Ljubljana's 2024 population is now estimated at 289,746. In 2002, the population of Ljubljana was 258,873.
Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia. It is also the largest in terms of population, with a last recorded population of 288,307 in 2016. Not only is it the most populated, but it is also one of the leading cities for culture, business, transportation, and scientific research and has been in this position since the 1990s.
Over 90% of the population of this city speak Slovene as their primary language. Other languages spoken include Bosnian and Serbo-Croatian.
The most common religion followed in Ljubljana is Roman Catholicism, which is practiced by 39% of residents according to the 2002 census. Thirty percent do not follow a religion at all or chose not to answer the question. A total of 19% of the population identified as Atheist, while 6% were Eastern Orthodox and 5% were Muslim.
The legend of Ljubljana says that the Greek mythological hero Jason founded the city. The first settlers in the area were lake dwellers that inhabited the area around 2000 B.C. In the years that followed, many people passed through the area, including Illyrians and Celtic tribes.
In 50 BC, a military encampment was built that protected thousands from multiple battles. The first written mention of the city was recorded during the early 1100s.
During the 1500s, Ljubljana became known for the arts, including paintings and sculptures. Heading into the 16th century, the city continued to see growth in its population, and during this time, a public library, printing house, and secondary school were erected.
In the late 1500s, Jesuits came to Ljubljana seeking to make it Catholic again. Catholic schools were built, and Baroque architecture was used to rebuild monasteries, palaces, and churches. During the late 1800s, many of the city’s buildings were destroyed when an earthquake struck. Buildings were rebuilt in the Vienna Secession style, and modern conveniences such as electric lighting were introduced.
In 1918, the city joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes and was designated as the capital of Drava Banovina. Less than 30 years later, the city was taken over by Fascist Italy. In 1943, the city changed hands again as it was taken over by Nazi Germany. When World War II ended, the city became part of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia until the 1990s, when the country gained its independence. Today, the city is the capital of Slovenia. The culture of the Ljubljana is unparalleled, with over 10,000 festivals and events held annually. The city also has several museums, many historic monuments and buildings, stunning parks and green spaces, theaters, and sports clubs.
At the beginning of the 1900s, the city of Ljubljana had a population of just over 36,000. By the 1950s, the population exceeded 100,000. This number doubled to over 200,000 by the 1980s. Now, the city is growing closer to a population of 300,000. Although growth isn’t quite as substantial as it has been in years past, the city is still experiencing steady growth for the most part, although there was a slight decline in recent years. The most recent data show that the population is going up again, and this could be attributed to the fact that Ljubljana is a leading city for business, culture, and education. Records of population growth through the years show that the city will only continue to see slow yet steady growth into the future.