Support for same-sex marriage varies sharply by language group in Estonia
53 percent of Estonia's population continues to support the right of same-sex couples to marry, according to a study published by the Estonian Human Rights Centre. However, support among the non-Estonian-speaking population is significantly lower than among Estonian speakers.
Support among Estonian speakers has risen to 60 percent, while support among the non-Estonian-speaking population remains significantly lower at 38 percent. The non-Estonian-speaking population also finds homosexuality considerably less acceptable overall.
Egert Rünne, head of the Estonian Human Rights Center, noted that support is particularly high among people aged 18–29, reaching 82 percent. Rünne said this shows that for the younger generation, same-sex relationships and equal rights are self-evident rather than a subject of public debate.
Homosexuality is considered acceptable by 51 percent of the population and unacceptable by 41 percent. Compared to earlier surveys, overall positive attitudes toward homosexuality have declined by five percentage points over three years, but positive views still predominate.
Clear differences emerge between linguistic groups, as 58 percent of Estonian speakers consider homosexuality acceptable compared to 34 percent of non-Estonian speakers.
Public and political debate on LGBT issues has become more polarized worldwide in recent years, emphasizing divisions. Liis Grünberg, research director at Turu-uuringute AS, explained that this climate may affect both the actual attitudes of people and their willingness to express them in surveys.
The share of people who believe that transgender identity exists has decreased over the past three years. While 61 percent of respondents believed this in 2023, that figure has dropped to 49 percent this year, while both the share of those who do not believe and those who are uncertain has increased.
This year, 37 percent of the population consider transgender identity acceptable and 45 percent unacceptable. Whereas the number of respondents who accepted transgender identity was higher in 2021 and 2023, by 2026 the situation has reversed, returning to a pattern similar to 2019.
Since 2012, the Estonian Human Rights Center has published seven comprehensive public opinion studies on LGBT rights in Estonia at roughly two-year intervals. This year's survey was conducted by Turu-uuringute AS in early April among 1,010 residents aged 18 and older across Estonia online and by phone.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Argo Ideon
