84,000 people experience deprivation in Estonia. What does this mean?
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Senior Analyst, Statistics Estonia
According to Statistics Estonia, 6.2% of the population, or nearly 84,000 people in Estonia, feel deprived. Deprivation is one of the facets of poverty, which is based on the assessment of a person themselves. According to the social study of 2023, every sixth person living in relative poverty felt deprivation.
The deprivation rate indicates the proportion of people who cannot afford at least five of the following 13 components:
- paying rent and utility costs on time;
- keeping home sufficiently warm;
- covering of unforeseen expenses;
- eating meat or fish or food containing equivalent proteins every second day;
- week-long vacation away from home;
- car;
- replacing of worn or damaged furniture;
- replacing of worn clothes with new ones;
- at least two pairs of outdoor footwear in good condition and suitable for our climate;
- spending even a small amount of money on oneself every week;
- regular participation in some paid leisure activities;
- getting together with friends or relatives at least once a month to eat and drink together;
- using the internet at home for private purposes, if necessary.
People aged 65 and over were the most likely to feel deprived (8.4%), while 16–24 year olds were the least likely (3.5%). Among households, single-parent households with children are the most likely to feel deprived.