Homicide is a topic of particular interest in Estonia since level of violent deaths is well above the European average. In 2006-2008 the average rate per 100000 population in Estonia was 6.6, in the EU it was second highest rate after Lithuania in these years. At the same time Estonia has experienced a rapid decrease in homicide during last 15 years – the rate of homicide used to be more than four times higher in the middle of 1990s.

High rate of violent death is not something that has evolved during last decades, it has been a problem through very different state orders and social conditions, including Soviet era from 1940ies to 1980ies. In broadest sense lethal violence in Estonia should be analyzed in relation to alcohol consumption behavior and cultural traditions. Estonia shares drinking patterns with its neighbors Finland and Russia, it also has a remarkable immigrant population whose rates of homicide and violence in general have been and are still higher in comparison to Estonians.

The problems that arise from heavy drinking are also visible in other areas where unnatural deaths occur: Estonia has lead EU rankings of fire deaths and deaths caused by drowning and traffic accidents.

Despite high rates of homicide, it has not become a topic of special interest for public in Estonia. Although each week a person or two are being killed on average in recent years, media covers only a few exceptional cases during the year. This has probably contributed to rational criminal policy but has not drawn enough attention to social and economic policy areas such as alcohol policy.