According to the total area, Jugovzhodna Slovenija is the largest region in Slovenia. It covers 2,675 square kilometres and is about six times larger than our smallest region Zasavska. Jugovzhodna Slovenija had 7% of Slovenia’s population in 2022. With 55 people per square kilometre, it was the third least densely populated region. The age structure of the population in this region was favourable as the share of young people (aged 0–14) was the highest among regions, namely 16.5%. The mean age of the population was the second lowest with 43 years. This region recorded the second highest natural increase with -0.8 per 1,000 population. Almost 10 children per 1,000 people were born here, the most in the country. The mean age of first-time mothers was the lowest (28.5 years). The region also had the highest share of live births to mothers aged under 25 (16.3%). The educational structure of the population in Jugovzhodna Slovenija was less favourable than in other regions. As many as 14.1% of the population aged 25–64 in this region had basic education or less. The share of people with tertiary education was 29.3%, 3.4 percentage points below the national average.
The employment rate in Jugovzhodna Slovenija was 70.4%, meaning that seven out of ten working age people in this region were in employment, i.e. in paid employment or self-employed. The LFS unemployment rate was the lowest at 2.6%. In addition to Osrednjeslovenska, Jugovzhodna Slovenija was the only region with average monthly net earnings higher than the national average; they amounted to EUR 1,337. In Jugovzhodna Slovenija it was higher by 1.4% and in Osrednjeslovenska by 8.9%. Disposable income per capita in Jugovzhodna Slovenija amounted to EUR 15,799 and exceeded the national average (EUR 15,193) by 4.0%. GDP per capita was the third highest in the country (EUR 25,323). The region’s GDP represented 6.5% of the national GDP. Around 11,700 enterprises operated in the region, each employing on average 4.7 people.
The at-risk-of-poverty rate (9.2%) and the risk of social exclusion (9.7%) were among the lowest at the regional level. On the other hand, dwellings that were in bad condition (problems such as a leaking roof, damp walls/floors/foundation, or rot in window frames or the floor) were inhabited by 23% of households, which was, in addition to Pomurska, the highest share among regions. This region also stood out in terms of the highest number of convicted persons (adults and juveniles) per 1,000 population (4.4). Households in the region were supplied 44.2 cubic metres of water per capita from the public water supply, which was the most among regions.