Living in Žalec

Žalec's population was 21,737 at the start of 2026. For Žalec, the unemployment rate was 13.3% in 2016.

Last checked 2026-10-0714 sources

Population21,737people1 Jan 2026Official source · SURS municipality population and area 2026

Median gross salary (region)1,665EUR/month31 Dec 2022Official source · pxweb.stat.si

Unemployment rate13.3%country median 9.9% — 34% aboveOfficial source · Persons in employment, registered unemployed persons and registered unemployment rates by municipalities, sex, year and measures

Recorded crime1,924incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2024Regional figureOfficial source · Kriminaliteta v Sloveniji v letu 2024 (Crime in Slovenia in 2024)

PM2.5, annual mean16µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu

Which Slovenia-wide rules apply when you move to Žalec?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in SloveniaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Žalec.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Žalec. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€30

Mobile plan, 10 GB€15

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	29.99 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	T-2 fixed broadband¹⁴Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	14.99 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	A1 Slovenia mobile plan¹Official · national market

Is Žalec a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker46%strong on work, weak on housing · range 35–57%

Skilled employee50%strong on work, weak on education · range 40–60%

Student55%strong on cost, weak on education · range 43–67%

Family45%strong on safety, weak on education · range 33–57%

Retirement55%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 41–69%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Žalec?

The unemployment rate is 13.3 % (2016). Source: Persons in employment, registered unemployed persons and registered unemployment rates by municipalities, sex, year and measures¹⁰

Unemployment across cities in SloveniaUnemployment in Žalec is 13.3%. Of 107 cities with data, 31 have unemployment of 8 to under 10%.

4–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1616–1818–2020–2222–24

Žalec 13.3%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary (regional)	1,665 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	pxweb.stat.si¹¹Official
Unemployment rate	13.3 %country median 9.9%	31 Dec 2016	Persons in employment, registered unemployed persons and registered unemployment rates by municipalities, sex, year and measures¹⁰Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Žalec. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Employment Service of Slovenia — Public employment service

Zavod Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje (ESS)

Job SearchRegistration

Open the Slovenia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Žalec. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Safety

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	1,924 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2024	Kriminaliteta v Sloveniji v letu 2024 (Crime in Slovenia in 2024)³Official · regional context

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Žalec. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Initial Integration of Migrants (ZIP) — Slovenian language and society — Integration course

Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for the Support and Integration of Migrants

For third-country nationals.

SloveneIn PersonFree

Open official information

Slovene as a second and foreign language — breakthrough level A1 — Job-related language course

Employment Service of Slovenia

For registered unemployed foreign citizens, third-country nationals, EU citizens.

SloveneCEFR pre-A1–A1In PersonFree

Open official information

Open the full Slovenia section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Žalec.

Find courses near Žalec

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Žalec?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 16 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: air.discomap.eea.europa.eu²

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

5°-4°

7°-4°

12°0°

17°4°

22°9°

26°13°

28°14°

27°14°

22°10°

16°6°

10°2°

5°-3°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

120

126

114

132

115

100

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

105

145

178

217

234

258

247

173

131

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.516WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	16 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	air.discomap.eea.europa.eu²Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by month	Jan 4.7 · Feb 7.3 · Mar 12.2 · Apr 17.3 · May 21.8 · Jun 25.7 · Jul 27.6 · Aug 27.4 · Sep 21.9 · Oct 16.5 · Nov 10.1 · Dec 5 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁴Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan -3.9 · Feb -3.5 · Mar 0.1 · Apr 4.2 · May 8.8 · Jun 12.7 · Jul 14 · Aug 13.7 · Sep 9.8 · Oct 6.1 · Nov 2.1 · Dec -2.9 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 0.1 · Feb 1.4 · Mar 5.7 · Apr 10.3 · May 15 · Jun 18.8 · Jul 20.3 · Aug 19.7 · Sep 14.8 · Oct 10.4 · Nov 5.6 · Dec 0.7 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 46.4 · Feb 58 · Mar 60 · Apr 73.7 · May 95.4 · Jun 119.6 · Jul 126.2 · Aug 113.8 · Sep 132.1 · Oct 114.7 · Nov 99.9 · Dec 77.5 mm	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁷Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by month	Jan 81.2 · Feb 105.4 · Mar 145.4 · Apr 178.3 · May 217.4 · Jun 233.7 · Jul 258.3 · Aug 246.8 · Sep 172.7 · Oct 131.1 · Nov 72.5 · Dec 63.5 hours	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO⁸Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In Slovenia: Maribor ±0.5 °C. Elsewhere: Cottbus (Germany) ±1.3 °C, Hoyerswerda (Germany) ±1.5 °C, Berlin (Germany) ±1.5 °C, Traunreut (Germany) ±1.6 °C, Traunstein (Germany) ±1.6 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

The city covered 117 km² in 2026. Population density was 186 people per km² in 2026.

How many people live in Žalec?

The published population was 21,737 people in January 2026. Source: SURS municipality population and area 2026¹³

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport87.8%
Foreign residents12.2%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Cars per 1,000 residents	608 cars/1000 residents	31 Dec 2024	SURS PxWeb table 2640010S¹³Official
City area	117 km²	1 Jan 2026	SURS municipality population and area 2026¹³Official
Foreign residents	2,647	31 Dec 2021	Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS)¹²Official · place/municipality
Population density	186 people/km²	1 Jan 2026	SURS PxWeb table 2640010S¹³Official
Population	21,737 people	1 Jan 2026	SURS municipality population and area 2026¹³Official

International community in Žalec

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Foreign-born population by municipality, 2021; source-native FIRST RESIDENCE groups · 2021

Published group	People	Share
First residence - TOTAL	2,647	100.0%
Countries of former Yugoslavia	1,904	71.9%
EU countries	592	22.4%
Other European countries	112	4.2%
Other countries	39	1.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹²

Citizenship

Population by municipality, half-year 2026H1, sex total; source-native citizenship status measures · 2026H1

Published group	People	Share
Population	21,737	100.0%
Citizens of the Republic of Slovenia	19,580	90.1%
Foreign citizens	2,157	9.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source⁹

Alternatives for people set on Žalec

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Kranj as a Žalec alternative in the same country

Better on 2 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Residents: 57,491 Kranj vs 21,737 Žalec+164%
Unemployment: 9.1% Kranj vs 13.3% Žalec−32%
Median gross pay, region: €1,905 Kranj vs €1,665 Žalec+14%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 1,920 Kranj vs 1,924 Žalecsame level

Full comparison More about Kranj

Alternative cities in Slovenia

Other cities in Slovenia to compare with Žalec, nearest in population first.

All Slovenia cities

Jesenice21,769 residents Grosuplje22,276 residents Ajdovščina19,977 residents Škofja Loka23,850 residents Ptuj23,898 residents Šentjur19,757 residents

How does Žalec compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Žalec's.

Open the full comparison

Žalec in rankings

#15 of 18 in Cities with lowest unemployment in Slovenia #18 of 18 in Largest cities in Slovenia

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Žalec when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 15. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Smernice za vključevanje otrok, učencev in dijakov iz drugih jezikovnih in kulturnih okolij (Guidelines for inclusion of learners from other linguistic/cultural environments) + Slovenian as L2 adaptation. How to enrol a child (gov.si).

A country-wide rule for Slovenia; Žalec's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Put Žalec's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Žalec?

The published population was 21,737 people in January 2026. Source: SURS municipality population and area 2026.

Is the air quality good in Žalec?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 16 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: air.discomap.eea.europa.eu.

What is the unemployment rate in Žalec?

The unemployment rate is 13.3 % (2016). Source: Persons in employment, registered unemployed persons and registered unemployment rates by municipalities, sex, year and measures.

What is the typical salary around Žalec?

The median gross salary is 1,665 EUR/month. Source: pxweb.stat.si.

How many foreign residents live in Žalec?

2,647 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS).

Is Žalec a good place to live?

Žalec may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in First residence - TOTAL live in Žalec?

The official country of birth distribution records 2,647 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Žalec, Slovenia: population, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 42c65ef4dbf8446b24498c197ecd900e]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/si/zalec/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_zalec-slovenia-population-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_729d2cbd832f,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Žalec, Slovenia: population, salary, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {42c65ef4dbf8446b24498c197ecd900e},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/si/zalec/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Žalec, Slovenia: population, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/si/zalec/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 42c65ef4dbf8446b24498c197ecd900e; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

A1 Slovenia mobile plan a1.si · checked 2026-09-15
air.discomap.eea.europa.eu air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-26
Kriminaliteta v Sloveniji v letu 2024 (Crime in Slovenia in 2024) policija.si · checked 2026-10-05
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
Official statistics: foreign residents pxweb.stat.si · checked 2026-07-18
Persons in employment, registered unemployed persons and registered unemployment rates by municipalities, sex, year and measures pxweb.stat.si · checked 2026-07-27

Show 4 more sources

pxweb.stat.si pxweb.stat.si · checked 2026-08-27
Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS) pxweb.stat.si · checked 2026-08-08
SURS municipality population and area 2026 pxweb.stat.si · checked 2026-07-14
T-2 fixed broadband t-2.net · checked 2026-09-15

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.