Following a lost decade, statistics show that the Slovenian economy has managed to surpass the levels from 2008 and citizens are the most optimistic in 20 years, the newspaper says in the front-page commentary headlined Taking Stock of 2017.

This year's economic growth of almost 5%, driven by exports, is in a way a miracle that could not have been imagined four or five years ago.

However, the majority do not feel this robust growth in their pockets, as average monthly pay has increased by only EUR 10 this year, which equals to a statistical error.

What is more, two thirds of workers earn less then the average net pay, which barely exceeds 1,000 euros. All this makes reasons for optimism rather weak.

Other data are more encouraging: jobs have been found by 25,000 jobless more than in 2016, exporters are fully booked with orders, there are almost 200,000 companies which combined make 30 billion euro in value added and 6.5 billion euro in annual profit.

All these figures deserve respect, especially after a painful experience of the recession. But the country is still lagging behind the European average in terms of development and purchasing power, which means the governments and economic policies have failed to do their homework.

Nevertheless, money is not everything, as statisticians say that good personal relations are what people equal with a quality live the most, Delo concludes.