Expenditure and receipts of social protection schemes and pension beneficiaries, 2023
Close to a quarter of GDP for social protection, total cost up by 7% in 2023
EUR 14.8 billion was spent on social protection schemes in Slovenia in 2023. Most of it was spent on old age and on sickness and health care. Social contributions were the major source of funding with 71%.
Total expenditure on social protection 7% higher at EUR 14.8 billion
EUR 14.8 billion was spent on social protection schemes in Slovenia in 2023, which is 7.2% more than in the previous year. The increase in total expenditure was marked the most by higher expenditure in the sickness and health care, old age, and family and children functions.
Nearly a quarter of GDP for social protection
Around a quarter (23.1%) of GDP was spent on social protection, which is 1.1 percentage point less than in the previous year. Despite nominal growth of social protection expenditure in 2023, its share in GDP decreased mainly due to higher nominal growth of GDP.
The order of functions for which the largest shares of GDP was spent (around 20%) was old age (9.1%; 0.4 p.p. lower GDP share than in the previous year), sickness and health care (8.4%; 0.4 p.p. lower GDP share), family and children (1.7%; 0.1 p.p. lower GDP share) and disability (1.2%; 0.1 p.p. lower GDP share).
Three quarters of all funds for social benefits spent on the old age function and the sickness and health care function
The greatest amount (EUR 5,790 million or 39.6% of total expenditure for social benefits) was spent on the elderly, namely the old age function. The old age function was followed by the sickness and health care function with EUR 5,399 million or 37.0% of total expenditure. The third highest expenditure group was the family and children function with EUR 1,096 million, followed by disability and survivors functions. The remaining 5.9% was spent on social exclusion not elsewhere classified, unemployment and housing (subsidies for housing rent) functions.
Expenditure up in most social protection functions
Compared to the previous year, expenditure grew for most functions: disability (by 8.2%), family and children (by 8.1%), sickness and health care (by 7.3%) and old age (by 7.2%). At the annual level, expenditure for the unemployment function decreased by 7.3%.
Social contributions the main source of funding social protection programs
Social contributions amounted to EUR 10,388 million or 70.8% of receipts for social protection schemes. The largest part of those was social contributions of the insured persons (EUR 6,105 million or 41.6% of total sources of funding), followed by social contributions of the employers (EUR 4,283 million or 29.2%). The shares of both increased compared to the previous year (the share of social contributions of the insured persons by 0.8 p.p. and the share of social contributions of the employers by 0.2 p.p.).
Government contributions amounted to EUR 4,067 million, with their share in the structure of funding sources decreasing by 1.0 p.p. over the previous year.
EUR 14.8 billion was spent on social protection schemes in Slovenia in 2023, which is 7.2% more than in the previous year. The increase in total expenditure was marked the most by higher expenditure in the sickness and health care, old age, and family and children functions.
Nearly a quarter of GDP for social protection
Around a quarter (23.1%) of GDP was spent on social protection, which is 1.1 percentage point less than in the previous year. Despite nominal growth of social protection expenditure in 2023, its share in GDP decreased mainly due to higher nominal growth of GDP.
The order of functions for which the largest shares of GDP was spent (around 20%) was old age (9.1%; 0.4 p.p. lower GDP share than in the previous year), sickness and health care (8.4%; 0.4 p.p. lower GDP share), family and children (1.7%; 0.1 p.p. lower GDP share) and disability (1.2%; 0.1 p.p. lower GDP share).
Three quarters of all funds for social benefits spent on the old age function and the sickness and health care function
The greatest amount (EUR 5,790 million or 39.6% of total expenditure for social benefits) was spent on the elderly, namely the old age function. The old age function was followed by the sickness and health care function with EUR 5,399 million or 37.0% of total expenditure. The third highest expenditure group was the family and children function with EUR 1,096 million, followed by disability and survivors functions. The remaining 5.9% was spent on social exclusion not elsewhere classified, unemployment and housing (subsidies for housing rent) functions.
Expenditure up in most social protection functions
Compared to the previous year, expenditure grew for most functions: disability (by 8.2%), family and children (by 8.1%), sickness and health care (by 7.3%) and old age (by 7.2%). At the annual level, expenditure for the unemployment function decreased by 7.3%.
Social contributions the main source of funding social protection programs
Social contributions amounted to EUR 10,388 million or 70.8% of receipts for social protection schemes. The largest part of those was social contributions of the insured persons (EUR 6,105 million or 41.6% of total sources of funding), followed by social contributions of the employers (EUR 4,283 million or 29.2%). The shares of both increased compared to the previous year (the share of social contributions of the insured persons by 0.8 p.p. and the share of social contributions of the employers by 0.2 p.p.).
Government contributions amounted to EUR 4,067 million, with their share in the structure of funding sources decreasing by 1.0 p.p. over the previous year.
More pension beneficiaries than a year ago
In Slovenia, there were 683,714 pension beneficiaries or 1.3% more than in the previous year. As regards individual pension categories, the number of old-age pension beneficiaries increased over the previous year by 1.9% and the number of survivor’s pension beneficiaries by 0.3%. On the other hand, the number of disability pension beneficiaries decreased by 5.4%.
Expenditure and receipts of social protection schemes, Slovenia
1) Some totals do not add up due to rounding. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Expenditure for social benefits by social protection functions (risks), Slovenia
1) Expenditure for social protection as percentage of GDP is calculated on the basis of the last available data on GDP (First Release; 14 May 2025; https://www.stat.si/StatWeb/en/News/Index/13452). 2) Some totals do not add up due to rounding. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pension beneficiaries1), Slovenia
1) Data are in accordance with the European methodology ESSPROS. 2) Within this category the beneficiary is counted only once even if it can receive both right at the same time (so, if beneficiary receives the old age pension and widows' part, he/she is counted only within old age pension category). It is not the sum of individual pension categories as beneficiary can receive more than one pension. 3) Survivors' category includes family, widows' and part of widows' pensions. |
METHODOLOGICAL NOTE
Data on the number of pension beneficiaries represent an additional module within the ESSPROS methodology. For the module the same methodological rules apply as for the core system (especially concerning the old age function and classifying into a certain function of social protection or in this case a pension category), except that this module does not include all programs, but only those which relate to pensions, i.e. programs 5 to 18. Data refers to December.
It should also be mentioned that the figures shown in this module do not correspond to the national pension categories because the coverage here is broader and there are other methodological features.
Final and more detailed data will be available in October 2025.
Additional explanations are available in the methodological explanations.
It should also be mentioned that the figures shown in this module do not correspond to the national pension categories because the coverage here is broader and there are other methodological features.
Final and more detailed data will be available in October 2025.
Additional explanations are available in the methodological explanations.
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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