Slovenia’s Population is Ageing – New Solidarity Relations between Generations are Needed

A good strategy of active ageing

Similarly to many areas of human activities, the area of demographic developments or movements is facing extreme situations and with them connected problems and consequences worldwide and in Slovenia. In the following ten years, the size, age-gender structure and regional distribution of the European and Slovenian population depend upon fertility, mortality and mobility. These factors, which influence the size and structure of a population and are co-dependent and at the same time under a powerful impact of social and economic factors in the environment, have in the recent years, due to low fertility and prolongation of life expectancy, increasingly contributed to the accelerated ageing of population. Population ageing means an increase in the share of population over a certain age (usually over 65 years) while at the same time the number of children under 15 decreases and life expectancy is prolonged.

The European Union, the biggest economy on the world, has set broader goals for the new millennium, leading to sustainable growth, social justice and improved health and welfare of citizens. By shaping policies and incentives the EU tries to establish the right balance between the two aspects: to remain competitive in the global economy and to respect the need for work and life of dignity for all people.
Besides, Europe has to promote an inclusive society. We should continue to prevent all forms of discrimination – on grounds of race or ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation … Because each EU Member State has got its own domestic policy of employment and social affairs, the principle of “subsidiarity”, underlined in the Maastricht Treaty, prevents the European Union from acting freely in certain important matters, since social affairs and health policy are the responsibility of Member States at the national level.
Prolonged life expectancy, which is a phenomenon known to the developed countries, should be understood as a positive trend opening up new perspectives for young people and not only a projection of new “burdens” and “difficulties”. The majority of elderly people are able to lead their lives in an independent way which is in principle no more dependent on others than the life of younger people is, furthermore they are able to draw from their experience and thus convey a lot to and help the young.

New publication of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia

To better understand the situation Slovenia is about to face due to population ageing is
the purpose of the brochure of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia Slovenia’s Population is Ageing – New Solidarity Relations between Generations are Needed. It gives a brief insight into some areas of population development in the country in comparison to the situation in the EU-27 Member States, since the population in various countries, for a fact, does not age with equal intensity.

Mean age of the population by gender, Slovenia, censuses 1948-2002 and population projections EUROPOP2008, 2008–2060

Sources: SORS, Censuses and Eurostat, Population Projections EUROPOP2008


At present, when life expectancy is expanding and the number of elderly men and women is increasing, age can no longer be perceived solely as the stage when vitality is reduced. Across Europe, age is considered as an opportunity and elderly people are seen as hidden treasures of knowledge and experience, concealed human resources. Therefore, age is an issue of agreement in the society.

Ageing of the society is by far not a negative trend, indicating that people live longer than in the past, which is good and (can) contribute to the well-being and quality of life. In order to make this possible, people in old age have to have the possibility of a decent life and to choose their own lifestyle most suitable for them. However, it is true that the quality of life of the elderly and the old and oldest people does not depend solely upon the functioning of the pension and health systems, but upon possibilities of long-term care, possibilities and incentives for a »prolonged« activity and education, appropriate working conditions and, most importantly, upon the attitude of the society towards older people and old age, which is crucial for their social inclusion. From this reason and observing the situation in the developed neighbouring countries and the EU-27, Slovenia has to focus its efforts on the importance of quality ageing and solidarity between generations (intergenerational solidarity), thus answering the challenges and issues brought along by longevity society and the ageing process.

The finding that the economic and social influences of population ageing are an opportunity and challenge for all societies was stated in the conclusions of the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994. In order to proceed with the implementation of the Action Programme of the International Conference adopted by the General Assembly on its twenty-first session on 2 July 1999, it is of key importance that in the coming decades all the societies draw their attention immediately to the typical consequences of population ageing.

Share of population aged 65+, EU-27 Member States, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, 2007

Source: Eurostat


The entire brochure is available HERE.