Definition of Youth

According to the Slovenia Youth Sector Act (2010), youth are defined as “young people and young adults of both genders aged between 15 and a completed 29 years.”

SVN

Marriageable Age

  • Opposite Sex
  • Same Sex
  • Without parental consent
  • with parental consent
  • Male
  • 18
  • 15
  • ++
  • Female
  • 18
  • 15
  • ++



    • Civil unions/partnerships legal. Source: UNSD, ILGA

Candidacy Age

Criminal Responsibility

14
Minimum Age
Source:  Criminal Code of Slovenia
(2008)

Majority Age

18

Source: FOSIGRID

Voting Age

18


Source:  Inter-Parliamentary Union

Situation of Young People

Youth Development Index

0.79
10 out of 170 countries.

Literacy Rates

99.86%
Both sexes (15-24) %
  • 99.81% Male (15-24) %
  • 99.91% Female (15-24) %

Net Enrolment Rate

Secondary School
93.30%
Both sexes %
  • 92.79%Male %
  • 93.83% Female %

Situation of Young People

Prevalence of HIV

--
Male (15-24) %
--
Female (15-24) %

Tobacco Use

Consumed any smokeless or smoking tobacco product at least once 30 days prior to the survey.
21.80%
Both sexes (13-15) %
  • 16.90% Male (13-15) %
  • 24.20% Female (13-15) %
  • Year: 2010
  • Source: WHO

Policy & Legislation

Is there a national youth policy?
Yes
Slovenia has a 2010 youth sector act & a 2013-2022 youth programme. Studies from 2010, 2011 and 2012 exist.

The Youth Sector Act (2010) defines the youth sector, the status of youth organisations, national awards, the role of the National Programme for Youth and the activities of youth centres. The National Youth Programme 2013-2022 is the thematic guide to policy and programmes in Slovenia. It focuses on five key areas: Employment & Entrepreneurship; Housing; Health and Wellness; Society and the Youth Sector; Culture, creativity, heritage and the media. According to the Programme for Young People page on the Ministry website, youth work is an important work area of the youth programme. Youth and non-governmental organisations conducting youth work programmes on non-formal education and training in youth work, voluntary youth work, information and advice for young people, participation, active citizenship, human rights, international youth work, mobility and research can access financing

Public Institutions

Is there a governmental authority
(ministry, department or office) that is primarily responsible for youth?
Yes
The Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth within the Ministry for Education, Science and Sport “monitors the situation of the young people and implements the measures in the field of non-formal education, leisure time and participation of young people in society”, with activities on policy; education; culture; international cooperation; research; youth organisations; information and counseling and inclusion. A Council of the Government for Youth advises the government and can suggest new initiatives or changes to policy.

Youth and Representation

Does the country have a national youth organisation / association (council, platform, body)?
Yes
The National Youth Council of Slovenia (MSS), established 1990, acts as a non-partisan umbrella supporting national youth organisations to promote youth autonomy and integration into democratic society. Its priorities are: participation, autonomy, information, youth work and international cooperation. It conducts educational, promotional and cultural activities and issues publications and policy papers. MSS operates under the Youth Councils Act (2000), requiring government to consult on new youth legislation. It is a member of the European Youth Forum.

Budget & Spending

What is the budget allocated to the governmental authority (ministry, department or office) that is primarily responsible for youth and/or youth programming?
EUR 2.6 million
USD 3.5 million
According to the website of the Office for Youth, its annual budget for 2011 was EUR 2.6 million (USD 3.5 million). According to the same site, the National Youth Council receives additional funds. According to the World Bank, Slovenia spent 12.08% of its government expenditure and 5.69% of its GDP on education provision in 2010.
Total Expenditure on Education as a Percentage of Government Spending and GDP

  • % of GDP
  • % of gov. expenditure

Source: World Bank
Gaps indicate missing data from the original data source. (Accessed May 2014).

Additional Background

According to the 2011 Country Fact Sheet on Slovenia, published by the EKCYP, the adoption of the 2010 Youth Act has been a positive impulse for the status and development of youth policy:
In May 2010 Act on public interest in youth sector was adopted. It is the first law which systematically regulates the youth sector. Before t his only the Youth council Act existed. The Act on public interest in youth sector gives the base for preparing the first national programme for youth. Office for Youth stays the central organisation in public administration responsible for youth sector. We accomplished to gain additional money for the youth sector from the European structural funds. With projects financed from the ESF we will try to facilitate participation of young people, we will try to create a profile of youth worker etc. […]
According to the Slovenia National Report on the first cooperation cycle of the EU Youth Strategy 2010-2012, submitted to the European Commission, the adoption of the EU’s Youth Strategy in 2009 has influenced youth priorities in Slovenia by reinforcing existing priorities. Specifically,
In 2009, the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth (Youth Office) commissioned an analysis of the situation of young people in Slovenia. In 2010, an analysis of measures for youth adopted by the state authorities was carried out; in 2011, a comprehensive survey on the social profile of young people in Slovenia was published. In 2010, the Public Interest in the Youth Sector Act was adopted. Slovenia has been drafting its first national youth programme to be adopted in the first half of 2012 on the basis of the analysis, surveys and objectives defined in the EU Youth Strategy. […]