The Number of Schoolchildren in Slovenia Is Declining

The Statistical Office of Slovenia has published data on the number of students in the 2025/26 school year. A total of 79,868 children are enrolled in kindergartens, which is 2,544 fewer than last year. The decline affected both age groups: enrollment among younger children fell by 3.4%, while the number of older preschool children decreased by 2.9%.

At the same time, 94% of children attend public kindergartens. Primary schools have 192,915 pupils, which is 1.4% fewer than in the previous year. Particularly noteworthy is that only 19,885 children entered first grade, the lowest figure in the past 13 years. Among first-grade students, 12% are seven-year-olds who started school one year later than their peers.

The only increase was recorded in secondary education, with 86,624 students, up 3.3% compared with last year. Interestingly, 74% of boys choose vocational education programs, compared with 57% of girls. The demographic decline is especially evident in primary education.

Source: rtvslo.si