Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: Estonia

Summary of key data and information

	Summary of key data and information
Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1)	A person experiencing homelessness is a person, who has no legal relationship (ownership, lease agreement, permanent accommodation agreement) to any buildings, rooms or parts thereof that would qualify as housing and who has no source of income necessary for acquiring a place to live and no social skills to change his or her status in the given circumstances.
Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3)	1 068 individuals, representing 0.08% of the total population (2021)
	27% are women, 73% are men
	Point-in-Time count, based on Population and Housing Census 2021
	ETHOS Light groups included	Included: ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Not included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents)
	Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4)	There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness in Estonia.
Homelessness Strategy (Table 5)	Estonia does not have a national homelessness strategy
Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6)	Population and Housing Census: Questionnaire which includes a question on dwelling type and homelessness (Table 6.1). Social Welfare Statistics: Local municipalities and homeless services provide data through an online portal (Table 6.2).

Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness

	Statistical definition
Homelessness	For statistical purposes, a person experiencing homelessness is a person, who has no legal relationship (ownership, lease agreement, permanent accommodation agreement) to any buildings, rooms or parts thereof that would qualify as housing and who has no source of income necessary for acquiring a place to live and no social skills to change his or her status in the given circumstances.

Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology

Year	Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals)	% of total population	ETHOS Light 1 People living rough	ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation	ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless	ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions	ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings	ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends
2011	864	0.07%	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
2021	1 068	0.08%	Not included	Included in headline estimate but not specified(a)	Included in headline estimate but not specified(b)	Included in headline estimate but not specified	Not included	Included in headline estimate but not specified
Metadata: Type of count: Point-in-time Data are comparable across years: Yes Included in headline estimate: Children: Yes Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: No Refugees: No Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No

Note: (a) The yearly social welfare statistics include an enumeration of 1 673 people in emergency accommodation. However, these data are a flow count and cannot be compared with the headline estimate; therefore, they are not reported in this table. (b) The yearly social welfare statistics also enumerate 10 807 people who were provided accommodation by local authorities under the Provision of Dwelling service (eluruumi tagamise teenus) at the end of 2021; they are not reported in this table.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Statistics Estonia (2023), Census 2021.

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2021

	Single adults	Men	Women	Youth (aged 15‑29)	Older people (aged 65 and over)	Families with children (# of households)
Headline estimate of homelessness	1 068	775	293	53	181	0
As percentage of total population experiencing homelessness	100%	72.60%	27.40%	5.00%	17.00%	0%
ETHOS Light 1: People living rough	Not included	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation	Included in headline estimate but not specified (a)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless	Included in headline estimate but not specified (b)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 4: People living in institutions	Included in headline estimate but not specified	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 5: People living in unconventional dwellings	Not included	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 6: People staying with family/friends	Included in headline estimate but not specified	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
Metadata: Type of count: Point-in-time Included in headline estimate: Children: Yes Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: No Refugees: No Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No

Note: Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Statistics Estonia, 2021.

Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness

	Legal framework
Law that governs data collection on homelessness	None.
Legal obligations	There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness. However, homeless shelters and local municipalities have to report to the state on the number of people that received services for shelter and accommodation.

Table 5. Homelessness strategy

	Homelessness strategies in place
National Homelessness Strategy	None.
Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist	None.

Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness

6.1. Population and Housing Census
Description The population of Estonia must fill out the census, which includes a question on type of dwelling that includes homeless/roofless as an answer. The census is to be completed online. If it is not submitted online, census staff collect the information through phone and face-to-face interviews.
Type of count generated Point-in-time	Methods Population Census
Lead authority(ies) Statistics Estonia	Source(s) of information General population
Scope National level	Depth of data Key demographic characteristics
Frequency Every 10 years
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources Home | Statistikaamet (rahvaloendus.ee)
6.2. Social Welfare Statistics
Description Local municipalities and homeless shelter service providers provide data on the number (age and gender) of homeless people that have received shelter and accommodation services once a year online. The social insurance board at the Ministry of Social Affairs then approve the reports of the services before making them publicly available.
Type of count generated Flow (period)	Methods Service-based method
Lead authority(ies) Ministry of Social Affairs	Source(s) of information Shelter services provide information directly through the online portal.
Scope National level	Depth of data Data disaggregated by age and gender
Frequency Annual
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources https://sveeb.sm.ee/

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1.Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housing-database.html.

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