-educated work
force, and a strategic location between the Balkans and Western
Europe. Privatization has lagged since 2002, and the economy has one
of highest levels of state control in the EU. Structural reforms to
improve the business environment have allowed for somewhat greater
foreign participation in Slovenia's economy and have helped to lower
unemployment. In March 2004, Slovenia became the first transition
country to graduate from borrower status to donor partner at the
World Bank. In December 2007, Slovenia was invited to begin the
accession process for joining the OECD. Despite its economic
success, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Slovenia has lagged
behind the region average, and taxes remain relatively high.
Furthermore, the labor market is often seen as inflexible, and
legacy industries are losing sales to more competitive firms in
China, India, and elsewhere.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$56.19 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$46.08 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.1% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$28,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 2.1%
industry: 34.4%
services: 63.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

925,000 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 2.5%
industry: 36%
services: 61.5% (2007)

Unemployment rate:

7.7% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

12.9% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.6%
highest 10%: 21.4% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

24 (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):

28.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $19.17 billion
expenditures: $19.04 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

23.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.6% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

NA (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

6.82% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$9.347 billion
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the Euro
Area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for
the 15 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual
members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money and quasi
money circulating within their own borders (31 December 2006)

Stock of quasi money:

$12.69 billion (31 December 2006)

Stock of dome