Migration changes, Slovenia, 2007

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Net migration in 2007, compared to the previous year, up by 127.4%
In 2007 Slovenia’s population rose on account of positive net migration by 14,250 persons, which means that 14,250 persons more immigrated to the country than emigrated from it. In comparison with 2006, when the net migration was 6,267, net migration in 2007 rose by 127.4%.

In 2007 Slovenia among the EU 27 member states with the highest percentage growth of net migration in the observed year
According to the first provisional data¹ published by Eurostat, in 2007 Slovenia was ranked among EU 27 member states with the highest percentage growth of net migration in the observed year.
According to the data published by Eurostat, in 2007, in comparison with 2006, the Check Republic was the country with the highest percentage growth of net migration (141.8%), followed by Denmark (131.7%) and Slovenia. Increase in net migration in comparison with 2006 by more than 100% was recorded also in Italy and Germany. According to the first provisional data for 2007, five EU member states recorded higher number of emigrants than immigrants; besides four countries which joined the EU in the last two expansions – Poland, Latvia, Bulgaria and Lithuania – also the Netherlands.

High annual increase in the number of foreign immigrants after 2004
In 2007, 29,193 persons immigrated to Slovenia, among them 27,504 foreign citizens and 1,689 nationals.
The number of persons who immigrated to Slovenia in 2007, compared with the previous year, rose by 45.8%. From 2000 on the number of foreign immigrants to Slovenia has been constantly on the rise. High annual increase in the number of foreign immigrants has been recorded after 2004, when as a rule their number annually increased by about 50%.
By months of 2007, most foreign immigrants immigrated from March to the end of October (74.7%), among them the most in April (2,855 persons).

Among foreigners who immigrated to Slovenia 85.4% were citizens of ex-Yugoslav Republics
In Slovenia a constant annual increase in immigrated citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia has been recorded since 2000. Also in 2007 among 27,504 foreigners who immigrated to Slovenia the highest number were citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (12,479) and Serbia (6,368), followed by citizens of FYR of Macedonia (3,163). Among foreigners who immigrated to Slovenia in 2007, 45.4% were citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2,646 foreign citizens of EU 27 member states immigrated to Slovenia, which is 905 persons more than in 2006. Most of them came from Bulgaria (790). In terms of the number of immigrants this country was for the first time ahead of Slovakia (451). Namely, after 2004 citizens of Slovakia represented the greatest number of EU 27 citizens who immigrated to Slovenia. Consequently, among EU citizens who immigrated to Slovenia in 2007, almost every third was a citizen of Bulgaria and almost every fifth was a citizen of Slovakia.

More than four fifths of foreign immigrants were men
Among foreign citizens who immigrated to Slovenia men have noticeably outnumbered women since 1995. In 2007, 82.7% of foreign immigrants were men and 17.3% were women.

The highest number of foreign immigrants arrived with the intention of employment or work
Most of the foreigners who immigrated to Slovenia in 2007 came with the intention of employment or work and seasonal work (77.6% of all foreign immigrants). 4,794 foreign citizens immigrated with the purpose of family reunion.
Among foreigners who immigrated to Slovenia in 2007, 706 immigrated with the intention of study, 68.6% of them from the countries of ex-Yugoslav Republics. Compared with 2005 and 2006, in 2007 the number of immigrants with the intention of study went up by 46.8%.

In comparison with the previous year the number of people emigrating abroad rose by almost 9%
In 2007, 14,943 people emigrated from Slovenia to abroad; 11,765 of them were foreigners and 3,178 were citizens of the Republic of Slovenia. In comparison with the previous year the number of emigrants rose by 8.7%, while the number of emigrated nationals rose by 17.6%.

For the eighth consecutive year more citizens of Slovenia emigrated abroad than immigrated to Slovenia
In 2007 net migration of Slovene citizens was the most negative in the last eight years. 1,489 more citizens of Slovenia emigrated abroad than immigrated to Slovenia. A positive net migration was for the eighth consecutive year recorded only among foreigners. Its value was 15,739.
Since 2000 most of the citizens of Slovenia who immigrated to Slovenia have come from Germany. That was the case also in 2007 (374 or 22.1% of all immigrated nationals).
In 2007, also the highest number of Slovene nationals emigrated to Germany (22.3% of all emigrated nationals), the second most frequent country of their emigration was Austria. In 2007, 15.4% of all Slovene citizens who emigrated abroad went to live in Austria.

38,581 changes in the settlement of permanent residence
In 2007, 38,581 changes in the settlement of permanent residence were registered by the citizens of the Republic of Slovenia. The most frequently they moved to another municipality (70.5%); the other 29.5% were migrations to another settlement within the same municipality.

1)http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/extraction/evalight/EVAlight.jsp?A=1&language=en&root=/theme3/demo/demo_gind, dne 29.8.2008