Slovenia Travel Podcast with Luka Zupan

Location

South Central Europe, Julian Alps between Austria and Croatia

Terrain

A short southwestern coastal strip of Karst topography on the Adriatic; an alpine mountain region lies adjacent to Italy and Austria in the north; mixed mountains and valleys with numerous rivers to the east

Climate

Mediterranean climate on the coast, continental climate with mild to hot summers and cold winters in the plateaus and valleys to the east

Elevation

Highest point

Triglav 2,864 m

Lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

Mean elevation

492 m

Area

Total

20,273 sq km

Land

20,151 sq km

Water

122 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly smaller than New Jersey

Coastline

46.6 km

Land borders

Total

1,211 km

Border countries

Austria 299 km; Croatia 600 km; Hungary 94 km; Italy 218 km

Natural resources

Lignite, lead, zinc, building stone, hydropower, forests

Land use

Agricultural land

30.4% (2023 est.)

Arable land

8.9% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

2.7% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

18.8% (2023 est.)

Forest

61.8% (2023 est.)

Other

10.8% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Flooding; earthquakes

Note

Despite its small size, this eastern Alpine country controls some of Europe's major transit routes

Population

Total

2,097,893 (2024 est.)

Male

1,051,044

Female

1,046,849

Nationality

Noun

Slovene(s)

Adjective

Slovenian

Ethnic groups

Slovene 83.1%, Serb 2%, Croat 1.8%, Bosniak 1.1%, other or unspecified 12% (2002 est.)

Languages

Languages

Slovene (official) 87.7%, Croatian 2.8%, Serbo-Croatian 1.8%, Bosnian 1.6%, Serbian 1.6%, Hungarian 0.4% (official, only in municipalities where Hungarian nationals reside), Italian 0.2% (official, only in municipalities where Italian nationals reside), other or unspecified 3.9% (2002 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

Svetovni informativni zvezek - neobhoden vir osnovnih informacij. (Slovene)

Religions

Catholic 69%, Orthodox 4%, Muslim 3%, Christian 1%, other 3%, atheist 14%, non-believer/agnostic 4%, refused to answer 2% (2019 est.)

Median age

Total

46 years (2025 est.)

Male

45 years

Female

47.9 years

Life expectancy

Total population

82.2 years (2024 est.)

Male

79.4 years

Female

85.2 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

56.1% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

0.54% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

A fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations; pockets in the mountainous northwest are less dense

Largest cities

286,000 LJUBLJANA (capital) (2018)

Background

The Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the latter's dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918, Slovenia became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which was renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, Slovenia joined Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia as one of the constituent republics in the new Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). In 1990, Slovenia held its first multiparty elections, as well as a referendum on independence. Serbia responded with an economic blockade and military action, but after a short 10-day war, Slovenia declared independence in 1991. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004; it joined the euro zone and the Schengen Area in 2007.

Government

Parliamentary republic

Capital

Ljubljana

Time zone

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

Republika Slovenija

Independence

25 June 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National day

Independence Day/Statehood Day, 25 June (1991)

Overview

High-income EU and eurozone economy; high per-capita income and low inequality; key exports in automotive and pharmaceuticals; tight labor market with low unemployment; growth supported by private consumption and public investment, with risks from tight labor market and trade conditions; narrowing fiscal deficit and declining public debt

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$48,500 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$47,900 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$47,100 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

7.4% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8.8% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

3.4% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.7% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

4.1% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Ferrous metallurgy and aluminum products, lead and zinc smelting; electronics (including military electronics), trucks, automobiles, electric power equipment, wood products, textiles, chemicals, machine tools

Agriculture

Milk, maize, wheat, barley, grapes, chicken, potatoes, beef, apples, pork (2023)

Airports

42 (2025)

Railways

Total 1,207 km (2020) 609 km electrified

Ports

Total ports

2 (2024)

Large

0

Medium

0

Small

1

Very small

1

Ports with oil terminals

0

Key ports

Koper, Piran

Internet domain

.si

Internet users

Percent of population 90% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

2.73 million (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

126 (2022 est.)

Environmental issues

Air pollution from road traffic, domestic heating (wood burning), power generation, and industry; water pollution; biodiversity protection

Fresh water

31.87 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

2

Global geoparks and regional networks

Idrija; Karawanken / Karavanke (includes Austria) (2023)