Private Consumption in Estonia
Estonia recorded an average growth rate of 3.8% in private consumption in the decade to 2022, above the 1.0% Euro Area average. In 2022, private consumption growth was 2.3%. For more private consumption information, visit our dedicated page.
Estonia Private consumption Chart
This chart displays Private Consumption (annual variation in %) for Estonia from 2013 to 2022.
Estonia Private consumption Data
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Consumption (ann. var. %) | 4.7 | 4.6 | -1.5 | 9.3 | 2.3 |
Economy extends recession, slides at a softer rate in the second quarter
GDP slid at a milder rate of 2.9% year on year in the second quarter, a softer contraction than the 3.7% one tallied in the first quarter. This figure was a slight improvement from the flash estimate of a 3.2% decline. The milder fall was due to a less severe downturn in the external sector and improved public spending. On the domestic front, weaker household spending and investment drove the continued deterioration. Private consumption contracted 3.3% in Q2 (Q1: -1.1% yoy), marking the steepest decline in three years. The downturn came despite softening inflation in the quarter and was likely exacerbated by higher interest rates in the Eurozone. Likewise, fixed investment contracted 18.7% in Q2 (Q1: -7.1% yoy), marking the worst result since Q1 2022. More positively, public consumption sped up to a 1.8% increase in Q2 (Q1: +0.3% yoy), which prevented a larger loss of momentum domestically. Meanwhile, a downbeat external panorama—particularly in the Euro area—continued to weigh on trade: The decline in exports of goods and services was steady at Q1’s 6.0% contraction in Q2. Meanwhile, imports of goods and services declined at a more pronounced pace of 9.1% in Q2 (Q1: -4.9% yoy), dampened by weakening domestic demand. On a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis, GDP dropped 0.2% in Q2 from the previous quarter's 0.7% decrease. Q2's reading marked the best result since Q1 2022.
Looking ahead, our panel sees the economy exiting its six-quarter-long recession in Q3. That said, annual growth prospects remain precarious against a backdrop of tighter monetary conditions, downbeat activity among major trading partners and lackluster domestic demand. Price spikes for energy later this year and additional spillovers from the war in Ukraine are key factors to watch.
How should you choose a forecaster if some are too optimistic while others are too pessimistic? FocusEconomics collects Estonian private consumption projections for the next ten years from a panel of 9 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. By averaging all forecasts, upside and downside forecasting errors tend to cancel each other out, leading to the most reliable private consumption forecast available for Estonian private consumption.
To Download one of our sample reports to visualize what a Consensus Forecast is and see our Estonian private consumption projections.
Want to get access to the full dataset of Estonian private consumption forecasts? Send an email to info@focus-economics.com.