In Slovenia, the share of one-member households - with higher expenditures and also a greater impact on the environment - has been rapidly increasing in the last ten years. Most households own all the usual household appliances (e.g. washing machine, refrigerator, etc.) and have been rapidly equipping themselves with new ones in recent years; thus electricity consumption does not decrease but increases slightly. Also, a third of households would not be able to cover unexpected expenses and just under a fifth survive a month without financial problems. Nevertheless, people are relatively happy with their lives. We are also witnessing a faster aging of the population.

New consumption patterns and social and economic innovations are needed to separate the creation of excessive prosperity from the degradation of the environment.