Latvia ranks highest in the Baltic States in achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals, according to the UN’s Sustainable Development Report 2024, LSM reports. Latvia ranked 13th in the sustainable development index, which was up from 14th place in 2023. Estonia ranked 15th, while Lithuania was on 31st place. Latvia’s overall score on the index…
Traffic on roads in Estonia reached a new all-time record in 2023, according to data from the Estonian Transport Administration (Transpordiamet), ERR reports. The total volume of vehicle mileage amounted to 11.9bn km in 2023, which was up 2.4% from 11.6bn km in 2022. Passenger cars accounted for 72.3% of the total mileage, followed by…
Slowing inflation and strong wage growth in Estonia have increased people’s purchasing power, according to the Bank of Estonia, BNS reports. In June 2024, the consumer price index rose by only 2.5% on year, which was the slowest rate in three years, primarily due to falling energy prices. At the same time, most services have…
Tax-free income in Estonia totalled EUR 4.15bn in 2023, according to the Ministry of Finance, ERR reports. In 2023, the tax-free income threshold was EUR 704 per month for pensioners and EUR 654 for working-age individuals. The ministry does not have a current forecast on the amount of tax-free income in 2024. Former prime minister…
House prices in the Baltic States rose the most in Lithuania in the first quarter of 2024, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. Compared to the first quarter of 2023, house prices increased by 9.9% in Lithuania, 7.8% in Estonia, and 3.7% in Latvia. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, house prices went up…
A recent study reveals a significant increase in the occurrence of heat waves in the Baltic States, particularly Estonia, over the past 30 years, ERR reports. Using data from 40 weather stations in 1951-2021, the study assessed changes in heat waves using five common indices: Number, duration, total days, amplitude, and magnitude, showing a marked…
Estonian shipping group Tallink Grupp transported 1,451,768 passengers in the second quarter of 2024, which was down 5.8% from 1,541,081 in the same period of 2023, ERR reports. Tallink transported 209,760 passenger vehicles in three months, which was down 11.4% from 236,756 vehicles a year earlier. Meanwhile, the company’s ships carried 86,813 cargo units in…
Forestry costs in Latvia increased significantly in 2023 compared to previous years, according to the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. Forest regeneration costs rose by 6.5-19.3%, forest tending costs by 14.7-50.8%, and timber harvesting costs by 4.4% in final felling and 12.2% in intermediate felling. The overall increase in forestry costs is attributed to higher…
Estonia continues to collect telecommunication data from its citizens despite it being against EU law and the constitution, ERR reports. The European Court of Justice and Estonia’s Supreme Court have concluded that the data collection is illegal. The data include detailed records from telecommunications and internet service providers, which the EU court argues infringes on…