Datum novice:
22.11.2022
In the Q3, the real growth of Slovenian GDP decreased to 3.4% year on year (9.7% in the first and 8.3% in the second). Lower year on year growth was expected, but the drop compared to the previous quarter (seasonally and calendar adjusted) is surprising (-1.4%) given our estimate (+0.2%) and first estimate of GDP growth at EU-27 level (+0.2%). According to data available from Eurostat, the drop in Slovenia was the largest among the 14 countries for which data are available, while the median change was +0.25%. At first glance, the data was surprising also due to the fact that many business indicators were higher in the Q3 compared to the Q2 (industrial production, construction works, revenues from services, retail sales, etc.). During this period, household consumption increased by 1.2%, government consumption remained unchanged, and investments in fixed assets increased by 2.6% (of which the growth was particularly high in other buildings and facilities: +3.0 %). The growth of exports of goods and services strengthened from 2.6% in the previous quarter to 3.6%, and imports from 1.4 to 1.8%. The key and only component of GDP that contributed to the drop in GDP at the expenditure method was inventories, which decreased from EUR 874 to EUR 116 million. Inventories are a volatile item and fluctuated between EUR 50 and 400 m in the previous four quarters. This time, these inventories were associated with a drop in value added in trade (-11%), which can only be the result of a reduction in stocks in this sector, most likely in retail of crude oil derivatives, motor vehicles or distribution. According to the GDP production method, (real) value added in manufacturing increased by 1% q-o-q (+1.2% previously), in construction by 3.3%, in ICT activities by 2.3% and in other service activities by 1%. Value added dropped slightly only in professional, scientific and technical activities (-0.7%) among major sectors. Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia