The Obalno-kraška statistical region, which covers 1,043 square kilometres, is among the smallest regions in Slovenia in terms of area. In 2021, 5.6% of the population of Slovenia lived here. A similar percentage was recorded in Goriška and Pomurska. There were more women than men in the population; the only other such regions were Pomurska, Zasavska and Osrednjeslovenska. Obalno-kraška and Pomurska recorded the lowest number of live births per 1,000 population (7.7 each). The region recorded a natural decrease (-2.4). The total net migration, which was negative in only two regions, was the highest in this region (5.1). The mean age of the population was 45.1 years, the third highest among regions. The mean age of first-time mothers was the second highest in this region, namely 30.3 years, as well as in Osrednjeslovenska, 0.7 years more than the national average. The Obalno-kraška region stood out for the highest share of foreign citizens among the population (13.3%) and for the highest number of immigrants from abroad per 1,000 population (17.3). In terms of the share of the population aged 15 or over with tertiary education (25.2%), this region was third in 2021. The number of students per 1,000 population (30) was together with Pomurska the second lowest.
In 2021, the employment rate in Obalno-kraška was 66.6%, 0.2 of a percentage point lower than the national average. At 5.3%, the LFS unemployment rate was among the highest at the regional level. The LFS unemployment rate was higher only in Pomurska (5.5%) and Podravska (6.2%). Average monthly net earnings in the region (EUR 1,229) were about EUR 41 below the national average. GDP per capita was the third highest in the country (EUR 22,262). The region had just over 14,621 enterprises; on average, each employed 3.1 people, which was the lowest number in the country. In 2021, 2.8 million or a quarter of the total overnight stays were recorded, the most in Slovenia. As regards the number of passenger cars per 1,000 population (585), the region ranked fourth. On average a passenger car in this region was 11.1 years old, which is more than the national average. In the region 565 kilograms of municipal waste per capita was generated or 46 kilograms per capita more than on average in Slovenia. 64.2% of municipal waste was collected separately, which was the lowest share among regions.