Tallinn population decreases for first time since 2006

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to statistics from the population register, the population of Tallinn decreased by 683 in 2021. In 2020, the population had risen by 1756. Before the pandemic, the population of the city had been growing by 4000-5000 o average each year, with a record year of more than 10,000 in 2013.

The decrease is largely being put down to negative natural growth. This simply means that more people died than were born during the year. In 2021, a total of 5506 Tallinn residents died, but only 4373 were born. Tallinn is usually one of the only places in Estonia to record positive natural growth. 

According to Kristi Kail, Tallinn Vital Statistics Department deputy director, “COVID-19 may have also been an influencing factor — both COVID deaths as well as population movement impacted by COVID. Many people who had come here from abroad to work or study moved back to their home countries.” Despite this, Tallinn saw a positive net migration in 2021, with 1627 more people registering as residents in the city than deregistering.

Interestingly, there was a big difference between the districts of Tallinn. With Lasnamäe seeing the biggest decrease in population (817), and the city centre seeing the biggest increase (915). The change making the city centre the second biggest district of Tallinn in terms of population size after Lasnamäe.

Source ERR  

To learn more about this and similar topics
Kristi Kail Lasnamäe Tallinn Tallinn Population Tallinn Population 2021 Tallinn Population Statistics Tallinn Vital Statistics Department