Slovenia Country Overview
Where is Slovenia located? The Republic of Slovenia is located in Central Europe and joined the European Union in 2004. Thanks to its location on the time zone map, Slovenia is in a world time zone called “Central European Time”. In this time zone there is a time difference of +1 hour to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). In the summer months, the difference to the world clock increases even more, then there is a time difference of +2 hours, since the clocks are set one hour ahead for summer time.
Bordering Countries of Slovenia
According to abbreviationfinder, Slovenia is a small yet beautiful country located in Central Europe, with a population of 2 million people. It is bordered by four countries: Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and Italy to the west. All four countries have something unique and special to offer.
Austria is located directly north of Slovenia, and it has an estimated population of 8 million people. Its capital city Vienna is situated only 200 km away from Ljubljana, making it a popular day trip destination for both locals and tourists alike due to its rich cultural heritage and iconic landmarks such as Schönbrunn Palace or St Stephen’s Cathedral. Additionally, Austria offers some incredible natural landscapes like the Alps which are perfect for skiing or snowboarding activities.
Hungary lies northeast of Slovenia and has an estimated population of 9 million people. The capital city Budapest is situated only about 300 km away from Ljubljana making it a great option for travelers looking for culture experiences as well as natural beauty spots like Lake Balaton with its crystal clear waters ideal for swimming or sailing activities.
Croatia lies south of Slovenia and has an estimated population 4 million people. The capital city Zagreb is approximately 250 km away from Ljubljana which makes it a great destination for travelers interested in exploring Mediterranean culture as well as stunning coastal towns like Dubrovnik dotted along its Adriatic coast. Additionally, Croatia offers some breathtaking national parks such as Plitvice Lakes National Park full of stunning lakes connected by waterfalls perfect for hiking activities.
Finally, Italy lies west of Slovenia with an estimated population 60 million people. Rome is situated only about 400 km away from Ljubljana making it one of the most popular destinations in Europe thanks to its array of attractions such as Colosseum or Trevi Fountain as well as some incredible beaches like those found on Amalfi Coast or Sicily’s Aeolian Islands perfect for sunbathing or swimming activities.
All these countries offer something special that makes them ideal destinations for travelers looking to explore Central Europe’s rich culture and natural beauty spots which make them worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.
Population Distribution
As of 2023, the latest population of Slovenia is 2,102,678, based on our calculation of the current data from UN (United Nations).
| Total population | 2,102,678 |
| Population growth rate | 0.01% |
| Birth rate | 8.20 births per 1,000 people |
| Life expectancy | |
| Overall life expectancy | 77.66 years |
| Men life expectancy | 74.02 years |
| Women life expectancy | 81.53 years |
| Age structure | |
| 0-14 years | 14.80% |
| 15-64 years | 65.07% |
| 65 years and above | 20.14% |
| Median age | 43.80 years |
| Gender ratio (Male to Female) | 0.95 |
| Population density | 103.72 residents per km² |
| Urbanization | 50.80% |
| Ethnicities | |
| 83.1% Slovenes, 2.0% Serbs, 1.8% Croats, 1.1% Bosniaks, 0.3% Hungarians, 0.3% Albanians and others; Proportion of foreigners in 2015: 4.9% | |
| Religions | |
| Catholics 70.8%; Atheists 4.3%; Lutherans 1%, Muslims 1%; Others 22.9% | |
| Human Development Index (HDI) | 0.902 |
| HDI ranking | 24th out of 194 |
People in Slovenia
Two million people live in Slovenia today and the country is sparsely populated. Slovenia does not know the problem of minorities like in Serbia and Croatia. 83 out of 100 people who live there are Slovenes. There are also Croatians, Serbs, Hungarians, Bosnians, Montenegrins, Albanians, Italians and the Roma, who, however, only make up a very small proportion of the total population. Around half of the people in Slovenia live in cities. The population in Slovenia is growing little, there are many old people in the country.
Languages in Slovenia
Most people in Slovenia speak Slovenian. Slovenian is a Slavic language. For a long time this language was regarded as the language of the common people, namely the peasants and the workers. The people who considered themselves educated spoke Italian, German, or Hungarian. As a result, Slovene was rarely used as a uniform language.
The diacritic marks are typical of Slovenian. These are small dots or lines, but they can also be ticks or arcs that require a specific pronunciation. For example, a Š like “tsch” is pronounced.
Religions in Slovenia
Most of the people in Slovenia are Roman Catholic, there are some Protestants and Serbian Orthodox believers. But there are also Muslims, Jews and other small religious communities. The proportion of Catholics in Slovenia is decreasing and many people are Catholics on paper but no longer attend churches.
Most of the Muslims in Slovenia are immigrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Slovenia, religion and state are separate from each other. For example, there are no religious symbols in state institutions and no religious instruction in schools.