KAZALCI OKOLJA

Environmental indicators in Slovenia


Environmental indicators are based on graphs, maps and assessments and as such present environmental trends in Slovenia. The indicators represent one of the four pillars of our environmental reporting, and are prepared in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act. The Environmental Indicators in Slovenia website enables users to browse among 180 indicators. They are based on numerical data and they indicate the state, characteristics and trends of environmental development in Slovenia. They are prepared using a systematic approach based on data and monitoring, as shown in the information pyramid.

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Bad

Slovenians are big meat lovers. Data for 2021 show that we eat a lot of meat (all types of meat are included here), 89.28 kg per capita; the European average is 69.3 kg. We are also big consumers of eggs, with which we are almost self-sufficient, while fish consumption is modest and declining. However, the amount of food waste should not be neglected. A resident of Slovenia threw away an average of 68 kg of food in 2021, more every year, and most food waste is generated in households.

Neutral

Slovenia belongs to the EU Member States with a lower level of specialization in agriculture. This is reflected in the number of specialized farms and the surface area of agricultural land treated by these holdings. Specialized farms in Slovenia generate a smaller share of standard output than the average in the European Union, which indicates that the processes of concentration and specialization of agricultural production in Slovenia is slower than in European Union.

Neutral

Changes in the size structure show that concentration processes are continuing regarding the extent of the agricultural land, while in the area of the livestock production these processes have slowed down. Nevertheless, due to its small size on average, the competitiveness of Slovenian farms is low compared to the EU–27 countries.

Bad

According to estimates, most of the food in Slovenia is imported. The share of food of domestic origin is decreasing in the long term. In 2022, only about one fifth of food is of domestic origin. Before 2004, less than half of the available food was imported, while after Slovenia’s accession to the EU, both import and export of food increased significantly. Exports increased mainly at the expense of unprocessed products, while imports increased at the expense of processed products.

Good

The amount of waste from coal combustion is decreasing as a result of the reduction in the use of coal for electricity generation. In 2022, the amount was 15% lower than the previous year. By far the largest source is the Šoštanj thermal power plant. Most of the waste is used as fill material in mines.

Neutral

Measurements of soil samples from different agricultural land uses over the period 2015-2023 show that phosphorus (P) is deficient in soils of extensive orchards, olive groves and pastures, below optimum in intensive orchards, vineyards and grasslands, and adequate in arable land. The low phosphorus content is mainly due to the natural low content of this nutrient in Slovenian soils and leaching. Potassium (K) contents are generally higher than P, reflecting Slovenia's better natural soil K supply.