Employment by status in Estonia
Estonia: Employment by status was 87.9% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
87.9%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
26th
of 186 countries
All-time high
88.5%
in 1991
All-time low
84.9%
in 1993
Years of data
34
1991–2024
Employment by status in Estonia, 1991–2024
Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Estonia recorded 87.9% for employment by status in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment by status in Estonia peaked at 88.5% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 84.9%, in 1993.
Estonia ranks 26th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Employment by status in Estonia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 88.5% | — |
| 1992 | 86.8% | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 84.9% | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 84.9% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 85.6% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 85.3% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 85.6% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 86.1% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 86.1% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 86.6% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 86.7% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 87.0% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 86.9% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 86.8% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 87.4% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 87.8% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 88.0% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 88.3% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 87.9% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 87.7% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 87.6% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 87.5% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 87.5% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 87.6% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 87.7% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 87.7% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 87.6% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 87.8% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 87.9% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 87.9% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 88.0% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 88.3% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 88.1% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 87.9% | -0.2% |
Estonia compared with similar countries
- Estonia's 87.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 86.7%, 1.0× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Estonia's 87.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 85.3%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 86.0% | 84.9% | 88.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 87.4% | 86.6% | 88.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 87.7% | 87.5% | 87.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 88.0% | 87.9% | 88.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
More work & labour data for Estonia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6763 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.77 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1039 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 885.23 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 259.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 417.66 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 407.84 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 825.5 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment by status in Estonia?
- Employment by status in Estonia was 87.9% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment by status recorded in Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 88.5% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment by status recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 84.9% in 1993.
- How does Estonia rank for employment by status?
- Estonia ranks 26th out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is employment by status rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Estonia data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment by status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of people in employment working as employees, as a percentage of total employment.