A study commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and conducted by the Institute of Baltic Studies (IBS) found that Estonians throughout the world are not a community disjoined from Estonian society; rather, they maintain strong emotional and cultural bonds with Estonia.
The majority of the expat Estonian community has a multicultural identity — that is, a symbiosis of several identities or affiliations. Most Estonians abroad are content with their life in their new country and have adapted to life there, however their sense of belonging to Estonia has nonetheless remained strong as well.
More than half of study respondents celebrate Estonian holidays and vote in Estonian elections. A large share of families with children indicated they want to pass the Estonian language, culture and customs on to their children, and a majority want to keep their Estonian citizenship.