With 2,301 square kilometres, the Savinjska statistical region is the fourth largest. It had 12% of Slovenia’s population in 2023. With 114 inhabitants per square kilometre, it was among the most densely populated (the average for Slovenia is 105).
The mean age of the population in this region was 44.1 years, matching the national average. The region stood out by the lowest share of people aged 80+ (5.2%). As all other regions, Savinjska recorded a natural decrease, namely –1.6 per 1,000 population, while net migration was positive (6.2 per 1,000 population). Foreign citizens made up 9.6% of the region’s population, which was very close to the national average of 9.3%. The number of live births was 8.7 per 1,000 population, the third highest among all regions. Women in this region gave birth on average at 30.7 years (the average for Slovenia was 31.1 years). First-time mothers were 29.2 years old (the average for Slovenia was 29.7 years). The share of all children aged 1–5 included in kindergartens was 82.3%. Among the population aged 25–64, 13.5% had basic education or less, while 29.7% had tertiary education, making it one of the regions with a less favourable educational structure. However, it is ranked among the regions with more students per 1,000 population (35), the same as Gorenjska.
In 2023, the employment rate in the Savinjska statistical region was at 71.3%, the fourth highest and above the national average (68.6%). The LFS unemployment rate was at 3.3%, the fourth lowest and below the national average (4.0%). The difference between the employment rate for men (76.0%) and women (66.0%) was 10 percentage points, one of the highest regionally. The share of persons in employment working outside the region of residence (22.4%) was among the lowest. Average monthly net earnings in Savinjska amounted to EUR 1,323, which was approximately EUR 122 less than the national average.
In 2023, this region generated the third-largest share of Slovenias gross value added, contributing 10.6%. The gross domestic product per capita stood at EUR 26,110, which was 13% below the national average. Disposable income per capita in the region amounted to EUR 16,336 and was 1.7% below the national average.
Residents of this region rated their overall life satisfaction with an average score of 7.6 (on a scale from 0 to 10), placing them among the regions with slightly lower satisfaction levels compared to the Slovenian average of 7.7. The at-risk-of-poverty rate was the second highest with 16.8% of individuals living in households with a disposable income below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold. Similarly, this region, along with Koroška, recorded the second highest risk of social exclusion rate, with 18.1% of residents in each. Dwellings that were in bad condition (problems such as a leaking roof, damp walls/floors/foundation, or rot in window frames or the floor) were inhabited by 25% of households, which was the second highest share.
On average 590 kg of municipal waste per capita was generated in this region, the highest amount among all regions. Compared to the previous year, the per capita waste increased by more than a fifth, or 103 kg. The rise was largely due to greater amounts of bulky waste and wood waste, a result of extensive flooding, which also influenced the regional distribution of municipal waste generated.
In 2023, the region recorded approximately 506,200 tourist arrivals, accounting for 8% of all arrivals in Slovenia, and slightly over 1,651,500 overnight stays, or 10% of the national total. Domestic tourists contributed 18% of all overnight stays in this region, making it the second most popular destination for domestic visitors after Obalno-kraška, which accounted for 28%.