Slovenia from 1991 until today
25 June, Statehood Day
Slovenia’s population is growing, and so is its mean age. Last year, the number of persons in employment reached a record high. Inflation and economic growth were lower than the year before, while GDP per capita was higher. The trade balance was negative.
Slovenia’s population is growing
At the beginning of this year, Slovenia's population stood at 2,130,850, which was 130,905 or 6.5% more than in 1991, the year of independence. The population has been growing due to the increasing number of foreign nationals, who now represent 10.1% of the total population. The large majority of them (77.2%) came from the territory of former Yugoslavia, 10.0% from other EU Member States, and 12.8% from other countries. The shares of foreigners from former Yugoslavia and the EU are falling, while the share of foreigners from other countries is rising.
Mean age is rising
On 1 January, the mean age of Slovenia's population was 44.4 years. Since 2016, it has grown by 1.7 years. In each of the past ten years, the mean age was the highest in the Pomurska statistical region. In January this year, residents of this region were on average 47.1 years old, i.e. 2.6 years older than ten years ago. Residents of the Osrednjeslovenska statistical region were the youngest, with an average age of 42.7 years, 1.3 years more than in 2016.
Last year, the largest number of persons in employment
There were 944,008 persons in employment in Slovenia last year, i.e. the highest number since 1991 and 27.0% higher than in 1997, when employment was the lowest. On the other hand, the job vacancy rate, i.e. job vacancies as a share of all posts (occupied and non-occupied), which is an interesting indicator showing well the labour market situation, is declining.
The job vacancy rate was the lowest during the economic crisis, between the end of 2008 and the end of 2013. It was the highest in the second quarter of 2022 (3.2%) and has been falling since. In the second quarter of last year, it was 2.2%, the highest (5.1%) in administrative and support service activities, followed by construction with 4.7% and accommodation and food service activities with 4.5%.
Average monthly net earnings: EUR 1,526
Average monthly earnings in Slovenia for 2024 amounted to EUR 2,395 gross and EUR 1,526 net. Due to various factors such as currency change, inflation, etc., long-term comparison of earnings is not meaningful. More insight can be gained from the data on how much time one had to work to purchase a certain good or how much of this good could a person purchase in an individual year with average monthly net earnings. Last year, for example, compared to 1991, one could purchase five times more men’s jeans, four times more apples, three times more wheat flour, etc.
Households spent the most on transport
According to the latest available data for 2022, Slovenian households spent on average EUR 26,474 per year, the largest share (19.3%) for transport, followed by food and non-alcoholic beverages (15.4%) and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (12.9%).
Inflation down, GDP per capita up
Last year, the annual inflation rate stood at 1.9%, which was less than a year earlier when it was 4.2%. In April this year, the annual inflation rate was 2.3%. Between April 2024 and April 2025, the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages jumped the most (by 5.9%), while the prices of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels fell the most (by 1.8%).
Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita at current prices amounted to EUR 31,490 or six times more than in 1991, when it was EUR 5,131.
Since the first years after independence, real GDP dropped the most at the start of the economic crisis in 2009 (by 7.6%) and in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic (by 4.1%). The highest growth was recorded in 2021 (by 8.4%), followed by 2007 (by 7.1%). Last year, GDP grew by 1.6%.
Last year, external trade deficit
According to provisional data, last year, including operations involving processing (which include the modification, manufacture, assembly, improvement and renovation of goods with the aim of producing new or significantly improved products), Slovenia exported EUR 61.5 billion, or 11.8% more than the year before, and imported EUR 69.1 billion, or 21.1% more. An external trade deficit was thus generated, as the export-import ratio was 89.0%.
Compared to 2023, Slovenia exported 1.1% more goods to EU Member States, and imported 0.8% more from them. Slovenia exported 25.1% more goods to EU non-member countries than the year before, and imported 47.0% more from them. Excluding operations involving processing, Slovenia exported 3.6% more goods to EU non-member countries, and imported 1.1% more from them. Imports from these countries excluding operations involving processing amounted to EUR 9.2 billion and exports to EUR 10.3 billion.
Slovenia’s most important export markets were Switzerland, Germany, Croatia, Italy and Austria. As regards imports, the most important were Switzerland, Germany, China, India and Italy. Compared to the previous year, exports to Switzerland and imports from India grew the most.
The most important product group was chemical products, which accounted for 45.6% of total exports and 49.5% of total imports. In import, their value almost doubled over the previous year. They were followed by machinery and transport equipment (24.3% of exports and 19.3% of imports), and manufactured goods classified chiefly by material (12.7% of exports and 10.3% of imports).
Almost five times as many tourist arrivals as in 1991
Last year, 6.6 million tourist arrivals and 16.9 million overnight stays were recorded in Slovenia. There were almost five times as many arrivals and over three times as many overnight stays as in 1991. Domestic tourists generated 23.2% of arrivals and 26.7% of overnight stays. Among foreign tourists, tourists from Germany were first with 14.3% of arrivals and 15.9% of overnight stays, followed by tourists from Italy (10.3% of arrivals and 8.9% of overnight stays) and Austria (8.3% of arrivals and 8.2% of overnight stays). Last year, tourists spent the largest number of nights in mountain resorts (30.6%), followed by health (spa) resorts (19.5%) and seaside resorts (18.7%).
Food more expensive, but more of it is thrown away and imported
Due to economic, political and environmental changes, in recent years people have become increasingly aware of the importance of food. Food prices have been rising, but the amount of food waste has also been increasing. Last year, 164,803 tonnes of food were wasted, 9% more than the year before. Most of the increase can be attributed to food production, where the amount of waste doubled over the previous year, because larger amounts of substances unsuitable for consumption or processing were thrown away.
The largest amount of food waste was generated in households (44%), followed by food services (34%), food production (13%) and food stores (9%).
Slovenia’s self-sufficiency rate in vegetables in 2024 was 37%, in fruit 27% and in meat 79%. Large variations and lower self-sufficiency in plant products over years are mainly due to adverse weather conditions and the seasonal nature of production. On the other hand, self-sufficiency in animal products is much higher and more stable, as production is largely independent of weather influences. Thus, in 2024, a resident of Slovenia had 104 kg of vegetables, 143 kg of fruit and 79 kg of meat available for consumption.
At the beginning of this year, Slovenia's population stood at 2,130,850, which was 130,905 or 6.5% more than in 1991, the year of independence. The population has been growing due to the increasing number of foreign nationals, who now represent 10.1% of the total population. The large majority of them (77.2%) came from the territory of former Yugoslavia, 10.0% from other EU Member States, and 12.8% from other countries. The shares of foreigners from former Yugoslavia and the EU are falling, while the share of foreigners from other countries is rising.
Mean age is rising
On 1 January, the mean age of Slovenia's population was 44.4 years. Since 2016, it has grown by 1.7 years. In each of the past ten years, the mean age was the highest in the Pomurska statistical region. In January this year, residents of this region were on average 47.1 years old, i.e. 2.6 years older than ten years ago. Residents of the Osrednjeslovenska statistical region were the youngest, with an average age of 42.7 years, 1.3 years more than in 2016.
Last year, the largest number of persons in employment
There were 944,008 persons in employment in Slovenia last year, i.e. the highest number since 1991 and 27.0% higher than in 1997, when employment was the lowest. On the other hand, the job vacancy rate, i.e. job vacancies as a share of all posts (occupied and non-occupied), which is an interesting indicator showing well the labour market situation, is declining.
The job vacancy rate was the lowest during the economic crisis, between the end of 2008 and the end of 2013. It was the highest in the second quarter of 2022 (3.2%) and has been falling since. In the second quarter of last year, it was 2.2%, the highest (5.1%) in administrative and support service activities, followed by construction with 4.7% and accommodation and food service activities with 4.5%.
Average monthly net earnings: EUR 1,526
Average monthly earnings in Slovenia for 2024 amounted to EUR 2,395 gross and EUR 1,526 net. Due to various factors such as currency change, inflation, etc., long-term comparison of earnings is not meaningful. More insight can be gained from the data on how much time one had to work to purchase a certain good or how much of this good could a person purchase in an individual year with average monthly net earnings. Last year, for example, compared to 1991, one could purchase five times more men’s jeans, four times more apples, three times more wheat flour, etc.
Households spent the most on transport
According to the latest available data for 2022, Slovenian households spent on average EUR 26,474 per year, the largest share (19.3%) for transport, followed by food and non-alcoholic beverages (15.4%) and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (12.9%).
Inflation down, GDP per capita up
Last year, the annual inflation rate stood at 1.9%, which was less than a year earlier when it was 4.2%. In April this year, the annual inflation rate was 2.3%. Between April 2024 and April 2025, the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages jumped the most (by 5.9%), while the prices of housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels fell the most (by 1.8%).
Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita at current prices amounted to EUR 31,490 or six times more than in 1991, when it was EUR 5,131.
Since the first years after independence, real GDP dropped the most at the start of the economic crisis in 2009 (by 7.6%) and in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic (by 4.1%). The highest growth was recorded in 2021 (by 8.4%), followed by 2007 (by 7.1%). Last year, GDP grew by 1.6%.
Last year, external trade deficit
According to provisional data, last year, including operations involving processing (which include the modification, manufacture, assembly, improvement and renovation of goods with the aim of producing new or significantly improved products), Slovenia exported EUR 61.5 billion, or 11.8% more than the year before, and imported EUR 69.1 billion, or 21.1% more. An external trade deficit was thus generated, as the export-import ratio was 89.0%.
Compared to 2023, Slovenia exported 1.1% more goods to EU Member States, and imported 0.8% more from them. Slovenia exported 25.1% more goods to EU non-member countries than the year before, and imported 47.0% more from them. Excluding operations involving processing, Slovenia exported 3.6% more goods to EU non-member countries, and imported 1.1% more from them. Imports from these countries excluding operations involving processing amounted to EUR 9.2 billion and exports to EUR 10.3 billion.
Slovenia’s most important export markets were Switzerland, Germany, Croatia, Italy and Austria. As regards imports, the most important were Switzerland, Germany, China, India and Italy. Compared to the previous year, exports to Switzerland and imports from India grew the most.
The most important product group was chemical products, which accounted for 45.6% of total exports and 49.5% of total imports. In import, their value almost doubled over the previous year. They were followed by machinery and transport equipment (24.3% of exports and 19.3% of imports), and manufactured goods classified chiefly by material (12.7% of exports and 10.3% of imports).
Almost five times as many tourist arrivals as in 1991
Last year, 6.6 million tourist arrivals and 16.9 million overnight stays were recorded in Slovenia. There were almost five times as many arrivals and over three times as many overnight stays as in 1991. Domestic tourists generated 23.2% of arrivals and 26.7% of overnight stays. Among foreign tourists, tourists from Germany were first with 14.3% of arrivals and 15.9% of overnight stays, followed by tourists from Italy (10.3% of arrivals and 8.9% of overnight stays) and Austria (8.3% of arrivals and 8.2% of overnight stays). Last year, tourists spent the largest number of nights in mountain resorts (30.6%), followed by health (spa) resorts (19.5%) and seaside resorts (18.7%).
Food more expensive, but more of it is thrown away and imported
Due to economic, political and environmental changes, in recent years people have become increasingly aware of the importance of food. Food prices have been rising, but the amount of food waste has also been increasing. Last year, 164,803 tonnes of food were wasted, 9% more than the year before. Most of the increase can be attributed to food production, where the amount of waste doubled over the previous year, because larger amounts of substances unsuitable for consumption or processing were thrown away.
The largest amount of food waste was generated in households (44%), followed by food services (34%), food production (13%) and food stores (9%).
Slovenia’s self-sufficiency rate in vegetables in 2024 was 37%, in fruit 27% and in meat 79%. Large variations and lower self-sufficiency in plant products over years are mainly due to adverse weather conditions and the seasonal nature of production. On the other hand, self-sufficiency in animal products is much higher and more stable, as production is largely independent of weather influences. Thus, in 2024, a resident of Slovenia had 104 kg of vegetables, 143 kg of fruit and 79 kg of meat available for consumption.
When making use of the data and information of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, always add: "Source: SURS". More: Copyright.
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