As in previous years, Harju County accounted for the largest share of GDP at 63 percent, followed by Tartu County (12 percent), Ida-Viru County (6 percent) and Pärnu County (4 percent).

The remaining counties contributed significantly less. Hiiu, Lääne and Põlva counties remained the smallest contributors, each making up less than 1 percent.

According to Statistics Estonia lead analyst Kail Karilaid, in addition to the capital, Tartu County also stood out with a solid contribution, most of which came from the city of Tartu.

"Interestingly, the share of Tartu County's gross value added has historically been roughly equal to that of the area surrounding the city of Tallinn," Karilaid noted.

Service sector's share in GDP biggest to date

In 2024, the service sector made up a record-high 75 percent of Estonia's economy. In every county, services accounted for more than half of GDP.

"This confirms that Estonia is clearly moving toward a service-based economy. A large service sector share is characteristic of developed countries. Similar trends can be seen in other EU member states such as France, Sweden and Germany. From a development standpoint, this is a logical stage following the gradual decline of the industrial and agricultural sectors," the analyst explained.

Estonia's economic performance is increasingly shaped by the declining importance of agriculture, industry and construction.

"The growth of the service sector should be balanced and support the development of other economic sectors as well. Otherwise, it could lead to issues like labor shortages in other fields and slow overall economic growth," Karilaid commented.

The service sector's share was highest in Tallinn (85 percent) and Tartu (82 percent). In Tallinn, the largest contributors were trade, information and communication, financial and insurance services and professional, scientific and technical activities. Tartu's service economy was primarily driven by education, healthcare and social services, trade and real estate activities. Other standout counties included Hiiu (68 percent), Lääne (67 percent) and Saare (64 percent).

The smallest share of services was in Ida-Viru County, where it made up just over 50 percent.

Industry and construction waning

Last year, industry and construction accounted for 23 percent of total gross value added — an all-time low — across all counties.

Over the past decade, the share of these sectors has declined by a total of 5 percentage points, a shift directly tied to the steady rise of the service sector since 1995.

Due to the influence of the energy sector, industry and construction still had the highest share in Ida-Viru County at 48 percent, a level that has remained close to 50 percent for years. It was followed by Rapla County (40 percent), Viljandi County (34 percent), Pärnu County (33 percent) and Jõgeva County (33 percent), all of which had a significant share of manufacturing. The region surrounding the city of Tartu, encompassing seven rural municipalities, also stood out with industry and construction making up 41 percent.

The smallest shares were recorded in Harju County (18 percent), Tartu County (23 percent) and Hiiu County (24 percent).

According to Karilaid, the low figures in Harju and Tartu counties were due to the dominance of the service sector and the relatively small scale of industrial activity in Tallinn and Tartu. "Hiiu County's low share was likewise driven by its large and steadily growing service sector, but was also influenced by the significant role agriculture plays in the local economy," the analyst said.

Agriculture in record decline

In 2024, agriculture accounted for just 2 percent of total gross value added, marking its lowest level on record. The sector's share has been gradually declining since 1995.

The highest agricultural shares were in Põlva County (13 percent), Järva County (11 percent), Jõgeva County (11 percent) and Lääne-Viru County (10 percent). By contrast, the smallest shares remained in Harju County (0.3 percent) and Ida-Viru County (1.4 percent) where agriculture plays a significantly smaller role compared with other sectors.

GDP per capita up considerably

Last year, GDP per capita in Estonia reached €29,036 — an increase of €1,047 compared with 2023.

Harju County continued to have the highest GDP per capita, driven by the capital's strong influence — 134 percent of the national average, the same as in 2023.

Tartu County, significantly impacted by the city of Tartu, came closest to the national average at 98 percent.

Next were Viljandi, Pärnu and Järva counties where GDP per capita stood at 67 percent, 67 percent and 66 percent of the national average, respectively. The figures for Viljandi and Pärnu counties were mainly supported by the strong positions of agriculture and manufacturing, while Järva County's numbers were primarily driven by the importance of agriculture.

The lowest GDP per capita was recorded in Southeast Estonia — Valga County at 51 percent, Põlva County at 52 percent and Võru County at 55 percent of the national average.

Over the past ten years, Tartu, Hiiu, Harju, Rapla and Põlva counties have come closest to catching up with the Estonian average. In contrast, Lääne-Viru, Järva, and Ida-Viru counties have fallen the furthest behind, while Viljandi, Valga and Võru counties have remained largely unchanged.

Although the gap between Harju County and the national average held steady compared to 2023, it has narrowed significantly over the longer term — by 10 percentage points over the past decade.

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