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 International Economic Relations section of the Banka Slovenije website. As of 2025 the new version of the Standard Classification of Economic Activities (SKD 2025) has replaced previous SKD 2008. Data series itemised by economic activity according to both versions of the classification are available on the Banka Slovenije website.
2Slovenia’s services trade with the rest of the world
The services trade surplus amounted to EUR 4.3 billion in 2025, up 13.3% on 2024. Services exports amounted to EUR 13.7 billion, up 8.8% on the previous year, while services imports were up 6.9% at EUR 9.4 billion. The largest contribution to the surplus again came from transport services (EUR 2.0 billion), followed by travel services (EUR 1.0 billion) and construction services (EUR 0.4 billion). The largest change compared with 2024 was seen in insurance and pension services, where the surplus tripled to EUR 0.2 billion. The services trade surplus has been displaying a trend of increase since 2019, interrupted by a sharp decline in 2020 driven by the Covid-19 pandemic. In each year the largest contribution to the surplus came from transport services, whose surplus has been increasing from year to year.
The largest components of services exports are travel services and transport services, which together accounted for more than half of total exports (54%), followed by other business services with 20%. The year-on-year comparison shows the largest increases being recorded by exports of insurance and pension services, which doubled relative to 2024, and by exports of telecommunications, computer and information services, which were up 12%. Only construction services and financial services saw declines in exports (in the amount of 9% and 8% respectively).
The largest components on the import side were travel services (28% of the total) and other business services (26%). The largest increase compared with 2024 was recorded by imports of insurance and pension services, which doubled, rising by EUR 0.3 billion. This was followed by other business services, imports of which increased by 10% or EUR 0.2 billion.
Figure 1: Balance of trade in individual services, 2019 to 2025
Source: Banka Slovenije
Around 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 enterprise 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 travel services alone are estimated solely on the basis of models. 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 2025 by source attributability to individual business entities
|
in EUR million |
Exports |
Imports |
Balance |
|
Data directly ascribable to individual business entities |
8,692 |
6,156 |
2,536 |
|
Transport services |
3,056 |
1,474 |
1,583 |
|
Travel services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Construction services |
626 |
258 |
369 |
|
Insurance and pension services |
736 |
522 |
214 |
|
Telecommunications, computer and information services |
1,058 |
844 |
214 |
|
Other business services |
2,449 |
2,280 |
169 |
|
Other services |
767 |
779 |
-12 |
|
Models and estimates |
5,002 |
3,285 |
1,717 |
|
Transport services |
621 |
221 |
399 |
|
Travel services |
3,689 |
2,652 |
1,037 |
|
Construction services |
96 |
22 |
74 |
|
Insurance and pension services |
0 |
1 |
-1 |
|
Telecommunications, computer and information services |
163 |
107 |
55 |
|
Other business services |
325 |
193 |
132 |
|
Other services |
109 |
89 |
20 |
|
Total |
13,694 |
9,441 |
4,253 |
Source: Banka Slovenije
3Breakdown by size class, type of services, and economic activity
Large enterprises with more than 250 employees accounted for 26% of total services trade in 2025, and EUR 0.8 billion (18%) of the aggregate surplus. They accounted for 28% of all services imports and 25% of services exports, in which other business services were the largest component.
Medium-size enterprises with between 50 and 249 employees accounted for 21% of total services trade in 2025, and EUR 0.9 billion (21%) of the aggregate surplus. They accounted for 20% of all services imports, and 21% 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 2025. They accounted for EUR 0.9 billion (21%) of the aggregate surplus, 17% of services imports and 18% 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 36% of total services trade in 2025. The services trade balance of these firms stood in surplus in the amount of EUR 1.7 billion, or 40% of the total surplus. The largest component in the surplus was travel services (EUR 1 billion or 60%), which are captured entirely within this category.
Figure 2: Breakdown of services trade in 2025 by size class
Source: Banka Slovenije
The most prominent large enterprises were firms in manufacturing activities, which accounted for 42% of their total services imports and 37% of their total services exports in 2025. The services imports and exports of large enterprises in manufacturing were each down 5% on 2024.
Figure 3: Breakdown of services trade in 2025 by size class and type of services
Source: Banka Slovenije
The largest import and export flows at medium-size enterprises in 2025 were recorded by firms in the transportation and storage activities (26% of total imports and 35% of total exports). Services trade was down slightly on 2024, by 1% on the import side and 2% on the export side.
Table 2: Breakdown of services trade in 2024 and 2025, by size class and economic activity
|
2024 |
2025 |
|||||||||
|
|
Exports |
|
Imports |
|
Balance |
Exports |
|
Imports |
|
Balance |
|
(EUR million) |
(EUR million) |
(EUR million) |
(EUR million) |
(EUR million) |
(EUR million) |
|||||
|
Small enterprises |
2,379 |
19% |
1,479 |
17% |
899 |
2,475 |
18% |
1,573 |
17% |
902 |
|
Manufacturing |
171 |
7% |
101 |
7% |
71 |
179 |
7% |
80 |
5% |
99 |
|
Transportation and storage |
1,125 |
47% |
474 |
32% |
652 |
1,160 |
47% |
464 |
29% |
696 |
|
Telecommunication, computer programming and other information service activities |
361 |
15% |
298 |
20% |
63 |
447 |
18% |
383 |
24% |
64 |
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
230 |
10% |
95 |
6% |
135 |
230 |
9% |
99 |
6% |
131 |
|
Other service activities |
491 |
21% |
513 |
35% |
-21 |
460 |
19% |
548 |
35% |
-88 |
|
Medium-size enterprises |
2,711 |
22% |
1,851 |
21% |
861 |
2,812 |
21% |
1,934 |
20% |
878 |
|
Manufacturing |
343 |
13% |
251 |
14% |
91 |
314 |
11% |
247 |
13% |
67 |
|
Transportation and storage |
966 |
36% |
522 |
28% |
444 |
986 |
35% |
493 |
26% |
492 |
|
Telecommunication, computer programming and other information service activities |
485 |
18% |
153 |
8% |
331 |
529 |
19% |
184 |
9% |
346 |
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
361 |
13% |
258 |
14% |
103 |
399 |
14% |
271 |
14% |
128 |
|
Other service activities |
557 |
21% |
666 |
36% |
-109 |
583 |
21% |
739 |
38% |
-156 |
|
Large enterprises |
2,787 |
22% |
2,204 |
25% |
583 |
3,404 |
25% |
2,649 |
28% |
755 |
|
Manufacturing |
1,164 |
42% |
1,025 |
47% |
139 |
1,268 |
37% |
1,113 |
42% |
155 |
|
Transportation and storage |
551 |
20% |
112 |
5% |
439 |
609 |
18% |
121 |
5% |
487 |
|
Telecommunication, computer programming and other information service activities |
298 |
11% |
245 |
11% |
53 |
281 |
8% |
252 |
10% |
28 |
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
8 |
0% |
8 |
0% |
1 |
7 |
0% |
3 |
0% |
4 |
|
Other service activities |
765 |
27% |
814 |
37% |
-49 |
1,240 |
36% |
1,159 |
44% |
80 |
|
Unknown size (models and estimates) |
4,706 |
37% |
3,296 |
37% |
1,410 |
5,003 |
37% |
3,285 |
35% |
1,718 |
|
Manufacturing |
201 |
4% |
155 |
5% |
46 |
191 |
4% |
126 |
4% |
65 |
|
Transportation and storage |
555 |
12% |
196 |
6% |
358 |
556 |
11% |
156 |
5% |
400 |
|
Telecommunication, computer programming and other information service activities |
182 |
4% |
83 |
3% |
100 |
188 |
4% |
72 |
2% |
117 |
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
95 |
2% |
44 |
1% |
51 |
94 |
2% |
33 |
1% |
61 |
|
Other service activities |
220 |
5% |
186 |
6% |
35 |
222 |
4% |
154 |
5% |
68 |
|
Not allocated |
3,453 |
73% |
2,633 |
80% |
820 |
3,751 |
75% |
2,743 |
84% |
1,008 |
|
Total |
12,583 |
100% |
8,830 |
100% |
3,753 |
13,694 |
100% |
9,441 |
100% |
4,253 |
Source: Banka Slovenije
Firms in the transportation and storage activities accounted for just under a half of total services exports and just under a third of total services imports by small enterprises in 2025. The share of their services imports accounted for by these activities was down 3 percentage points on 2024, while the share of their services exports was unchanged at 47%.
4Breakdown by size class, type of control, and economic activity
Firms under foreign control again recorded larger imports and exports of services in 2025 than did firms under domestic control. Firms under foreign control accounted for 30% of total services trade, and firms under domestic control for 20%. The share of total services trade accounted for by firms under foreign control was unchanged from 2024, while the share accounted for by firms under domestic control increased by 3 percentage points. No data about control was available for the remainder of services trade. Services trade where the type of control could not be determined accounted for 50% of the total value in 2025.
Firms under foreign control also generated a larger surplus than firms under domestic control did. It amounted to EUR 1.0 billion in 2025, the same level as in 2024. These firms accounted for 24% of the total surplus, down 2 percentage points on 2024. The surplus recorded by firms under domestic control was half the size, at EUR 0.5 billion. This figure was up EUR 0.2 billion on 2024, which saw the share of the total surplus accounted for by firms under domestic control increase from 9% in 2024 to 12% in 2025. They accounted for 22% of total services imports and 19% of total services exports in 2025 (2024: 19% and 16% respectively).
The largest services exports by firms under foreign control (accounting for 35% of the total) were recorded by manufacturing firms, who also accounted for the largest component of their imports (29%). Firms in the transportation and storage sector were most prominent in exports by firms under domestic control, accounting for 27% of services exports, while manufacturing firms were most prominent on the import side, with 23% of the total. Compared to 2024, the share of transportation and storage activities in total exports among domestically controlled companies decreased by 5 percentage points, while the share of manufacturing activities in total imports decreased by 4 percentage points
Table 3: Breakdown of services trade in 2024 and 2025, by type of control and economic activity
|
2024 |
2025 |
||||||||||
|
|
Exports |
|
Imports |
|
Balance |
Exports |
|
Imports |
|
Balance |
|
|
(EUR million) |
(EUR million) |
(EUR million) |
(EUR million) |
(EUR million) |
(EUR million) |
||||||
|
Domestic control |
2,009 |
16% |
1,677 |
19% |
332 |
2,554 |
19% |
2,035 |
22% |
519 |
|
|
Manufacturing |
151 |
8% |
451 |
27% |
-300 |
147 |
6% |
465 |
23% |
-318 |
|
|
Transportation and storage |
636 |
32% |
169 |
10% |
467 |
692 |
27% |
180 |
9% |
512 |
|
|
Telecommunication, computer programming and other information service activities |
217 |
11% |
146 |
9% |
70 |
236 |
9% |
170 |
8% |
66 |
|
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
126 |
6% |
112 |
7% |
14 |
120 |
5% |
85 |
4% |
34 |
|
|
Other service activities |
879 |
44% |
798 |
48% |
81 |
1,359 |
53% |
1,135 |
56% |
224 |
|
|
Foreign control |
3,713 |
30% |
2,724 |
31% |
989 |
3,971 |
29% |
2,946 |
31% |
1,025 |
|
|
Manufacturing |
1,299 |
35% |
799 |
29% |
500 |
1,382 |
35% |
851 |
29% |
531 |
|
|
Transportation and storage |
858 |
23% |
588 |
22% |
270 |
883 |
22% |
545 |
18% |
338 |
|
|
Telecommunication, computer programming and other information service activities |
733 |
20% |
450 |
17% |
283 |
816 |
21% |
539 |
18% |
277 |
|
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
370 |
10% |
209 |
8% |
162 |
435 |
11% |
250 |
8% |
185 |
|
|
Other service activities |
453 |
12% |
679 |
25% |
-226 |
455 |
11% |
761 |
26% |
-306 |
|
|
Unknown control |
6,861 |
55% |
4,429 |
50% |
2,433 |
7,170 |
52% |
4,460 |
47% |
2,710 |
|
|
Manufacturing |
430 |
6% |
282 |
6% |
148 |
423 |
6% |
250 |
6% |
174 |
|
|
Transportation and storage |
1,702 |
25% |
546 |
12% |
1,156 |
1,735 |
24% |
510 |
11% |
1,225 |
|
|
Telecommunication, computer programming and other information service activities |
377 |
5% |
183 |
4% |
194 |
394 |
5% |
182 |
4% |
212 |
|
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
198 |
3% |
83 |
2% |
115 |
176 |
2% |
71 |
2% |
105 |
|
|
Other service activities |
702 |
10% |
701 |
16% |
1 |
691 |
10% |
705 |
16% |
-14 |
|
|
Not allocated |
3,453 |
50% |
2,633 |
59% |
820 |
3,751 |
52% |
2,743 |
62% |
1,008 |
|
|
Total |
12,583 |
100% |
8,830 |
100% |
3,753 |
13,694 |
100% |
9,441 |
100% |
4,253 |
|
Source: Banka Slovenije
The breakdown of services trade by type of service shows other business services to be the largest component on both the import and export sides of the services trade of firms under foreign control (accounting for 45%). Next came transport services, with 23%. The largest component in the gross services flows of firms under domestic control was transport services (29% of the total), followed by insurance and pension services (26%) and other business services (25%). Transport services were the largest component on the import side (38%), while other business services were the largest component on the export side (33%).
Figure 4: Breakdown of services trade in 2025 by type of control and type of services
Source: Banka Slovenije
Travel services accounted for 55% of the total value of services trade where the country of control could not be attributed. Travel services are unattributed in their entirety, and constitute the largest component of services trade with unknown control. They accounted for 59% of total services imports in this segment, and 51% of exports. The second most important component was transport services, which accounted for 21% of the total. Together these two types of services generated 83% of the trade surplus in services with unknown control. The surplus amounted to EUR 2.7 billion in 2025, up EUR 0.3 billion on 2024.
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 2025