Estonia’s demographic trends are having a deep impact on education. The number of children in pre-school education was on the rise until 2015 and is falling in the following years as children born in the years with the highest birth rates are reaching school age. In the academic year 2019/20, just over 153,000 children and young people were studying in general education schools. Tertiary educational attainment is one of the highest in the EU. The employment rate of recent graduates has recovered after the economic crisis. The number of adult learners is increasing. For example, 20.1% of the Estonian population aged between 25 and 64 participated in formal education or in non-formal training in 2019 (17.6% in 2016). See more in chapter 6.1.

The main governmental authority responsible for education and training is the Ministry of Education and Research. The main function of the Ministry of Education and Research is to ensure targeted and effective development of education, research, youth and language policy, and a high level and competitiveness of research and development. See more in chapter 6.2.