Office in the Rotermanni district in central Tallinn. Photo by: Rasmus Jurkatam / Visit Estonia
Trade with closest neighbours is
also important today. Export of goods
and services makes up over three
quarters of Estonia’s national GDP.
Estonia’s main trade partners are Finland,
Sweden, Latvia,Russia, and Germany.
The economy in northern Estonia is
concentrated in the capital Tallinn, where
a third of the country’s population lives.
In the South, it centres around university
city Tartu. Because over 70% of Estonians
live in cities, agriculture has lost its
earlier central position in the economy.
In the olden days, principal exports used
to be grain dried in thrashing barns, beeswax,
and later also bacon and butter. The
main airport, railway station, and one
of the biggest trade ports on the Baltic
Sea are in Tallinn. Tallinn’s medieval old
town is also a big tourist attraction.
Small shop in Kuressaare, on the island of Saaremaa. Photo by: Mariann Liimal / Enterprise Estonia
Most Estonian people work in the industrial
sector. Important employers are metal,
electronics, and timber industries. For
example, Estonia is one of the most
successful wooden house manufacturers
in Europe. Other important economic spheres are
retail, wholesale trade, food production,
logistics, and real estate. The public
sector is also a big employer.
The fastest
growing economic field of the past decade
is the IT sector. Estonia boasts more
successful start-up companies per capita
than any other European country. Skype, Wise, Bolt, Starship Technologies,
and Pipedrive were all born in Estonia.
Even more traditional industries are using
clever and innovative IT solutions.
Most Estonian people work in small and
medium-sized enterprises, which makes the
Estonian economy flexible and adaptable.
Thanks to e-services, starting a company is
easy.
Office in Tallinn's hip Telliskivi area. Photo by: Tõnu Tunnel / Enterprise Estonia