Poverty, Social Exclusion and Inclusion Policies

Poverty is understood in the broader sense as a relative deprivation across various areas of life and as a lack of resources (material and non-material) that enable individuals and families to establish and maintain living conditions that are considered normal or expected in a given society as well as to participate in the activities that are customary or generally expected in that society. Poverty is thus an expression of inequality in society and of various overt and hidden barriers that prevent certain population groups from fully participating in society and its resources. It is mostly reflected in poor living conditions, material deprivation, and reduced access to resources, services, institutions, and opportunities in society. Social exclusion is understood as a process in which certain individuals, families, or groups are pushed to the margins of society, either due to a lack of material resources and poverty, a lack of opportunities and various barriers, or as a result of covert or overt discrimination.

In our reports, institute researchers focus on various vulnerable groups and different dimensions and manifestations of poverty and/or exclusion, as well as on policies and measures aimed at preventing and reducing poverty and promoting social inclusion.

Annually, a report on Social Situation in Slovenia is prepared, which provides an overview of changes in the social situation in Slovenia in the current and previous year, with a particular focus on the situation of various vulnerable groups. The report is based on both quantitative data (indicators of standards of living and their trends, presented across different population categories and groups; data on trends and the structure of recipients of cash transfers and certain subsidies dependent on the material situation of individuals and families) and qualitative data (obtained through focus group discussions and interviews with representatives of non-governmental and humanitarian organizations that directly provide assistance and support to individuals from vulnerable groups). It also frequently includes assessments by social work centres and findings from studies, research, and reports by other institutions in Slovenia and abroad.
Several years ago (in 2009 and 2015), we conducted two studies on poverty and social exclusion with a focus on families with children. Both studies covered various areas and aspects of the lives of families with children on low (or very low) incomes, taking into account both material and non-material aspects of poverty.

One of the particularly vulnerable and marginalized groups are homeless persons (persons with experience of homelessness). In most European countries, the number of homeless people is increasing, while at the same time both at the EU level and within individual EU Member States attention to homelessness as a policy issue is growing. In recent years, institute has participated in the only two national studies in this field: the study Assessment of the Extent of Overt and Hidden Homelessness in Slovenia, conducted more than a decade ago, and the research project Homelessness in Slovenia: Scope, Characteristics, and Attitudes, conducted between 2020 and 2023. In the period 2024–2025, institute provided expert support to the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities in the conceptual design and content preparation of the national Strategy for Preventing and Ending Homelessness in Slovenia 2025–2035.

During the implementation of the pilot project on social activation, largely co-financed by the European Social Fund (within the Operational Programme for the Implementation of European Cohesion Policy for the period 2014–2020; the project holder was the Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities), which addressed target groups of long-term unemployed persons and long-term beneficiaries of financial social assistance with various complex challenges and difficulties, as well as women from marginalized social groups (immigrant women from different cultural backgrounds, Roma women), the institute (under contract with Ministry of Labor, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) carried out monitoring and evaluation of the overall project implementation and particularly the social activation programs, primarily from the perspective of their effects on the individuals involved and the target groups. Several reports have been produced in this context, which are available on the institute website.

Topics:
• Social situation in Slovenia
• Poverty and social exclusion of families with children
• Homelessness
• Social activation
• Other/ past projects (Civicus,evaluation of the European Year of Combating Poverty, etc.)