Ott Kaldma: Population decline is not the real problem – the Estonian language is dying

In an opinion piece, Ott Kaldma argues that panic about Estonian population decline is misdirected. According to him, the decline of the Estonian language is a far more pressing concern than birth rates, as young people now speak English 75% of the time and Estonian only 25%.

Estonia has been debating population decline for years, but writer and opinion leader Ott Kaldma argues that this panic is focused on the wrong target. In his view, the state of the Estonian language is far more concerning than birth rate statistics.

Kaldma points out that many politicians and opinion leaders have long warned about the extinction of Estonians, citing low birth rates. Yet this discussion ignores a more serious threat – the retreat of Estonian from everyday conversation.

The situation among young people is particularly alarming. According to Kaldma, young people today speak English approximately 75% of the time and Estonian only 25%. This means that even if Estonia has sufficient births, the Estonian language may not be passed on to children as their mother tongue.

In Kaldma's view, language is more important than biological continuity for the survival of a nation. A people who speak their language remain culturally viable even with low birth rates. A people who abandon their language will decline culturally even if their numbers are large.

The author of the opinion piece hopes that those who have spoken most loudly on the population decline issue will finally realize that preserving the Estonian language is the real question that deserves attention and where politicians should be seeking solutions.