According to the total area, Jugovzhodna Slovenija is the largest region in the country. It covers 2,675 square kilometres and is about six times larger than our smallest region Zasavska. Despite its size, it accounted for only 7% of Slovenia’s population in 2023, making it one of the least densely populated regions with 55 inhabitants per square kilometre.
The region had the youngest population structure, with a mean age of 43 years, the second lowest among regions. The share of young people (aged 0–14) was the highest among regions, namely 16.4%, while those aged 65+ accounted for 20.5%, the second lowest share nationally. This region recorded the second lowest natural decrease with –0.6 per 1,000 population. Around 10 children per 1,000 people were born here, the most in the country. The mean age of mothers at childbirth was the lowest (30.2 years). The region also had the highest share of live births to mothers aged under 25 (15.5%). The educational structure of the population in Jugovzhodna Slovenija was less favourable than in other regions. As many as 13.7% of the population aged 25–64 in this region had basic education or less. The share of people with tertiary education was 29.9%, 3.4 percentage points below the national average. However, the region ranked among the best as regards students per 1,000 population, with 34 students, and had 8 graduates per 1,000 population, tying with other leading regions.
The employment rate in Jugovzhodna Slovenija was 70.8%, above the national average. The LFS unemployment rate stood at 3.7%, matching the national average. Average monthly net earnings were EUR 1,479, exceeding the national average by EUR 33, making Jugovzhodna Slovenija one of only two regions with above-average earnings.
Disposable income per capita in Jugovzhodna Slovenija was the second highest among regions at EUR 17,233 and exceeded the national average by 3.7%. GDP per capita was the fourth highest in the country (EUR 27,170). The region’s GDP represented 6.3% of the national GDP. Over 12,100 enterprises operated in the region, each employing on average 4.6 people.
Residents of this region rated their overall life satisfaction at 7.8 on a scale from 0 to 10, the same as residents of the Osrednjeslovenska and Posavska regions. This score was above the national average of 7.7. The at-risk-of-poverty rate was 10.2% and 11.2% of residents faced the risk of social exclusion, both among the lowest in Slovenia. This region also stood out with the highest number of convicted persons (adults and juveniles) per 1,000 population (5.4), nearly 3 more than the national average. The number of passenger cars, 597 per 1,000 population, and their average age of 11.3 years were above the national average, which stood at 579 cars per 1,000 population and their average age of 11.1 years.