Last year, 10,180 people provided care for those in need at home in Estonia. The statistics do not show how many of them were relatives of the care recipient.
As of December 2025, slightly over 8,000 people received benefits for caregiving. The average benefit amount was 61.47 euros, and for adult care recipients, it was 59.59 euros per month.
The organization of social assistance is the responsibility of the local government. The law leaves room for decision-making by local governments, which is why benefit amounts vary from place to place.
"Assistance should not depend solely on a person's place of residence or formal status, but on the assessed need," said Social Minister Karmen Joller.
For caring for an adult, payments range from 25 to 150 euros per month, depending on the location. For caring for a child with disabilities, the benefit varies from 30 to 210 euros.
"Local governments have established different rates and conditions for benefits. Receiving benefits may depend on the extent of care needs or the severity of disabilities," Joller said.
For a person in need of round-the-clock general care in a nursing home, the state spends an average of 50.37 euros per day. Last year, 16,755 people received such services. Public sector funding covered an average of 23.51 euros, or approximately 47% of the total cost.
"Following the care reform, the public sector's share in funding general care has increased," Joller said.
The state and local governments lack calculations on how much it costs to care for one person in a nursing home compared to home care.
"In nursing homes, people need care around the clock. Such a volume of home care is usually not provided," Joller noted.
Currently, the caregiver is determined by the local government and may receive caregiver benefits. The Ministry of Social Affairs has no plans to nationalize the system.
"Local governments can arrange assistance flexibly. For example, they can offer home care services or pay caregiver benefits," Joller added.
With the care reform, the state increased funding for local governments. This year, they will receive nearly 70 million euros.
Joller emphasized that the development of the system supporting family caregivers will continue. At the end of this year, the impact analysis of the care reform and the repeat study of the population's care burden will be published.
"It is important that the caregiver's own livelihood and health are supported," Joller said. "The goal is to ensure that caring for a loved one does not lead to exclusion from the labor market."