On a per capita level, Slovenia is among the most export-oriented economies in the European Union. At the same time, Slovenia has one of the world’s most complex economies.
In 2021 Slovenia’s exports reached record figures. According to the latest Eurostat data, Slovenia last year exported goods worth 15.7 billion euros to markets outside the European Union and in value of 32.6 billion to EU27 countries. That’s an increase of over 22 percent over 2020.
On a per capita level Slovenia is among the most export-oriented economies in the European Union surpassed only by Netherlands, Belgium, and Ireland. The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) data on exports per capita puts Slovenia in 15th place globally – OEC however uses slightly older, 2019 figures. Due to the high growth of exports in the last period Slovenia’s position should be even better even on a global scale. This shouldn’t come as a surprise for the 2-million nation with a developed economy.
Two thirds of Slovenian exports went to other members of the European Union. The most important exporting market for Slovenia has traditionally been Germany – the sales to German partners account almost for 18 percent of the total exports. Germany is followed by Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, and Austria. According to the official statistics, the most important exporting goods are pharmaceutical products, cars and components for the automotive industry, and electric energy. These figures, however, somewhat mask the main characteristics of Slovenia’s exports: high level of specialization and focus on numerous niche markets. These characteristics are reflected in the Economic Complexity Index calculated by OEC. In the latest analysis, Slovenia was the world's 12th most complex economy.
