LJUBLJANA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Slovenia's consumer sentiment has reached the highest level since February 2022, encouraged by improved expectations regarding the economic outlook, latest figures show.
A report published by the country's Statistical Office on Tuesday indicated that the sentiment stood at minus 26 points in April, marking a three-percentage-point increase from March and a five-percentage-point increase compared to last year.
The Statistical Office also emphasized that "expectations about the country's economy improved by seven percentage points versus March, while expectations about household finances were higher by three percentage points."
Additionally, expectations concerning major purchases saw a two-percentage-point increase. Yet expectations regarding employment remained unchanged despite the country's high employment figures, which peaked in February when the number of employed rose 1.4 percent year-on-year.
The government anticipates that Slovenia's export-oriented economy will expand by 2.4 percent this year versus 1.6 percent in 2023, primarily driven by increased investments as well as state and household spending.
Nevertheless, the International Monetary Fund forecast last week that Slovenia's economy will rise by 2 percent this year and by 2.5 percent in 2025.
