Economic Country Review
19 years (2012
est.)
Health expenditures: 4.3% of GDP (2009)
Education expenditures: 4.9% of GDP (2007)
(Central Intelligence Agency, 2012, ISSN 15538133).
2.2.4 Economic Overview
Estonia, a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern marketbased economy and one of the
higher per capita income levels in Central Europe and the Baltic region. Estonia's successive
governments have pursued a free market, probusiness economic agenda and have wavered little in
their commitment to promarket reforms. The current government has followed sound fiscal
policies that have resulted in balanced budgets and low public debt. The economy benefits from
strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and strong trade ties with Finland, Sweden,
Russia, and Germany. Tallinn's priority has been to sustain high growth rates on average 8% per
year from 2003 to 2007. Estonia's economy fell sharply into recession in mid2008, primarily as a
annaabi.ee 
