Permanent incapacity for work and disability
First-time incapacity for work and disability by percentage of the incapacity for work and degree of the disability, by disease, age group and sex First-time incapacity for work per 10,000 inhabitants Re-examination of the persons incapacitated for work Number of persons with degrees of disability | |
Classification of Estonian administrative units and settlements (EHAK) | |
Disabled persons | |
Assessment of work ability – determining a reduced capacity for work and establishing the level of current capacity for work of a person with long-term health damage. From 1 July 2016, work ability is assessed by the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund. As a result of work ability assessment, one of the following levels of capacity for work is established: 1) work ability is not reduced; 2) partial work ability; 3) no work ability. Disability – loss of or abnormality in the anatomical, physiological or mental structure or function of a person which in conjunction with different attitudinal and environmental restrictions prevents participation in social life on equal terms with others. Disability of children of up to 16 years of age and persons of retirement age is established based on the need for personal assistance, guidance or supervision. Disability of a person of 16 years of age up to retirement age is established based on restrictions on participation in daily activities and social life. In 2000, a new system for determining the degree of disability and loss of capacity for work was adopted in Estonia. Until 2000, disability assessment committees determined the loss of capacity for work in three categories of disability. The categories of disability served as a basis for receiving the disability pension. From 2000, medical assessment committees determine the loss of capacity for work as a percentage (10%, 20%, 30%, etc. up to 100%) and the severity of disability in three degrees of disability (profound, severe and moderate disability). Full work ability – a person’s ability to work has not been reduced by his/her health condition and the resulting activity limitations. Medical assessment committee – committee at a health care institution whose task is to determine the loss of capacity for work and degree of disability. Medical assessment committees were active until 31 December 2007. Starting from 1 January 2008, these were eliminated and the Social Insurance Board started to determine the degree of severity of disability, involving medical experts. The Social Insurance Board entered into contracts with medical experts under the Law of Obligations Act. As of 1 July 2016, if necessary, the Social Insurance Board involves in determining the degree of severity of disability persons who have completed medical training. Moderate disability – loss of or abnormality in the anatomical, physiological or mental structure or function of a person as a result of which, depending on the age, the person needs regular personal assistance or guidance outside his/her residence at least once a week. Here are also included persons who have difficulties in daily activities or in participating in social life. No work ability – a person’s working under normal conditions is significantly hindered by his/her health condition and the resulting activity limitations. Partial work ability – a person’s working is partially hindered by his/her health condition and the resulting activity limitations. Partially incapacitated for work – a person who is able to work in order to support himself/herself, but due to a functional impairment caused by illness or injury is unable to perform work suitable for him/her in the amount corresponding to the general national standard for working time. A 10–90% loss of capacity for work corresponds to partial incapacity for work. Permanent incapacity for work – total or partial incapacity for work. The extent of permanent incapacity for work is expressed as a percentage of loss of capacity for work (with a number ending in zero). Permanent incapacity for work is established by the Social Insurance Board. Percentage of the loss of capacity for work – serves as a basis for determining the pension for incapacity for work and the degree of disability serves as a basis for receiving social benefits for disabled persons. Persons entitled to receive the pension for incapacity for work include those between the age of 16 and retirement age who have been declared permanently incapacitated for work with a 40–100% loss of capacity for work, including those who have earned the pension rights required for the granting of the pension for incapacity for work. The pension for incapacity for work is granted for the period of permanent incapacity for work. Profound disability – loss of or abnormality in the anatomical, physiological or mental structure or function of a person as a result of which, depending on the age, the person needs personal assistance, guidance or supervision 24 hours a day. Here are also included persons whose daily activities and participation in social life are totally hindered. Severe disability – loss of or abnormality in the anatomical, physiological or mental structure or function of a person as a result of which, depending on the age, the person needs personal assistance, guidance or supervision in every 24-hour period. Here are also included persons whose daily activities or participation in social life are limited. Totally incapacitated for work – a person with a serious functional impairment caused by illness or injury as a result of which he/she is not able to work in order to support himself/herself. A 100% loss of capacity for work corresponds to total incapacity for work. | |
Person | |
Persons who are disabled or permanently incapacitated for work FRAME Not applicable | |
Estonia as a whole Counties – data about first-time incapacity for work, re-examinations of disabled persons and persons incapacitated for work and persons with a current degree of disability | |
2000–… | |
Not applicable |
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. | |
The dissemination of data collected for the production of official statistics is based on the requirements laid down in §§ 34 and 35 of the Official Statistics Act. The principles for treatment of confidential data can be found here. |
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). | |
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. |
Not published | |
Not published | |
Data are published in the statistical database at https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat under the subject area “Social life / Health / Disabled persons / General data” in the following tables: THV02: Work ability assessments by sex and county THV03: Work ability assessments by sex and county THV13: First-time disability by disease, degree of the disability and sex THV21: Disabled persons by county, 1 January THV23: Disabled persons by age group, sex and county, 1 January. Table THV13 includes data for years 2000–2019. | |
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. | |
Data serve as input for statistical activity 50101 “Regional development”. | |
Not available |
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. | |
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. |
Ministry of Social Affairs Association of Municipalities of Estonia The Labour Inspectorate | |
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. | |
Administrative data show only the statistics of public authorities. |
The data are nationally comparable. | |
The data are comparable over time. Due to differences between the previous and new system for determining total or partial incapacity for work, publishing the time series on disabled persons (1985–1999) was discontinued in 2000 and a new time series on persons incapacitated for work was started. However, the data are still partially comparable. An incapacity for work with a 100% loss of capacity for work corresponds to the 1st category of disability, 80–90% loss of capacity for work corresponds to the 2nd category of disability and 40–70% loss of capacity for work corresponds to the 3rd category of disability. The pension for incapacity for work is not granted if the loss of capacity for work is smaller than 40%. | |
When comparing data from different sources, methodological differences should be kept in mind. | |
The internal consistency of the data is ensured by the use of a common methodology for data collection and data aggregation. |
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. | |
The published data may be revised if the methodology is modified, errors are discovered, new or better data become available. |
SURVEY DATA Not used ADMINISTRATIVE DATA The data on degree of disability are received from the Social Insurance Board. The data on a person's place of residence are received from the population base of Statistics Estonia (which is based on data of different national registers). DATA FROM OTHER STATISTICAL ACTIVITIES Not used | |
Annual | |
Aggregated data are received by e-mail. | |
The data are compared with the data of previous periods. | |
The collected data are converted into statistical output. This includes calculating additional indicators. | |
Not applicable |