In terms of the area, the Zasavska statistical region is the smallest in Slovenia. It is more than five times smaller than Jugovzhodna Slovenia, the largest one. Zasavska had about 3% of Slovenia’s population in 2021. With a population density of 117 inhabitants per square kilometre, it was the third most densely populated region. The share of foreign citizens among the population was among the lowest (6.1%). The difference between the number of men and women was the smallest. In 2021, 63 more women than men were living in this region. The educational structure of the population was less favourable. Namely, only 20% of the population had tertiary education, which was 5 percentage points less than the national average. In 2021, the region had 33 students per 1,000 population, making it one of the regions with fewer students. Housing costs (including possible rent or mortgage repayments) were a heavy burden in 2021 for 33% of households in the region. Compared to other regions, this was the highest share. The share of households receiving material and/or financial support from charity organisations was the highest in this region (8%).
The employment rate in Zasavska in 2021 was slightly lower than the national average; it was 66.1%. The difference between the employment rate for men (68.7%) and women (63.3%) was the lowest among the regions at 5.4 percentage points. The share of people who worked outside the region of residence was the highest in this region (53.3%); the vast majority of these persons worked in the Osrednjeslovenska statistical region. Average net earnings in Zasavska in 2021 amounted to EUR 1,168, which was EUR 103 less than the national average or EUR 215 less than in Osrednjeslovenska. In the Zasavska statistical region the GDP per capita was the lowest in the country (EUR 13,236), representing 1.4% of the national GDP. The region had just over 4,000 enterprises. The number of passenger cars per 1,000 population was also the lowest (539), while their average age (10.6 years) was the same as the national average.
