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International services trade by enterprise characteristics in 2024
Background

International services trade by enterprise characteristics in 2024

Table of contents

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