Tallinn sucking surrounding countryside gains

Illustration: Pm

Local governments within the capital’s circle of influence are toiling to convince folks to remain in their registers. The difference between registered inhabitants and actual population amounts to a tenth.

«This is not right neither good, for such power play to be happening,» says Harku commune council chairman Arno Hirtentreu. Harku commune, in Harju County, being among those where population falls considerably short of what Census said. Chairman thinks the main reason is the campaign Tallinn is waging to lure people into its fold.

A glance at population register data available for Harju County reveals a picture somewhat uniform: Tallinn-dwellers tens of thousands more and commune populations mostly smaller than shown by Census. The typical difference is about ten per cent.

At that, Tallinn’s population has kept increasing rapidly post-Census, equalling and increasing revenue base for the capital. Every inhabitants of nearby communes listing up as Tallinner – for free public transport, for instance – means lost revenue for home commune, while the local infrastructure still needs to be maintained and the people serviced.

According to Statistical Office Census-based data, Tallinn had 393,232 inhabitants as at December 31^st 2011; already then, population register showed the figure to be larger by more than 22,000.  By December 1^st 2013, official Tallinners tally had climbed over the 430,000 limit.

This, of course, gives city government reason to rejoice: free public transport, the get-registered-in-Tallinn campaigns etc have proved a success. Especially when remembering that in-between the last Censuses, Tallinn’s population did actually shrink a bit.

In the communes round about, the feelings are quite different. In Harku Commune, where Census said the population was 14,100 plus, at the beginning of this December the register showed some13,000; depending on times of the year, the actual fluctuation is said to be large.

According to Mr Hirtentreu, the real population is three times higher, in summer, due to vacationers. When it comes to families, there are some where a wife may be registered at the commune, the husband in Tallinn – for instance. Thus doing, the families are probably attempting to optimise the benefits available.   

«People run where it is better,» said the commune chairman. «But they still do use the infrastructure.» Adding: «This fight over inhabitants, between surrounding communes and Tallinn, this is not nice actually.»

Keila commune council chairman Kadri Tillemann agrees. While Harku population has actually increased a bit, over this past year, Keila commune is going down – the gap between Census and register nearing 600. The commune offers relatively few jobs; most people work in Tallinn or in Keila city.

According to Ms Tillemann, the fight over people cannot be praised as prudent; even so, having to think of the commune revenue base, the issue cannot be overlooked either. «An inhabitants earning €1,000 gross gives us €100-150 in income. That’s big money,» she admitted.

Ms Tillemann promised that, next year, Keila Commune would be systematically working with population register. «This must not necessarily mean knocking on doors; still, we will need to see how we can explain to people the meaning and impact [of registered residence]. Also, we will see if they are registered elsewhere because of some services – maybe it would make sense for the commune itself to offer these services,» she explained.

As also assessed by Ms Tillemann, some families have opted to split between local and Tallinn registers.

After Kõue and Kose communes merged into the «new» Kose this October, Harju County retains 23 local governments. While, at the time of the Census, Harju County had ten communes where registers revealed less inhabitants than that, by this December there were 12 such communes. Meaning: the tilt towards Tallinn is increasing.

According to last Census, Harju County had 552,940 permanent residents – over 40 per cent of Estonia’s population. According to register, the Harju County population has now increased by some 30,000. Thus, while Harju County communes are feeling the pull of Tallinn, a large part of the rest of Estonia may feel the pull of Harju County as a whole. Also, Harju County was one of the merely two counties that increased their population between the Censuses of 2000 and 2011.

According to Census, over that period Harjumaa saw increase of the cities of Saue, Maardu and Keila; due to suburbanisation, rapid growth was also experienced by Viimsi, Rae, Harku, Saue, Saku and Kiili communes.

Meanwhile as shown by Census, over half of nearby commune folks work in Tallinn. Still, communing like that is no one-way business: thousands of Tallinners work in other local governments of Harju County, most of these in Rae Commune. During the Census, close to 2,000 inhabitants of Tallinn were working elsewhere in Estonia – outside Harju County.