Charts of the Week
Charts of the week from 2 to 6 March 2026: real exports and imports of goods, unemployment
Following growth in the fourth quarter of last year, goods exports remained broadly unchanged at the beginning of this year, while imports declined significantly. Owing to the high base in January last year, both exports and imports were considerably lower year-on-year. The number of unemployed persons (seasonally adjusted) declined further in February and was 0.4% lower year-on-year, a rate broadly similar to that recorded in the previous month.
Real exports and imports of goods, January 2026
At the beginning of the year, exports remained broadly unchanged month-on-month, while imports declined significantly; owing to the high base last year, both were considerably lower year-on-year. Following growth in the fourth quarter of last year, real goods exports in January remained broadly unchanged month-on-month (-0.1%, seasonally adjusted). Exports to EU countries increased (particularly to Germany and Italy), while exports to non-EU countries declined markedly (especially to the United States). Exports of road vehicles increased again noticeably (7.1%, seasonally adjusted), with considerable monthly fluctuations. Among the main product groups, exports of materials (particularly metals and metal products) and chemical products (pharmaceutical products) increased. By contrast, exports of other machinery and equipment and food products declined. On the import side (-3.9%, seasonally adjusted), imports of consumer goods and intermediate goods decreased month-on-month. Exports were 5.4% lower year-on-year, while imports declined by 4.9%, with the contraction particularly pronounced in trade with non-EU countries. The decline was also related to the relatively high base in January last year and one fewer working day. Conditions in Slovenia’s main trading partners remain uncertain, while export orders have remained at a very low level for a prolonged period.
Unemployment, February 2026
The number of unemployed persons in February remained similar to January and slightly lower than at the end of last year (-0.7%, seasonally adjusted). According to original data, 48,096 people were unemployed at the end of February, 3.4% fewer than at the end of January. Year-on-year, unemployment declined by 0.4%. The year-on-year decline in the number of long-term unemployed (–6.1%) was similar to that recorded in previous months, while the decrease in the number of unemployed persons aged over 50 (–4.1%) was slightly smaller. The number of unemployed young people (aged 15–29), which has recorded year-on-year increases since October 2024, exceeded its level from a year earlier by 5.7% in February, reaching 10,543 persons.