The Western Slovenia region exceeded the EU average by 5%, while Eastern Slovenia was at 72%, fresh Eurostat data show. This means the country may see an even bigger drop in the amount of cohesion funds it will have available in the bloc's 2021-2027 financial framework.

Having recorded solid economic growth since 2014, Slovenia saw its economy expand by almost 5% in 2017. In 2018 and 2019 growth slowed but was still significantly above the EU average.

The country's performance in GDP per capita relative to the EU average thus improved by two percentage points each in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

The gap between the Western and Eastern Slovenia has meanwhile been deepening. In 2017, Western Slovenia exceeded the EU average by 2%, while Eastern Slovenia reached only 70% of the EU average.

GDP per capita in the whole country totalled EUR 22,100 in 2018 and purchasing power parity (PPS) 26,400.

In Western Slovenia, GDP per capita stood at EUR 26,500 and PPS at 31,600, while in Eastern Slovenia the figures were EUR 18,100 and 21,700, respectively.

The highest GPD per capita in the EU after the UK exited the bloc was recorded in Luxembourg, where it exceeded the EU average by 163%, followed by Southern Ireland (125% above EU average), and Eastern and Midland Ireland (110%).