Background Stress is one of basic risk factors influencing different health states, including reproductive health of women. The study was aimed at measuring the level of stress in different groups of women in order to identify high risk groups for stress and relate them to birth rate dynamics in Slovenia. Methods The data originate from the national health behaviour database in adults aged 25–64. Data collected in 2001 were used. The sample size was 15,379. Among them there were 4,942 women in reproductive age (25–49 years). The response rate of the mailed questionnaire in this group was 68 %, with 3,181 questionnaires being eligible for analysis. Binary multiple logistic regression was used to determine the impact of age, education, type of work, marital status, self-assessed social class, and type of residence community on the prevalence of frequent perception of stress.