Estonia is a unitary country with a single-tier local government system. Local affairs are managed autonomously by local governments. There are 78 municipalities from 28 November 2025. Two rural municipalities merged in Ida-Virumaa County to form (the new) Jõhvi Parish.
Since administrative reform in 2017, there were in total 79 local governments, including 15 towns and 64 rural municipalities. From 28 November 2025 there are 63 rural municipalities and 15 towns. All municipalities have equal legal status and form part of a county, which is a state administrative unit.[1] Representative body of local authorities is municipal council, elected at general direct elections for a four-year term. The council appoints local government, headed by a mayor. For additional decentralization the local authorities may form municipal districts with limited authority, currently those have been formed in Tallinn and Hiiumaa.[2]
Separately from administrative units there are also settlement units: village, small borough, borough, and town. Generally villages have less than 300, small borough have between 300 and 1000, borough and town have over 1000 inhabitants.[2]
Database which consists of info about Estonian administrative units and settlements, is called EHAK (abbreviation for Estonian Eesti haldus- ja asustusjaotuse klassifikaator).[3]
Counties
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Parishes or municipalities
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See also
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edit- ↑ Pesti, Cerlin; Randma-Liiv, Tiina (April 2018). "Estonia". In Thijs, Nick; Hammerschmid, Gerhard (eds.). Public administration characteristics and performance in EU28. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. pp. 252–255. doi:10.2767/74735. ISBN 9789279904530. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- 1 2 "Local Governments". Estonian Ministry of Finance. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ↑ "Eesti haldus- ja asustusjaotuse klassifikaator". stat.ee. Retrieved 26 January 2023.