LJUBLJANA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Slovenia's economy expanded by 3 percent year-on-year to 17.2 billion euros (20 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2026, boosted by final consumption expenditure and investments, the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia said on Friday.
The growth rate was significantly higher than the 2 percent increase recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025 and marked a rebound from the 0.6 percent contraction in the same period last year.
Domestic expenditure rose by 3.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, the office said in a report. Household consumption increased by 2.7 percent, while government spending climbed by 3.9 percent.
Gross fixed capital formation surged by 12.6 percent from a year earlier, mainly supported by a 20.7 percent increase in investment in buildings and structures.
Meanwhile, exports of goods and services edged up 0.7 percent year-on-year, while imports rose by 1.5 percent.
Following the release of the data, the Bank of Slovenia warned that economic growth for the remainder of the year could face pressure from heightened uncertainty and rising inflation expectations linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
The central bank said it would publish a revised economic outlook in June and is expected to lower its current forecast of 2.2 percent growth for 2026 which was issued in December 2025. ■