Estonia vs Ireland development indicators, 2024

Demography and Health

Estonia's demographics reveal a crude birth rate of 8 per 1,000 people compared to Ireland's 10.3. In terms of mortality, Estonia has a higher crude death rate at 11.7 per 1,000, whereas Ireland's rate is lower at 6.6. Life expectancy at birth is also notably lower in Estonia at 78.5 years than in Ireland, which boasts an average of 82.9 years. Despite this, Estonia performs better in the under-5 mortality rate with 2.1 per 1,000 live births compared to Ireland's 3.8. Both countries show an equal prevalence of undernourishment at 2.5%. Health expenditure in Estonia is slightly higher than Ireland’s, at 7% of GDP versus 6.1%. However, the total expenditure per capita in PPP terms is significantly lower in Estonia ($2,549) compared to Ireland ($6,419). This might affect overall health outcomes and access to healthcare services. The number of physicians per 1,000 people also points to a discrepancy, with Estonia having 3.4 physicians as opposed to Ireland's 4.1. Mental health indicators show a concerning trend in Estonia, where the suicide mortality rate is higher at 14.9 per 100,000 population compared to Ireland's 8.6.

Economy

When it comes to economic indicators, Estonia faces significant challenges compared to Ireland. The GDP per capita in Estonia stands at $31,170, which is substantially lower than Ireland’s impressive $107,316, placing Estonia at a rank of 59 against Ireland's 5. In terms of purchasing power parity, Estonia's GDP per capita is $49,334 compared to Ireland's $131,175. The export landscape paints a picture of Estonia's economy heavily relying on goods and services, with exports constituting 76.3% of its GDP versus Ireland’s 148%, which ranks it fifth globally. However, Estonia’s inflation rate of 3.5% outpaces Ireland, where it sits at 2.1%. While Estonia's unemployment rate is 6.4%, it is higher than Ireland's 4.3%, reflecting differing labor market conditions.

Trade and Investment

Estonia’s trade dynamics show a high dependency on exports with 76.3% of GDP reliant on goods and services, but this is dwarfed by Ireland's 148%. Similarly, imports represent 75.7% of Estonia's GDP, compared to 105% in Ireland. High-technology exports highlight another disparity, with Estonia reporting $2.1 billion versus Ireland’s $91.4 billion. This suggests that Ireland has a more advanced technological export profile, reflective of its strong corporate tax structure that attracts multinational corporations. In terms of innovation, Estonia applications for patents are notably lower at 25 compared to Ireland’s 75, signaling a possible area of concern in fostering domestic innovation.

Governance and Institutions

Both countries exhibit commendable governance structures, although Ireland marginally outperforms Estonia in several indices. Estonia's control of corruption is rated at 1.5 while Ireland is slightly higher at 1.6. In terms of government effectiveness, Estonia scores 1.3 compared to Ireland's 1.6, which indicates a more efficient administrative function in Ireland. Additionally, political stability and the absence of violence score 0.7 for Estonia, whereas Ireland achieves 0.9. The rule of law and regulatory quality also favor Ireland, with Estonia receiving slightly lower ratings at 1.4 in both categories versus Ireland’s 1.6 and 1.7, respectively. These factors suggest that while both nations maintain strong governance, Ireland has more robust institutions compared to Estonia.

Infrastructure and Technology

In terms of infrastructure, both Estonia and Ireland share a logistics performance index of 3.5, indicating similar quality in trade and transport infrastructure. However, Estonia exhibits a remarkable 93.2% internet penetration against Ireland’s 96.5%, which highlights the importance of digital connectivity reflecting Estonia's advanced digital governance and e-residency programs. Additionally, Estonia's investment in research and development is notable at 1.8% of GDP, higher than Ireland’s 1%. This dedication towards innovation may yield long-term benefits for Estonia’s technological advancements.

Environment and Sustainability

On environmental measures, Estonia shows a strong commitment to renewable energy, with 38% of its total energy consumption derived from renewable sources, a significant contrast to Ireland’s 12.7%. Estonia's level of water stress also indicates prudent management, with freshwater withdrawal at 10.8% of available resources compared to Ireland's higher rate of 22.2%. Additionally, Estonia's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are relatively similar to Ireland’s, at 10.5 t CO2e compared to 10.9 t CO2e. This suggests that both countries are working towards sustainability, but Estonia leads in terms of renewable energy consumption.