Slovenia's economic sentiment hits over three-year high in December

Alsharq Tribune-Otaify 

Slovenia's economic sentiment indicator rose to 0.6 points in December, the highest level since June 2022, the Statistical Office said on Wednesday.

December also marked the first time since December 2022 that the indicator turned positive, according to official data.

In recent years, economic sentiment in Slovenia had remained negative amid weak external demand for Slovenian products, reflecting an economic slowdown across the European Union, which includes some of Slovenia's key trading partners.

"The indicator was 1.2 points higher than in November and 3.6 points higher compared with December last year," the statistical office said in a report.

The year-on-year improvement was driven by increased confidence in manufacturing, services, construction and among consumers, the office said.

Confidence in manufacturing strengthened on expectations of higher production, while sentiment in the service sector improved due to anticipated growth in demand.

The government expects the Slovenian economy to rebound in 2026, supported by higher investment and exports. According to its September forecast, economic growth in 2026 is projected to accelerate to 2.1 percent, up from an estimated 0.8 percent this year.