Original article (in Slovenian) was published on 24/3/2026; Author: Anđela Makitan
The share of foreign immigrants with a primary school education or lower never exceeded 76% between 2011 and 2024. It peaked in 2011 at 40%, according to data from the Slovenian Statistical Office (SURS).
Tomaž Štih, a financial analyst and former secretary of the non-parliamentary Citizens’ List party, claimed on the 22 February 22 show Vroča tema (Hot Topic) on the Domovina portal, that the majority (76%) of those arriving in Slovenia have no education at all.
He made the claim in response to the host’s comment that, compared to young people in Slovenia, “those arriving here receive housing and healthcare immediately.” The host also asked him whether he agreed with proposed deportations.
This was a reference to a statement by Democratic Party (SDS) lawmaker Žan Mahnič during the 3 February National Assembly session that if the SDS wins the election, it will establish a “deportation office with one employee, two assistants, two buses, and 20 members of police special forces.” Everyone who crosses the Slovenian border illegally “will simply have to leave, in accordance with the regulations we have,” he said.
The context of Štih’s claim makes it clear he was referring to foreigners; therefore, this article references SURS data regarding the educational attainment of foreign citizens who immigrated to Slovenia.
SURS explained to Razkrinkavanje.si that the category of residents without an education “includes those who were never enrolled in primary school.” They added that the majority of these individuals belong to an older generation that grew up at a time when persons with special needs were not yet integrated into the education system.
The latest available Surs data for 2024 show that 24,825 foreign citizens aged 15 or older immigrated to Slovenia that year. Among them, 8,585 people had a primary school education or lower. This category also includes those without any education.
Data for the 2011–2024 period show that the share of foreign immigrants with a primary school education or lower never exceeded 76%. The proportion of immigrants falling into this educational category was highest in 2011, when it stood at 40%. As SURS explains, those with a secondary education represent the biggest share of immigrants across all observed years.
The Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants explained that “the majority of persons applying for international protection in Slovenia have a primary school education.” They do not have the exact percentage of such applicants, as the Ministry of the Interior processes international protection applications, including declarations of educational attainment, and the office does not maintain statistics on this matter.
The office does, however, provide free Slovenian language courses and other integration programmes for third-country nationals, persons with temporary protection, and those with recognized international protection. These programmes are also conducted at asylum centres for international protection applicants.
Under the Decree on Determining Activities and Occupations in which Foreigners Can Be Employed More Quickly, which has been in effect since 6 December last year and will expire on 30 April this year, foreigners may be employed in six designated sectors based on confirmation of a submitted application for a first unified permit and the consent of the Employment Service. These sectors include agriculture and hunting, forestry, fishing, manufacturing, construction, transport and storage, computer programming, consulting, healthcare, and social work.
We have informed Tomaž Štih of our findings and will publish his response once we have received it. The claim that 76% of those arriving in Slovenia “have no education” is false.
