The Social Democrats (Slovene: Socialni demokrati, SD) is a centre-left[5][6] and pro-European social-democratic political party in Slovenia led by Matjaž Han.

Prior to the 1992 general election intensive discussions were held and agreements reached between left-oriented political parties and groups on an electoral coalition.

The newly formed coalition gained 13.6% of the popular vote, thus becoming the third political force in the country, after Liberal Democracy of Slovenia and the Slovene Christian Democrats.

In the general elections of 1996, the United List of Social Democrats suffered a substantial loss support, gaining only around 9% of the popular vote.

[12] In the programmatic congress held in Nova Gorica in July 2006, the party clearly distanciated itself against its communist past, while its president publicly condemned the socialist regime in Slovenia and Yugoslavia established after World War II.

[13] After the internal crisis in the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (LDS) following the loss of election in 2004, which resulted in the split of the party, the Social Democrats emerged as the main centre-left opposition force against the centre-right government led by Janez Janša.

In 2007, several prominent members of the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia, including former Prime Minister Anton Rop, left their party and joined the Social Democrats.

He especially criticised the party leader Borut Pahor and the Minister of Economic Development Mitja Gaspari, claiming that he had been threatened with "removal" for not having supported the new act on the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija.

SD won 10.5% of the vote at the early 2011 Slovenian parliamentary election on 4 December 2011, gaining 10 seats in the National Assembly.

SDS leader Janez Janša became Prime Minister for a second time on 10 February 2012 heading a centre-right coalition government.

The party improved its result in the 2018 parliamentary election, scoring 9,9% of votes and winning ten seats in the National Assembly.

The United List of Social Democrats became full member party of Socialist International at the organisation's 20th Congress in September 1996 in New York City.