 Flag of the Serbian minority in Slovenia | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 38,964 (2002)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Ljubljana,Maribor,Kranj,Jesenice,Koper | |
| Languages | |
| Slovenian andSerbian | |
| Religion | |
| Serbian Orthodox Church | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| South Slavs |
| Part ofa series on |
| Serbs |
|---|
 |
Serbs in Slovenia (Serbian:Срби у Словенији, Srbi u Sloveniji,Slovene:Srbi v Sloveniji) are, mostly, first or second generation immigrants from other republics offormer Yugoslavia. In the 2002 census, 38,964 people ofSlovenia declaredSerb ethnicity, corresponding to 2% of the total population, making them the largest ethnic minority in the country.
The vast majority of the Serbs in Slovenia are first or second generation settlers from other republics offormer Yugoslavia, mostly fromBosnia and Herzegovina andSerbia, but also fromCroatia andMontenegro. AfterWorld War II, manySerbs employed in theYugoslav People's Army were stationed in theSocialist Republic of Slovenia with their families. In the period of 1971-1981, many ethnic Serbs migrated from Bosnia and Herzegovina to pursue better careers and economic opportunities in Slovenia. Before 1991, many Serbs in Slovenia registered asYugoslavs, and many still prefer referring to their mother language asSerbo-Croatian, rather thanSerbian.
There also exists an indigenous community of Serbs inWhite Carniola from the 16th century (seeSerbs of White Carniola).
In 2013, the combined community association of Serbs in Slovenia requested that Serbs be given the status of a national minority.[2]
Most of Serbs in Slovenia are concentrated in larger urban areas, especially inLjubljana andJesenice.
The table shows the year, number and percentage of Serbs in Slovenia after World War II, according to the official censuses:
| Year (census data) | Number of ethnic Serbs | Percent of national population |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 7,048 | |
| 1953 | 11,225 | 0.8% |
| 1961 | 13,609 | 0.9% |
| 1971 | 20,521 | 1.2% |
| 1981 | 42,182 | 2.3% |
| 1991 | 47,097 | 2.5% |
| 2002 | 38,964 | 2.0% |
It also has to be noted that in the last census in 2002, more than 10% of the Slovenian population decided not to answer the question regarding their ethnic affiliation. All these elements make the estimate of the overall number of Serbs in Slovenia difficult.
Yugo-nostalgia is strong among the older generation.[3] The urban former Yugoslav immigrant community in Slovenia had developed a "Balkan culture" in the 1990s.[3]
TheLeskovac-styled grilled meat, includingćevapčići, have nowadays become part of the daily diet in Slovenia.[4]
Most Serbs in Slovenia useSlovene as their language of communication, since only 4,300 people in Slovenia declared that they use only the Serbian language at home, while about 15,000 declared they use both languages at home. However more than 31,000 people declared their mother tongue as Serbian (and another 36,000 as Serbo-Croatian).
A mixed Slovenian–Serbian slang,srboslovenščina, became an "unofficial" language in football and construction, among other traditional domains of post-war immigrants from former Yugoslavia.[5]
Serbs in Slovenia are predominantlyEastern Orthodox by faith, adhering to theSerbian Orthodox Church.
[Abstract] The research included immigration trends from Serbia to Slovenia from 1918 to the present, and how these are reflected in the acceptance of food-related products and dishes that originated in Serbia and have become part of Slovenians' everyday diet.
according to the2002 Slovenian Census | ||
| Over 20,000 people |
|  |
| Under 20,000 people |
| |
