The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Estonia promotes trade and commerce with its neighbors. Also, there is a chamber of commerce in Tartu. Professional societies and trade unions have developed for a number of careers.

In 1989 Estonian sports were reorganized and the Soviets reduced their control of Estonia's sports system. In the same year the National Olympic Committee was restored. Other sports associations have since formed, including groups for wind surfing, yachting, and football.

Research and educational organizations include the Estonian Academy of Sciences and the Estonian Medical Association. The Estonian Institute, established in 1989, promotes the appreciation of Estonian culture abroad.

Most student organizations belong to the umbrella organizations of the Federation of Estonian Student Unions or the Federation of Estonian Universitas. Other youth organizations include the Estonian Green Movement and scouting programs. The Estonian Association of University Women promotes educational and professional opportunities for women.

Lennart Meri (b.1929), writer and historian, became president of Estonia in 1992 and won a second term in 1996. Writer Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1803–1882) wrote the epic Kalevipoeg (Son of Kalev), which was published by the Estonian Learned Society between 1857–61 and marked the beginning of Estonian national literature.

The Revolution of 1905 forced many Estonian writers to flee the country. In 1906 a stable government was established in Estonia and a literary movement took hold, Birth of Young Estonia. The movement was led by poet Gustav Suits (1883–1956). He fled to Finland in 1910 but returned after the Russian Revolution of 1917. Later, Suits became a professor of literature at Tartu University. His fellow writers and poets between the revolution of 1917 and 1940 included Friedbert Tuglas (1886–1971) and Marie Under (1883–1980). Writers who fled abroad during World War II include Karl Rumor (1886–1971) and Arthur Adson (1889–1977). Estonian writers banned or exiled during the Soviet period include the playwright Hugo Raudsepp.

Though the telecommunications system has had recent improvements in the form of foreign investment through business ventures, There are still thousands of residents on waiting lists for service lines, with the average wait for service at about 1.4 years in 2000. As of 2000, there were 501,691 main line telephones in the country and 711,000 mobile cellular phones.

Estonian Radio began regular broadcasting in 1926. In 1937, the highest radio tower in Europe (196.7m) was built in Türi. In the 1970s, Estonian Radio was the first in the former Soviet Union to carry advertising. Estonian television began broadcasting in 1955, and started color broadcasts in 1972. It broadcasts on four channels in Estonian and Russian. As of 2001, there were 98 FM radio stations and 3 television stations. About 90 out of every 1,000 people subscribed to cable television. In 1997, there were 1,096 radios and 591 television sets per 1,000 people. In 2000, there were about 153 personal computers per 1,000 people. In 2001, 38 Internet service providers served about 540,000 users.

Journalism was subject to varying degrees of censorship from the Russian occupation in 1940 until the late 1980s. The most popular daily newspapers (with 2002 circulation figures) are Noorte Haal ( The Voice of Youth , 150,000), Postimees ( Postman , 59,200,) Paevaleht ( The Daily Paper , 40,000), and Rahva Haal ( The Voice of the People, 175,000). The most widely read weeklies (with 1995 circulation figures) are the Maaleht (Country News, 50,000) and the Eesti Ekspress (Estonian Express, 55,000).

Estonia has an active publishing industry, although it faced economic difficulties in the early 1990s. The ISBN code has been used in Estonia since 1988. There were 2,291,000 book titles published in 1994.

The government is said to respect constitutional provisions for free expression. Foreign publications are widely available and private print and broadcast media operate freely.

A major reform of the primary care system was implemented in 1998, making family practitioners independent contractors with combined private and public-financed payment. In 2000, there was an estimated fertility rate of 1.2. The maternal mortality rate was 50 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births as of 1998. In 2000, the infant mortality rate was an estimated 8 per 1,000 and the overall death rate as of 2002 was 13.4 per 1,000 people. Life expectancy in 2000 averaged 71 years. In 1999, Estonia immunized children up to one year old against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, 95%; and measles, 92%.

The number of hospitals in Estonia decreased significantly during the 1990s, with the number of available beds cut by one-third between 1991 and 1995. As of 1998, there were 78 hospitals, with a total of 10,509 beds. The number of physicians has decreased as well, from 5,500 in 1991 to 4,311 in 1998. As of 1999, there were an estimated 3 physicians and 7.4 hospital beds per 1,000 people. The country's only medical school is the Tartu University Medical Faculty.

In 1996, eight new AIDS cases were reported. In 1999, 61 new cases of tuberculosis were reported per 100,000 people. No cases of polio or neonatal tetanus were reported in 1995.

The country's adult literacy rate in 1995 was 99.8% for both men and women.

Prior to the 1990s, the Soviet system of education was followed. This was modified after Estonia's separation from the USSR. Both Russian and Estonian are taught. Estonian-language schools have 12 years of schooling with six years of primary and six years of secondary education. Russian-language schools have a total of 11 years of schooling. In 1997, primary schools enrolled 126,800 students. In 1996, secondary schools enrolled 112,288 students and employed 11,098 teachers. The pupil-teacher ratio at the primary level was 14 to 1 in 1999. In the same year, 98 % of primary-school-age children were enrolled in school, while 90% of those eligible attended secondary school. As of 1999, public expenditure on education was estimated at 6.8% of GDP.

There are two well-known universities: the University of Tartu, founded in 1632, and the Talliva Technical University, founded in 1936, which mainly offers engineering courses. In 1997, all higher-level institutions had a total of 43,468 pupils and 4,435 teachers.

The National Library of Estonia in Tallinn, founded in 1918, contains three million volumes. Other important libraries located in Tallinn include the Estonian Technical Library, (11.8 million volumes) and the Estonian Academic Library (2.2 million). The Tartu State University Library is the largest academic library with3.7 million volumes. The public library system has 602 administrative units and holds in total 10.6 million volumes, as of 1997, and claims 407,000 registered users.

The Estonian History Museum in Tallinn was established in1864. It contains 230,000 exhibits that follow the history of the region's people from ancient times to the present. The Estonian National Museum in Tartu, established in 1909, features exhibits about the living conditions of Estonians. Also in Tallinn is the Art Museum of Estonia, the Estonian Open Air Museum, the Estonian Theater and Music Museum, and the Tallinn City Museum. Tartu University houses a Museum of Classical Antiquities.

After passing an ownership act in June 1990, the government began a privatization program at the beginning of 1991. Most of the nearly 500 state-owned companies have since passed into new hands. The Estonian Privatization Agency (EPA) was established to oversee major privatization programs. In late 1995, EPA announced privatization plans for Estonian Railways, Estonian Energy, Estonian Oil Shale, Estonian Telekom, and Tallinn Ports. Estonian Gas, Estonian Tobacco, and Estonian Air were privatized in 1996. As of the 2002, only the port and the main power plants remained state-controlled.

Estonia has excellent intellectual property laws, has enacted modern bankruptcy legislation, and has seen the emergence of well-managed privately held banks. The constitution mandates a balanced budget, and the climate for foreign investment is positive. The country joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1999 and was invited to join the European Union (EU) in December 2002, with accession planned for 2004. In 2003, the economy was vulnerable, and the size of the current account deficit was a particular concern. The government was urged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to pursue a fiscal surplus policy, to prepare for membership in the European Economic and Monetary Union.