1Introduction
Services Trade by Enterprise Characteristics (STEC) statistics provide insight into various entities’ involvement in international services trade, broken down by enterprise size class, type of ownership, and economic activity.
The data source is international services trade, which is captured in Slovenia’s current account figures. The data at the micro level is linked to the statistical register from which the size class, type of ownership and economic activity are captured. The information is drawn up on an annual basis. The STEC data captures services of all types, but given their particular nature not all can be broken down by size class, type of control and economic activity. The limitations apply to travel, certain segments of processing, financial services, and government services.
The data series on services trade by enterprise characteristics is also available in the External Statistics section of the Banka Slovenije website.
2Slovenia’s services trade with the rest of the world
The services trade surplus with the rest of the world amounted to EUR 3.7 billion in 2024, similar to that in 2023. Services imports amounted to EUR 8.8 billion (up 5.7%), while services exports amounted to EUR 12.5 billion (up 4.6%). The largest contribution to the surplus again came from transport services (EUR 1.7 billion), followed by travel services (EUR 0.8 billion) and construction services (EUR 0.5 billion). The largest change compared with 2023 was seen in other business services, where the surplus doubled to EUR 0.4 billion.
The largest component of total services exports was transport services (28% of the total), followed by travel services (27%) and other business services (20%). The largest increases compared with 2023 were in exports of other business services, and telecommunications, computer and information services (each of 9%). Only construction services saw a decline in exports (in the amount of 9%).
The largest components on the import side were travel services (29% of the total) and other business services (25%). Services imports of all kinds increased compared with 2023, with transport services recording the largest increase of 13%.
Figure 1: Trade surplus in individual services, 2023 and 2024
Source: Banka Slovenije
Just over three-fifths of services trade with the rest of the world is attributable to individual business entities. Data on business entities is available for these imports and exports, broken down by size class, type of ownership and economic activity. The remainder of the data is based on models and estimates, and cannot be attributed to individual business entities.
Models and estimates are used to a greater or lesser extent for all types of services, but are used in full only for travel services. The latter are not disclosed in this publication in the breakdown of services by size class, type of ownership, and economic activity.
Table 1: Breakdown of services trade in 2024 by source attributability to individual business entities
in EUR million |
Imports |
Exports |
Net |
Data directly linked to individual business entities |
7.868 |
5.502 |
2.367 |
Transport |
2.910 |
1.516 |
1.394 |
Travel |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Construction services |
682 |
269 |
413 |
Telecommunications, computer and information services |
935 |
706 |
229 |
Other business services |
2.283 |
2.000 |
284 |
Other services |
1.058 |
1.011 |
47 |
Models and estimations |
4.653 |
3.290 |
1.362 |
Transport |
618 |
277 |
340 |
Travel |
3.339 |
2.544 |
795 |
Construction services |
111 |
32 |
79 |
Telecommunications, computer and information services |
151 |
114 |
37 |
Other business services |
323 |
226 |
97 |
Other services |
111 |
97 |
13 |
Total |
12.521 |
8.792 |
3.729 |
Source: Banka Slovenije
3Breakdown by size class, type of services, and economic activity
Large enterprises with 250 and more employees accounted for 23% of total services trade in 2024, and EUR 0.5 billion (14%) of the aggregate surplus. They accounted for 24% of all services imports and 21% of services exports, in which other business services were the largest component.
Medium-size enterprises with between 50 and 250 employees accounted for 22% of total services trade in 2024, and EUR 0.9 billion (25%) of the aggregate surplus. They accounted for 21% of all services imports, and 23% of services exports. Their largest imports were other business services, while their largest exports were transport services.
Small enterprises with no more than 49 employees accounted for 18% of total services trade in 2024. They accounted for EUR 0.9 billion (24%) of the aggregate surplus, 17% of services imports and 19% of services exports. Transport services were the largest component in their services trade.
Services captured via models and estimates are ascribed to enterprises of unknown size. They accounted for 37% of total services trade in 2024. The services trade balance of these firms stood in surplus in the amount of EUR 1.4 billion, or 37% of the total surplus. The largest component in the surplus was travel services (EUR 0.8 billion or 58%), which are captured entirely within this category.
Figure 2: Breakdown of services trade in 2024 by size class
Source: Banka Slovenije
The most prominent large enterprises were firms in the sector of manufacturing, which accounted for just under half of their total services imports and exports in 2024. Large enterprises in the manufacturing sector saw their services imports rise by 3% compared with 2023, while their services exports were up 9%.
Figure 3: Breakdown of services trade in 2024 by size class and type of services
Source: Banka Slovenije
The largest import and export flows at medium-size enterprises in 2024 were recorded by firms in the transportation and storage sector (33% of the total), whose services imports and exports were up 26% and 11% respectively on 2023.
Table 2: Breakdown of services trade in 2023 and 2024, by size class and economic activity
2023 |
2024 |
|||||||||
|
Exports |
|
Imports |
|
Net |
Exports |
|
Imports |
|
Net |
EUR million |
EUR million |
EUR million |
EUR million |
EUR million |
EUR million |
|||||
Unknown (models and estimations) |
4.541 |
38% |
3.119 |
38% |
1.422 |
4.653 |
37% |
3.290 |
37% |
1.362 |
Manufacturing |
181 |
4% |
138 |
4% |
43 |
198 |
4% |
151 |
5% |
47 |
Transportation and storage |
535 |
12% |
178 |
6% |
356 |
555 |
12% |
196 |
6% |
358 |
Information and communication activities |
162 |
4% |
71 |
2% |
90 |
191 |
4% |
87 |
3% |
104 |
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
99 |
2% |
57 |
2% |
41 |
95 |
2% |
44 |
1% |
51 |
Other sectors |
195 |
4% |
151 |
5% |
44 |
211 |
5% |
180 |
5% |
31 |
Not allocated |
3.370 |
74% |
2.523 |
81% |
847 |
3.403 |
73% |
2.632 |
80% |
771 |
Small enterprises |
2.365 |
20% |
1.338 |
16% |
1.026 |
2.357 |
19% |
1.472 |
17% |
884 |
Manufacturing |
167 |
7% |
83 |
6% |
85 |
160 |
7% |
97 |
7% |
63 |
Transportation and storage |
1.170 |
49% |
467 |
35% |
703 |
1.109 |
47% |
471 |
32% |
638 |
Information and communication activities |
372 |
16% |
267 |
20% |
105 |
428 |
18% |
318 |
22% |
110 |
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
217 |
9% |
81 |
6% |
137 |
233 |
10% |
39 |
3% |
193 |
Other sectors |
438 |
19% |
441 |
33% |
-3 |
426 |
18% |
546 |
37% |
-120 |
Medium-size enterprises |
2.645 |
22% |
1.834 |
22% |
812 |
2.825 |
23% |
1.883 |
21% |
942 |
Manufacturing |
367 |
14% |
246 |
13% |
121 |
369 |
13% |
263 |
14% |
106 |
Transportation and storage |
946 |
36% |
422 |
23% |
524 |
1.046 |
37% |
530 |
28% |
516 |
Information and communication activities |
379 |
14% |
146 |
8% |
233 |
459 |
16% |
157 |
8% |
302 |
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
398 |
15% |
405 |
22% |
-7 |
357 |
13% |
257 |
14% |
100 |
Other sectors |
556 |
21% |
616 |
34% |
-60 |
594 |
21% |
676 |
36% |
-82 |
Large enterprises |
2.420 |
20% |
2.022 |
24% |
398 |
2.687 |
21% |
2.146 |
24% |
540 |
Manufacturing |
1.058 |
44% |
967 |
48% |
91 |
1.149 |
43% |
994 |
46% |
155 |
Transportation and storage |
452 |
19% |
96 |
5% |
356 |
489 |
18% |
107 |
5% |
382 |
Information and communication activities |
287 |
12% |
264 |
13% |
23 |
312 |
12% |
267 |
12% |
45 |
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
10 |
0% |
14 |
1% |
-3 |
12 |
0% |
15 |
1% |
-3 |
Other sectors |
613 |
25% |
682 |
34% |
-69 |
725 |
27% |
764 |
36% |
-40 |
Total |
11.972 |
100% |
8.314 |
100% |
3.658 |
12.521 |
100% |
8.792 |
100% |
3.729 |
Source: Banka Slovenije
Firms in the transportation and storage sector accounted for just under a third of total services imports and just under a half of total services exports by small enterprises in 2024. Their services imports were up 1% on 2023, while their services exports were down 5%.
4Breakdown by type of control, type of services, and economic activity
Firms under foreign control generated significantly more services imports and exports in value terms in 2024 than those under domestic control. Firms under foreign control accounted for 30% of total services trade, and firms under domestic control for 18%. The figure for firms under foreign control was unchanged from 2023, while the figure for firms under domestic control was up 1 percentage point.
The type of control could not be determined for over half (52%) of services trade, the data sources not allowing so. Travel services accounted for just over half of the unattributed services trade, and transport services for just over a fifth. These two types of services were responsible for 80% of the services trade surplus in the unattributed segment, which amounted to EUR 2.4 billion in 2024.
Firms under foreign control disclosed a services trade surplus of EUR 1.0 billion in 2024, EUR 0.2 billion more than in the previous year. The share of the aggregate surplus that they account for increased to 27%, up 6 percentage points on 2023. Other business services were the largest component in gross services trade (44% of the total), followed by transport services (24%). The first figure was down 2 percentage points on 2023, while the second figure was up by the same amount. The largest services exports by firms under foreign control (accounting for 35% of the total) in 2024 were recorded by manufacturing firms, who also accounted for 29% of their imports.
Firms under domestic control disclosed a services trade surplus of EUR 0.4 billion in 2024, up EUR 19 million on 2023. They accounted for 20% of total services imports (18% in 2023), and 17% of total services exports (16% in 2023). The largest components overall were transport services (35%) and other business services (25%). Other business services were the largest component on the import side (33%), while transport services were the largest component on the export side (44%). Firms in transportation and storage were the most prominent in services exports by firms under domestic control, accounting for 31% of the total, while manufacturing firms accounted for 27% of total services imports by firms under domestic control. The figures were each down 2 percentage points on 2023.
Following a decline in transport services in value terms in 2023, in connection with the decline in merchandise trade that year, firms under domestic control and firms under foreign control both saw growth in 2024.
Figure 4: Breakdown of services trade according to type of control
Source: Banka Slovenije
Services trade where the type of control could not be attributed recorded a surplus of EUR 2.4 billion in 2024, down EUR 158 million on 2023. Travel services are allocated in their entirety to the unattributed services trade, and thus make up the largest component in this category. They accounted for 58% of total services imports in this segment, and 49% of exports, unchanged from 2023.
Table 3: Breakdown of services trade in 2023 and 2024, by type of control and economic activity
2023 |
2024 |
|||||||||
|
Exports |
|
Imports |
|
Net |
Exports |
|
Imports |
|
Net |
EUR million |
EUR million |
EUR million |
EUR million |
EUR million |
EUR million |
|||||
Domestically controlled enterprises |
1.865 |
16% |
1.518 |
18% |
348 |
2.085 |
17% |
1.718 |
20% |
366 |
Information and communication activities |
199 |
11% |
143 |
9% |
56 |
234 |
11% |
151 |
9% |
83 |
Manufacturing |
186 |
10% |
439 |
29% |
-252 |
156 |
7% |
457 |
27% |
-301 |
Transportation and storage |
607 |
33% |
153 |
10% |
454 |
654 |
31% |
176 |
10% |
479 |
Other sectors |
873 |
47% |
783 |
52% |
90 |
1.041 |
50% |
935 |
54% |
106 |
Foreign-controlled enterprises |
3.408 |
28% |
2.622 |
32% |
786 |
3.672 |
29% |
2.676 |
30% |
996 |
Information and communication activities |
648 |
19% |
409 |
16% |
239 |
743 |
20% |
469 |
18% |
273 |
Manufacturing |
1.165 |
34% |
753 |
29% |
412 |
1.295 |
35% |
771 |
29% |
524 |
Transportation and storage |
753 |
22% |
480 |
18% |
273 |
841 |
23% |
581 |
22% |
259 |
Other sectors |
842 |
25% |
980 |
37% |
-138 |
794 |
22% |
854 |
32% |
-60 |
Unknown |
6.698 |
56% |
4.174 |
50% |
2.524 |
6.764 |
54% |
4.398 |
50% |
2.366 |
Information and communication activities |
352 |
5% |
195 |
5% |
157 |
413 |
6% |
209 |
5% |
204 |
Manufacturing |
811 |
12% |
683 |
16% |
128 |
818 |
12% |
733 |
17% |
85 |
Transportation and storage |
422 |
6% |
242 |
6% |
180 |
426 |
6% |
277 |
6% |
149 |
Other sectors |
3.370 |
50% |
2.523 |
60% |
847 |
3.403 |
50% |
2.632 |
60% |
771 |
Not allocated |
1.743 |
26% |
531 |
13% |
1.212 |
1.705 |
25% |
547 |
12% |
1.157 |
Total |
11.972 |
100% |
8.314 |
100% |
3.658 |
12.521 |
100% |
8.792 |
100% |
3.729 |
Source: Banka Slovenije
5Methodology
The methodological framework used in compiling the STEC statistics is set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197. The methodology is also aligned with the sixth edition of the IMF’s Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (IMF, 2009). The subject is also covered by the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010, and the Compilers Guide for statistics on Services Trade by Enterprise Characteristics 2017, which were issued by Eurostat and the OECD.
Services are disclosed according to the following characteristics of entities/enterprises:
– size in terms of number of employees and self-employed:
- small (0 to 49)
- medium-size (50 to 249)
- large (250 or more)
- unknown size
– type of ownership/control:
- domestic control
- foreign control
- unknown control
– economic sector according to Standard Classification of Economic Activities 2008