In 2018, more than half of Slovenia's land area was covered by forests (56% or 58% including shrubland), while other mostly natural vegetation accounted for 3%. Farmland occupied 34% of land area, while slightly less than 4% was artificial land, and less than 1% was water. In the periods 1996–2000, 2000–2006 and 2006–2012, land cover and land use changes were relatively small (they occurred on 0.12%, 0.13% and 0.09% of the entire territory, respectively). In the latest period 2012–2018 land cover and land use changes slightly increase (they occurred on 0,44 % ot the entire territory).

In 2023, Slovenia recorded a decrease in the number and total area of functionally derelict areas (FDAs): 1070 FDAs were registered with a total area of 3225.44 ha. This brings the situation closer to that of 2017, with a decrease of 62 in the number of FDAs and 469.83 ha in total area, compared to 2020.

In Slovenia, built-up areas continue to increase, representing 5.7% of the land use structure in 2023. In the period 2019-2023 built-up areas were predominantly spread to grasslands (42%), forest (18.6%) and the category other (16.1%), with the total built-up area increasing by 1,618.9 ha over this period. Existing data sources in Slovenia have recently made it possible to evaluate the actual loss of land to development.

Systematic research on soil pollution shows that soils in Slovenia, with some exceptions, are not heavily polluted. In 42% of top soil samples taken in the period from 1999 to 2019, no exceedances of the limit values of dangerous substances into the soil were detected. In 56% of the samples the limit values of inorganic pollutants were exceeded and in 5% the limit values of organic pollutants. The most polluted areas with inorganic pollutants were Jesenice, Idrija, the Celje Basin and the Upper Mežica Valley.

Water protection areas (WPA) cover 17.4% of Slovenia's territory. The land use structure in water protection areas is dominated by forest (62.1 %), followed by grassland (13.5 %) and arable land (10.5 %). The amount of built-up land in the water protection areas is increasing, while a decrease in arable land and an increase in the share of organically farmed land indicate positive changes in the direction of extensification of land use.

As of 2022, the Potentially Contaminated Sites (PCS) inventory in Slovenia includes 671 sites that are a potential source of pollution due to past or present activities. With the establishment of the first database, Slovenia has taken the first of six steps toward systematic management and monitoring of contaminated sites. An analysis of the degree of environmental sensitivity and threat to human health due to potential contamination revealed that priority treatment is urgent for 35 sites and very urgent for 196 sites.

In the last twenty years, occurrences of hydrological droughts of surface waters have become more frequent and intense compared to the previous period, and the variability between individual years has also increased. Very dry and very wet years alternate with intermediate periods of hydrologically normal years. The intensity of droughts during the growing season has become more frequent, although, in the last decade, it has been less intense than in the decade before.

Frequency of groundwater drought is increasing in recent decades in alluvial aquifers. 8 out of 10 years with highest intensity of groundwater drought in period 1981-2023 occurred after year 2000. Groundwater droughts with higher intensity is characteristic for winter while milder groundwater droughts mostly occur at the beginning of autumn. Groundwater drought intensity is also increasing seasonally with time between June and September when groundwater use is pronounced.

Soil drought has a key impact on plant development and consequently on various industries (forestry, agriculture, …) . Indicators of the number of drought days and the duration of drought periods in individual years show an increase especially after 1990. Similarly, the analysis of the impact of the climate change up to 2100 shows that soil water deficits will increase in the future. The number and the duration of the droughts will increase.