Tallinn grew most

Photo: Repro

As revealed by population register, 2013 brought increase of inhabitants to 30 local governments, among which Tallinn – predictably – was main magnet: the capital, boosted by free public transport, played in another league. Population also grew briskly in areas around Tartu and a couple of communes next to Tallinn. The largest losers are to be found in Ida-Viru County: there, Kohtla-Järve shed 1,060 people over the year, Narva losing 1,013.

According to regional minister Siim Kiisler, the movements generally went like this: Harju County is in the black, narrowly; Tartu County broke even; the remaining 13 counties wallow in the red – providing the outflow.

Public bus gives wings

Mr Kiisler thinks the Tallinn register clearly grew by free public transport. While, over these past years, Tallinn has kept bleeding people to registers of surrounding communes, in 2013 free rides tuned the thing around.

As pointed out by Mr Kiisler, Tallinn gained in inhabitants on account of Ida-Viru cities. This has been a years-long trend. Last year, both Kohtla-Järve and Narva lost over a thousand. Probably, a large part of these resettled in Tallinn. «While talking to townsfolk in Ida-Viru County, one can feel they see no future in that region. Parents tell their kids: after graduating school, go someplace else. In Ida-Viru, such mood is more prevalent than elsewhere,» said Mr Kiisler.

When moving farther away, people probably move for real. Should neighbouring commune be the new address, it may be mere formality, just shifting registers. Those just «appearing» to move do, as assumed by the minister, simply calculate which register provides better benefits.

Moves between neighbouring local governments have been a yearly phenomenon. Land under home being exempt from tax, people possessing both city and country homes will calculate in which local government it is more expedient for them to pay land tax, applying for tax exemption in the more expensive place.

«What we explicitly disapprove is lying to the state,» said Mr Kiisler. «This is not acceptable when people get registered in local governments with which they have no actual ties. To plan public services, the state needs data on how many people actually live in given locations; a classic example would be the kindergarten place. Re-registering in the name of one year’s gain, a person may lose out in more distant future. For instance: getting registered someplace else, he will fall out of children’s list in home commune or be pushed back in the line. I advise no one to play tricks, as one reaps what one sows.»

Payer can complain

The minister would also condemn emotional decisions to send one’s taxes to some «sweet little local government».

«Should somebody have done that, they forfeit the right to complain that Tallinn is too dark at night, for instance, or that the potholes are too big. People often fail to realise that about three-fourths of a private person’s income tax, collected from his salary, remains in the local government budget. When knowingly sending his taxes elsewhere, he has no moral right to have heightened demands towards local government where he lives,» noted Mr Kiisler.

According to regional minister, the tricksters probably are rare birds among those changing residence. As a rule, families are more diligent to declare their data, as, on this, hang such things as places at school or kindergarten, or free parking space. The youth are more careless; while changing rental space, they forget to notify register. Still, Mr Kiisler categorises this as inattention, not wilful lying.

Usually, register-based change of residence intensifies in December; over the last month of the past year, however, the movements were fewer than in years before. Last December, 7,598 people changed residence in population register. A year before that, the number was 8,399; in 2011 – 10,293 people. All in all, the year 2013 brought 85,859 changes of residence in the register. In 2012 and 2011, there were 73,727 and 77,206 changes, respectively.

«Broadly speaking, population register data rightly reflects movements of the inhabitants. As compared to Census data, the trends are very similar,» said the minister.