1.6. Contact email address

kristjan.erik.loik [at] stat.ee

1.7. Contact phone number

37253035054

2. Metadata update
2.1. Metadata last certified

27/03/2025

2.2. Metadata last update

27/03/2025

3. Statistical presentation
3.1. Data description

Geographic, demographic and socio-economic characteristics.

3.2. Classification system

Classification of Estonian administrative units and settlements (EHAK)

International Standard Codes for the Representation of the Names of Countries (ISO 3166)

Classification of Ethnicities 2013

Codes for the Representation of Names of Languages (ISO 639-2)

International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2011)

Country of Citizenship List (KOD)

3.3. Sector coverage

Not applicable

3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions

Administrative unit – a unit based on administrative division, the name, type and boundaries of which are determined by law and other legislation, and in the territory of which state or local government administration is carried out. The administrative units of the territory of Estonia are counties, rural municipalities and cities.

Age – the age of the person concerned in full years at the time of the event, i.e. the age at last birthday. The age of children under 1 year of age is 0 years.

Citizenship – a permanent legal relationship between a person and the country that he or she is a citizen of.

City settlement region – a settlement where most inhabitants live in regions where population density is greater than 1,000 inhabitants per km2 and the population figure in a cluster of this density is greater than 5,000. Grid map data have been used for determining regions based on population density and figure.

Emigration – the action by which a person deregisters his or her place of residence from an administrative unit, settlement unit or settlement region of the beginning of the year.

Ethnic nationality – a person's belonging to an ethnic group based on self-determination of the person.

External migration – change of place of residence across the border of Estonia. The place of residence at the beginning and end of the year is compared.

Immigration – the action by which a person registers his or her place of residence in an administrative unit, settlement unit or settlement region other than the one at the beginning of the year.

Internal migration – changes of residence from one administrative unit, settlement unit or settlement region to another within Estonia. A change of residence from one administrative or settlement unit to another within the same county is called intra-county migration, and a change of residence from one county to another is called inter-county migration. The place of residence at the beginning and end of the year is compared.

Migration – change of place of residence from one unit to another. In migration, a distinction is made between moves from one country to another, one county to another, across borders of urban settlements within municipality and across borders of settlement regions.

Net migration – difference in the number of immigration and emigration events.

Place of residence – the area or settlement where the person lives permanently or most of the time. Until 2015, place of residence was defined by the person’s statement or the population register (depending on the survey methodology), whereas starting from 2015, only the place of residence recorded in the population register was used, and from 2022 onwards, place of residence is defined using the methodology of the partnership and location index (see Implementation of the partnership and location index in demographic statistics)

Rural settlement region – a settlement where population density is lower than 200 inhabitants per km2 or a region with higher population density where the population figure is under 5,000.

Settlement region – a territorial unit consisting of settlements with the same population density. Settlement regions are divided into city settlement regions, town settlement regions and rural settlement regions based on population density and population figure. In the case of a division into two, city and town settlement regions are added. The division is applied since 2018. The data for the years back to 2015 have been recalculated (see more Methodology for establishing city, town and rural settlement region types and clusters)

Settlement unit – administrative units (rural municipalities and cities) are divided into settlement units. Settlement units are settlements: cities, city districts, towns, small towns and villages.

Town settlement region – neighbouring settlements where most inhabitants live in regions where population density is 200–1,000 inhabitants per km2 and the population figure is greater than 5,000, but which do not constitute a city settlement region because of the population density. Grid map data have been used for determining regions based on population density and figure. See settlement region.

3.5. Statistical unit

Person

3.6. Statistical population

Estonian residents for whom a migration event has been recorded during the year.

FRAME

Persons of statistical activity 30101 “Population” from two consecutive years and 30206 “Population Events. Births” who during a year have changed their place of residence across settlement borders.

3.7. Reference area

A person's place of residence at the level of settlement

3.8. Time coverage

2000–…

3.9. Base period

Not applicable

4. Unit of measure

Migrants – number

5. Reference period

Year

6. Institutional mandate
6.1. Legal acts and other agreements

DIRECTLY APPLICABLE LEGAL ACTS

Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on European demographic statistics (Text with EEA relevance)

Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 311/76 on the compilation of statistics on foreign workers

Regulation (EU) No 205/2014 of 4 March 2014 laying down uniformed conditions for the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council on European demographic statistics, as regards breakdowns of data, deadlines and data revisions

Commission Regulation (EU) No 351/2010 of 23 April 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on migration and international protection as regards the definitions of the categories of the groups of country of birth, groups of country of previous usual residence, groups of country of next usual residence and groups of citizenship

OTHER LEGAL ACTS

Not available

OTHER AGREEMENTS

Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat)

United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD)

7. Confidentiality
7.1. Confidentiality - policy

The dissemination of data collected for the purpose of producing official statistics is guided by the requirements provided for in § 32, § 34, § 35, § 38 of the Official Statistics Act.

7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment

The treatment of confidential data is regulated by the Procedure for Protection of Data Collected and Processed by Statistics Estonia (in Estonian). See more details on the website of Statistics Estonia in the section Õigusaktid.

8. Release policy
8.1. Release calendar

Notifications about the dissemination of statistics are published in the release calendar, which is available on the website. Every year on 1 October, the release times of the statistical database, news releases, main indicators by IMF SDDS and publications for the following year are announced in the release calendar (in the case of publications – the release month).

8.2. Release calendar access

Calendar

8.3. User access

All users have been granted equal access to official statistics: dissemination dates of official statistics are announced in advance and no user category (incl. Eurostat, state authorities and mass media) is provided access to official statistics before other users. Official statistics are first published in the statistical database. If there is also a news release, it is published simultaneously with data in the statistical database. Official statistics are available on the website at 8:00 a.m. on the date announced in the release calendar.

9. Frequency of dissemination

Annual

10. Accessibility and clarity
10.1. News release

The news release “Revised population” is published in May. The news release can be viewed on the website of Statistics Estonia in the section Uudiskiri (in Estonian).

10.2. Publications

Not published

10.3. Online database

Data are published in the statistical database at https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat under the subject area “Population / Population indicators and composition / Population figure and composition” in the following table:

RV0213U: Components of change in population figure by county, administrative division as at 01.01.2018 and

under the subject area “Population / Vital events / Migration” in the tables RVR02–RVR09.

In the subject area “Discontinued datasets / Population. Archive / Vital events. Archive” are discontinued datasets:

RVR01: Migration by administrative unit/type of settlement, sex and type of migration, (2000-2017)

RVR06: Internal migration by county, age group and sex, (2000-2016) and

in the subject area “Discontinued datasets / Population. Archive / Population indicators and composition. Archive” is discontinued dataset:

RV0213: Components of change in population figure by county, (2000-2016).

10.4. Microdata access

The dissemination of data collected for the purpose of producing official statistics is guided by the requirements provided for in § 33, § 34, § 35, § 36, § 38 of the Official Statistics Act. Access to microdata and anonymisation of microdata are regulated by Statistics Estonia’s procedure for dissemination of confidential data for scientific purposes.

10.5. Other

Data serve as input for statistical activities 50101 “Regional development”.

10.6. Documentation on methodology

Implementation of the residency index in demographic statistics

Implementation of the partnership and location index in demographic statistics

Mathematical formulas in population statistics

Methodology for establishing city, town and rural settlement region types and clusters

10.7. Quality documentation

Not available

11. Quality management
11.1. Quality assurance

To assure the quality of processes and products, Statistics Estonia applies the EFQM Excellence Model, the European Statistics Code of Practice and the Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System (ESS QAF). Statistics Estonia is also guided by the requirements in § 7. “Principles and quality criteria of producing official statistics” of the Official Statistics Act.

11.2. Quality assessment

Statistics Estonia performs all statistical activities according to an international model (Generic Statistical Business Process Model – GSBPM). According to the GSBPM, the final phase of statistical activities is overall evaluation using information gathered in each phase or sub-process; this information can take many forms, including feedback from users, process metadata, system metrics and suggestions from employees. This information is used to prepare the evaluation report which outlines all the quality problems related to the specific statistical activity and serves as input for improvement actions.

12. Relevance
12.1. User needs

Ministry of Social Affairs

Ministry of the Interior

Estonian Institute for Population Studies

12.2. User satisfaction

Since 1996, Statistics Estonia has conducted reputation and user satisfaction surveys. All results are available on the website of Statistics Estonia in the section User surveys.

12.3. Completeness

In compliance with the rules (regulations)

13. Accuracy and reliability
13.1. Overall accuracy

Migration data are considered underestimated, because people often do not register their new place of residence.

13.2. Sampling error

Not applicable

13.3. Non-sampling error

Not applicable

14. Timeliness and punctuality
14.1. Timeliness

All data are published 150 days after the end of the reference year (T + 150).

14.2. Punctuality

The data have been published at the time announced in the release calendar.

15. Coherence and comparability
15.1. Comparability - geographical

The migration data have been published since 2000. Data for 2000–2007 are based on the administrative division as at the end of 2007. Migration data were then published again, retrospectively. Since then, the migration data have been published annually, based on the administrative division at the end of the year. The years 2015–2016 were recalculated according to the new administrative division, and thus, since 2015, the regions have not changed in the calculation of migration. In addition, statistics on migration events across the borders of various divisions of municipalities and urban settlements have been calculated since 2015: changes in residence across the borders of Estonia, NUTS3 and counties, and of urban, small town or rural settlement region.

15.2. Comparability - over time

In 2000–2011, migration was defined as a change of residence in the population register. Since 2012, the origin of migration may also be the census place of residence from which the person moved to the registered place of residence. Since 2015, migration events are only permanent residents’ changes of residence. From 2015 onwards, international migration covers in addition to registered country-of-residence changes also unregistered migration — persons who due to a change in their signs of life probably no longer lived in Estonia, or were not Estonian residents before, but have apparently moved to Estonia.

15.3. Coherence - cross domain

The common methodology is used to process raw data of all vital events (statistical activities 30201 “Vital events. Marriages”, 30202 “Vital events. Divorces”, 30203 “Vital events. Spontaneous and induced abortions”, 30204 “Vital events. Migration”, 30205 “Vital events. Deaths and causes of death”, 30206 “Vital events. Births”), which will ensure comparability of the data. Data related to a person (e.g. marital status, nationality, country of birth, citizenship, education) are calculated once and linked to the table of the respective event in the database.

15.4. Coherence - internal

Not applicable

16. Cost and burden

17. Data revision
17.1. Data revision - policy

The data revision policy and notification of corrections are described in the section Principles of dissemination of official statistics of the website of Statistics Estonia.

17.2. Data revision - practice

The published data may be revised if the methodology is modified, errors are discovered, new or better data become available.

18. Statistical processing
18.1. Source data

SURVEY DATA

Not used

ADMINISTRATIVE DATA

Data on persons who have registered a new place of residence and data on previous residences are received from the population register every month. Data on foreigners registered in the population register who have applied for or have been issued a residence permit are supplemented with residence and work permit data from the Register of Residence and Work Permits once a year. The Register of Residence and Work Permits also provides data on persons who have applied for a residence permit or asylum and aggregated data on changes in citizenship.

DATA FROM OTHER STATISTICAL ACTIVITIES

Data from statistical activity 30101 “Population”, 30206 “Vital events. Births” are used.

18.2. Frequency of data collection

Annual

18.3. Data collection

Administrative data are received via X-Road, an FTP-server and by e-mail.

18.4. Data validation

The data are compared with the data of previous periods.

18.5. Data compilation

Migration data are compiled using two consecutive years’ data from statistical activity 30101 “Population”. Data are added on migration of persons under the age of 1, collected with statistical activity 30206 “Population Events. Births”.

18.6. Adjustment

Not applied

19. Comments

Not available

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