Births fall 10 percent on-year

The number of births in the first six months of this year decreased by 455 compared with the same period last year, according to preliminary data from Statistics Estonia and the Ministry of the Interior.
A total of 4,467 children were born in the first half of this year, which is about 10 percent fewer than over the same period in 2024.
Statistics Estonia's population forecast for 2025, published last year, was more optimistic than current data suggests. At the time, more than 11,000 births were projected for this year, but based on current figures, the birth rate is unlikely to reach that number.
In June of last year, 800 births were registered in Estonia; this year, the figure was 749. Among these were eight pairs of twins: one pair of boys, three pairs of girls, and four mixed-gender pairs. There was also one set of triplets.
The highest number of births was registered in Harju County, where 1,991 children were born. The fewest births were registered in Hiiu County, with 15 children born.
The number of births in Estonia has been declining for some time. In 2022, the birth rate dropped by 12.7 percent compared with the previous year; in 2023, it fell by 7.5 percent. In 2024, a total of 9,646 children were born in Estonia, with 4,922 born in the first half of the year.
Alis Tammur, an adviser at the Ministry of Social Affairs, wrote in an ERR article at the beginning of last year that Estonia is facing a historically low birth rate. Preliminary data for this year show that the trend is continuing.
The number of deaths in the first half of this year has decreased compared with last year. In the first half of 2024, 7,975 people died; this year, that number was 129 fewer.
The number of marriages registered has decreased compared with the first half of last year. In the first half of 2025, 2,285 marriages were registered, of which 41 were performed by notaries and 42 by clergy. The most popular months for getting married were May and June, with 667
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Editor: Helen Wright