Slovenians feel the financial burden of their country's ageing population

Slovenians feel the financial burden of their country's ageing population
By bne IntelliNews December 20, 2017

Slovenia spent 16.7% of GDP on social protection in 2016, with expenditure slightly rising from €6.71bn to €6.74bn, the Slovenian Statistical Office announced on December 20. Of the expenditure, over half was spent in areas related to old age (mainly expenditure on old age pensions), .

The ageing population of the country is one of the most serious challenges for Slovenia. It will increasingly burden the public finances, social care and pension system.

The share of young people aged between 15 and 29 in the total Slovenian population in 2016 was just 15.9%. The population segment declined by 2.4pp in the five years to 2016, according to Statistical Office data.

The latest data also indicates that in 2016, in annual terms, expenditure trends in relation to social protection were evolving: expenditure related to old age increased by 0.3% and that for sickness and disability by 6.5%. Meanwhile, expenditure related to unemployment decreased by 6.4% y/y and that for social exclusion fell by 2.9% y/y.

In 2016, 6.7% of GDP was spent on health, with expenditure totalling €2.71bn. Compared to the previous year's expenditure, that marked a nominal terms increase of €119mn, half of which was for the compensation of employees.

Related Content

Data

Dismiss