Slovenia

Slovenia became the first 2004 European Union entrant to adopt the euro (on 1 January 2007) and has become a model of economic success and stability for the region. With the highest per capita GDP in Central Europe, Slovenia has excellent infrastructure, a well-educated work force, and a strategic location between the Balkans and Western Europe. Privatization has lagged since 2002, and the economy has one of highest levels of state control in the EU. Structural reforms to improve the business environment have allowed for somewhat greater foreign participation in Slovenia’s economy and have helped to lower unemployment. In March 2004, Slovenia became the first transition country to graduate from borrower status to donor partner at the World Bank. In December 2007, Slovenia was invited to begin the accession process for joining the OECD. Despite its economic success, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Slovenia has lagged behind the region average, and taxes remain relatively high. Furthermore, the labor market is often seen as inflexible, and legacy industries are losing sales to more competitive firms in China, India, and elsewhere. In 2009, the world recession caused the economy to contract - through falling exports and industrial production - by more than 8%, and unemployment to rise above 9%. Although growth resumed in 2010, the unemployment rate continued to rise, topping 10%.

$56.81 billion (2010 est.)

$56.24 billion (2009 est.)

$61.2 billion (2008 est.)

$46.44 billion (2010 est.)

1% (2010 est.)

-8.1% (2009 est.)

3.7% (2008 est.)

$28,400 (2010 est.)

$28,000 (2009 est.)

$30,500 (2008 est.)

930,000 (2010 est.)

10.6% (2010 est.)

9.2% (2009 est.)

12.3% (2008)

28.4 (2008)

23.8 (2004)

18.7% of GDP (2010 est.)

35.5% of GDP (2010 est.)

31.3% of GDP (2009 est.)

2.1% (2010 est.)

0.9% (2009 est.)

1.75% (31 December 2009)

3% (31 December 2008)

5.47% (31 December 2009 est.)

7.41% (31 December 2008 est.)

$10.47 billion (31 December 2010 est)

$10.33 billion (31 December 2009 est)

$24.03 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$25.65 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$52.67 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$50.46 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$11.77 billion (31 December 2009)

$22.1 billion (31 December 2008)

$28.96 billion (31 December 2007)

potatoes, hops, wheat, sugar beets, corn, grapes; cattle, sheep, poultry

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

1% (2010 est.)

13 billion kWh (2009 est.)

14.7 billion kWh (2009 est.)

7.82 billion kWh (2008 est.)

6.218 billion kWh (2008 est.)

5 bbl/day (2009 est.)

60,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

57,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

1.05 billion cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

1.05 billion cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

-$598 million (2010 est.)

-$732.4 million (2009 est.)

$24.97 billion (2010 est.)

$22.53 billion (2009 est.)

manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food

Germany 19.36%, Italy 11.31%, Croatia 7.75%, Austria 7.42%, France 7.35% (2009)

$25.96 billion (2010 est.)

$23.5 billion (2009 est.)

machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, fuels and lubricants, food

Germany 16.46%, Italy 15.89%, Austria 11.81%, France 4.98%, Croatia 4.32% (2009)

$NA (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.08 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$51.57 billion (30 June 2010)

$54.61 billion (31 December 2008)

$15.73 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$15.13 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$9.001 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$7.901 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.77399 (2010), 0.72 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007)