Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Railways, Transport

Photo: railbaltica.org

Where last year people's opinion about Rail Baltic was surveyed by pollster Faktum-Ariko, this year it has been done on two occasions by Turu-uuringute AS, spokespeople for the Institute for the Study of Societal Issues, a nonprofit, told.

The three surveys show popular support for the project to be declining.

The Institute for the Study of Societal Issues conducted its poll from August 8-26 of 2018 by putting the following question to 1,005 residents of Estonia in eye to eye interviews: "To how big a degree do you support the construction of the Rail Baltic railway via Parnu and Riga towards Kaunas?".

The Faktum-Ariko survey conducted last year showed support for Rail Baltic at 58%. The Turu-uuringute poll taken in February 2018 showed the ratio of supporters to be 52%, whereas the second poll by the same agency from August this year shows support as lower still and the ratios of proponents and opponents as being virtually equal. According to the latest data, 44% of Estonian residents are in favor and 43% against the implementation of the railway project.

The ratios of supporters of Rail Baltic are higher than average among respondents of ethnic backgrounds other than Estonian and younger respondents. Of ethnic Estonians 38% are in favor and 50% against the project, compared with respectively 50% who support and 29% who are opposed to it among people of a different ethnic background. 

The survey also set apart, as different from "rather" responses, the responses of people definitely in favor of the project and those definitely against it. The former made up 14% and the latter 23% of respondents.

The ratio of opponents of Rail Baltic is higher than that of proponents also among ethnic Estonians of the voting age.