ARCHIVE // SK // 2024
Slovakia
2024 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
[time series]
total: 1,701,561 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 31 (2020 est.)
Broadcast media
[time series]
state-owned public broadcaster, Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS), operates 2 national TV stations and multiple national and regional radio networks; roughly 50 privately owned TV stations operating nationally, regionally, and locally; about 40% of households are connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV; 32 privately owned radio stations
Internet country code
[time series]
.sk
Internet users
[time series]
total: 4.806 million (2021 est.) percent of population: 89% (2021 est.)
Telecommunication systems
[time series]
general assessment: the broadband market has shown steady growth in recent years; fiber has become the principal platform for fixed broadband services, followed by DSL; the cable sector is a distant third in terms of subscribers, though cable is particularly strong in urban areas; mobile broadband access and content services are developing rapidly in line with operators having upgraded their networks; the regulator prepared the groundwork for 5G services in line with European Union requirements, with concessions in the 3.5GHz range followed by those in the 700MHz, 900MHz and 1800MHz bands; 5G was launched in late 2021 and is expected to cover about a fifth of the population by the end of 2022 (2024) domestic: fixed-line is 10 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 132 per 100 tele density (2022) international: country code - 421; 3 international exchanges (1 in Bratislava and 2 in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in several international telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of external services; connects to DREAM cable (2017)
Telephones - fixed lines
[time series]
total subscriptions: 541,000 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
total subscriptions: 7.445 million (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 132 (2022 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products
[time series]
wheat, sugar beets, milk, maize, barley, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, potatoes, soybeans, pork (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Average household expenditures
[time series]
on food: 20% of household expenditures (2022 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 5% of household expenditures (2022 est.)
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $43.882 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $46.056 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Credit ratings
[time series]
Fitch rating: A (2020) Moody's rating: A2 (2012) Standard & Poors rating: A+ (2015) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Current account balance
[time series]
-$2.088 billion (2023 est.) -$8.452 billion (2022 est.) -$4.655 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Economic overview
[time series]
high-income EU- and eurozone-member economy; manufacturing and exports led by automotive sector; weakening of anti-corruption laws may impact foreign investment and status of EU funds; influx of foreign labor offsets aging workforce; widening fiscal deficit from social spending and EU-financed public investments
Exchange rates
[time series]
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.925 (2023 est.) 0.95 (2022 est.) 0.845 (2021 est.) 0.876 (2020 est.) 0.893 (2019 est.)
Exports
[time series]
$121.238 billion (2023 est.) $114.678 billion (2022 est.) $109.565 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Exports - commodities
[time series]
cars, vehicle parts/accessories, video displays, broadcasting equipment, electricity (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Exports - partners
[time series]
Germany 20%, Czechia 11%, Hungary 9%, Poland 7%, France 6% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
GDP (official exchange rate)
[time series]
$132.794 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
GDP - composition, by end use
[time series]
household consumption: 58.9% (2023 est.) government consumption: 20.1% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 22% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: -2.3% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 91.4% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -90.1% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
[time series]
agriculture: 2% (2023 est.) industry: 32.7% (2023 est.) services: 56.5% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
[time series]
24.1 (2021 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 3.4% (2021 est.) highest 10%: 19.2% (2021 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Imports
[time series]
$118.869 billion (2023 est.) $120.622 billion (2022 est.) $109.265 billion (2021 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports - commodities
[time series]
vehicle parts/accessories, broadcasting equipment, natural gas, cars, electricity (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Imports - partners
[time series]
Czechia 18%, Germany 15%, Poland 9%, Russia 7%, Austria 7% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
15.61% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
[time series]
automobiles; metal and metal products; electricity, gas, coke, oil, nuclear fuel; chemicals, synthetic fibers, wood and paper products; machinery; earthenware and ceramics; textiles; electrical and optical apparatus; rubber products; food and beverages; pharmaceutical
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
10.53% (2023 est.) 12.77% (2022 est.) 3.15% (2021 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Labor force
[time series]
2.823 million (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Population below poverty line
[time series]
13.7% (2021 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Public debt
[time series]
64.51% of GDP (2022 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
[time series]
$213.053 billion (2023 est.) $209.705 billion (2022 est.) $205.856 billion (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
[time series]
1.6% (2023 est.) 1.87% (2022 est.) 4.77% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP per capita
[time series]
$39,300 (2023 est.) $38,600 (2022 est.) $37,800 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Remittances
[time series]
1.69% of GDP (2023 est.) 2% of GDP (2022 est.) 2.05% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
[time series]
$11.288 billion (2023 est.) $10.28 billion (2022 est.) $9.61 billion (2021 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
[time series]
19.5% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Unemployment rate
[time series]
5.84% (2023 est.) 6.14% (2022 est.) 6.89% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
[time series]
total: 19.4% (2023 est.) male: 21.6% (2023 est.) female: 15.8% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions
[time series]
21.405 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 9.253 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 12.033 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from consumed natural gas: 118,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
Coal
[time series]
production: 2.343 million metric tons (2022 est.) consumption: 5.794 million metric tons (2022 est.) exports: 20,000 metric tons (2022 est.) imports: 3.414 million metric tons (2022 est.) proven reserves: 19 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Electricity
[time series]
installed generating capacity: 8.029 million kW (2022 est.) consumption: 26.372 billion kWh (2022 est.) exports: 15.336 billion kWh (2022 est.) imports: 16.709 billion kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 1.236 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Electricity access
[time series]
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electricity generation sources
[time series]
fossil fuels: 17.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) nuclear: 60.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 2.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) hydroelectricity: 11.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) biomass and waste: 7.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
[time series]
93.681 million Btu/person (2022 est.)
Natural gas
[time series]
production: 52.556 million cubic meters (2022 est.) consumption: 60.424 million cubic meters (2022 est.) imports: 6.241 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) proven reserves: 14.158 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Nuclear energy
[time series]
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 5 (2023) Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 1 (2023) Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 2.31GW (2023 est.) Percent of total electricity production: 61.3% (2023 est.) Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 3 (2023)
Petroleum
[time series]
total petroleum production: 7,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 94,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 9 million barrels (2021 est.)
Environment
Air pollutants
[time series]
particulate matter emissions: 15.89 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 32.42 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 4.43 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
[time series]
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Environment - current issues
[time series]
air pollution and acid rain present human health risks and damage forests; land erosion caused by agricultural and mining practices; water pollution
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protection
Geoparks
[time series]
total global geoparks and regional networks: 1 global geoparks and regional networks: Novohrad-N gr d (includes Hungary) (2023)
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 40.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 28.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 10.8% (2018 est.) forest: 40.2% (2018 est.) other: 19.7% (2018 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km)
[time series]
Dunaj (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
[time series]
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Revenue from coal
[time series]
0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
[time series]
0.22% of GDP (2018 est.)
Total renewable water resources
[time series]
50.1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawal
[time series]
municipal: 290 million cubic meters (2020 est.) industrial: 230 million cubic meters (2020 est.) agricultural: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 54% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.17% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
[time series]
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.784 million tons (2015 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 135,941 tons (2015 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 7.6% (2015 est.)
Geography
Area
[time series]
total : 49,035 sq km land: 48,105 sq km water: 930 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
about one and a half times the size of Maryland; about twice the size of New Hampshire
Climate
[time series]
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Coastline
[time series]
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
[time series]
highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m mean elevation: 458 m
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
48 40 N, 19 30 E
Geography - note
[time series]
landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys
Irrigated land
[time series]
211 sq km (2015)
Land boundaries
[time series]
total: 1,587 km border countries (5): Austria 105 km; Czechia 241 km; Hungary 627 km; Poland 517 km; Ukraine 97 km
Land use
[time series]
agricultural land: 40.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 28.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 10.8% (2018 est.) forest: 40.2% (2018 est.) other: 19.7% (2018 est.)
Location
[time series]
Central Europe, south of Poland
Major rivers (by length in km)
[time series]
Dunaj (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km note [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
[time series]
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Map references
[time series]
Europe
Maritime claims
[time series]
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
[time series]
flooding
Natural resources
[time series]
lignite, small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land
Population distribution
[time series]
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country; slightly larger concentration in the west in proximity to the Czech border
Terrain
[time series]
rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banska Bystrica, Bratislava, Kosice, Nitra, Presov, Trencin, Trnava, Zilina
Capital
[time series]
name: Bratislava geographic coordinates: 48 09 N, 17 07 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the name was adopted in 1919 after Czechoslovakia gained its independence and may derive from later transliterations of the 9th century military commander, Braslav, or the 11th century Bohemian Duke BRETISLAV I; alternatively, the name may derive from the Slovak words brat (brother) and slava (glory)
Citizenship
[time series]
citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Slovakia dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Constitution
[time series]
history: several previous (preindependence); latest passed by the National Council 1 September 1992, signed 3 September 1992, effective 1 October 1992 amendments: proposed by the National Council; passage requires at least three-fifths majority vote of Council members; amended many times, last in 2020
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Slovak Republic conventional short form: Slovakia local long form: Slovenska republika local short form: Slovensko etymology: may derive from the medieval Latin word "Slavus" (Slav), which had the local form "Sloven", used since the 13th century to refer to the territory of Slovakia and its inhabitants
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Gautam A. RANA (since 28 September 2022) embassy: P.O. Box 309, 814 99 Bratislava mailing address: 5840 Bratislava Place, Washington DC 20521-5840 telephone: [421] (2) 5443-3338 FAX: [421] (2) 5441-8861 email address and website: consulbratislava@state.gov https://sk.usembassy.gov/
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Radovan JAVORČ K (since 18 January 2021) chancery: 3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1054 FAX: [1] (202) 237-6438 email address and website: emb.washington@mzv.sk https://www.mzv.sk/web/washington-en consulate(s) general: New York
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President Peter PELLEGRINI (since 15 June 2024) head of government: Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 25 October 2023) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election first round held on 23 March 2024 with a runoff on 6 April 2024 (next to be held in 2029); following National Council elections (every 4 years), the president designates a prime minister candidate, usually the leader of the party or coalition that wins the most votes, who must win a vote of confidence in the National Council election results: 2024: Peter PELLEGRINI elected president in the second round; percent of vote in second round Peter PELLEGRINI 53.1%; Ivan KORCOK 46.9%; percent of vote in first round - Ivan KORCOK (independent) 42.5%; Peter PELLEGRINI (Hlas-SD) 37%; Stefan HARABIN (independent) 11.7%, other 8.8%; 2019: Zuzana CAPUTOVA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Zuzana CAPUTOVA (PS) 58.4%, Maros SEFCOVIC (independent) 41.6%
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red derive from the Pan-Slav colors; the Slovakian coat of arms (consisting of a red shield bordered in white and bearing a white double-barred cross of St. Cyril and St. Methodius surmounting three blue hills) is centered over the bands but offset slightly to the hoist side note: the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia
Government type
[time series]
parliamentary republic
Independence
[time series]
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
International law organization participation
[time series]
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
[time series]
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Judicial branch
[time series]
highest court(s): Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic (consists of the court president, vice president, and approximately 80 judges organized into criminal, civil, commercial, and administrative divisions with 3- and 5-judge panels); Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic (consists of 13 judges organized into 3-judge panels) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judge candidates nominated by the Judicial Council of the Slovak Republic, an 18-member self-governing body that includes the Supreme Court chief justice and presidential, governmental, parliamentary, and judiciary appointees; judges appointed by the president serve for life subject to removal by the president at age 65; Constitutional Court judges nominated by the National Council of the Republic and appointed by the president; judges serve 12-year terms subordinate courts: regional and district civil courts; Special Criminal Court; Higher Military Court; military district courts; Court of Audit;
Legal system
[time series]
civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; note - legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Legislative branch
[time series]
description: unicameral National Council or Narodna Rada (150 seats; members directly elected in a single- and multi-seat constituencies by closed, party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms); 76 seats needed for a majority elections: last held on 30 September 2023 (next to be held by 2027) election results: percent of vote by party - SMER-SSD 23%, PS 18%, Hlas-SD 14.7%, OL'aNO 8.9%, KDH 6.8%, SaS 6.3%, SNS 5.6%; seats by party - SMER-SSD 42, PS 32, Hlas-SD 27, OL'aNO 16, KDH 12, SaS 11, SNS 10; composition - men 116, women 34, percentage women 22.7%
National anthem(s)
(National anthem)
[time series]
name: "Nad Tatrou sa blyska" (Lightning Over the Tatras) lyrics/music: Janko MATUSKA/traditional note: adopted 1993, in use since 1844; music based on the Slovak folk song "Kopala studienku" (She was digging a well)
National heritage
[time series]
total World Heritage Sites: 8 (6 cultural, 2 natural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Historic Town of Bansk tiavnica (c); Levoča, Spi sk Hrad, and the Associated Cultural Monuments (c); Vlkol nec (c); Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst (n); Bardejov Town (c); Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians (n); Wooden Churches of the Slovak Carpathians (c); Frontiers of the Roman Empire - The Danube Limes (Western Segment) (c)
National holiday
[time series]
Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)
National symbol(s)
[time series]
double-barred cross (Cross of St. Cyril and St. Methodius) surmounting three peaks; national colors: white, blue, red
Political parties
[time series]
Alliance-Szovetseg or A-S Christian Union or K Civic Conservative Party or OKS Democrats Direction-Social Democracy or Smer-SSD For the People or Za Ludi Freedom and Solidarity or SaS Life National Party or Život NS (formerly Christian Democracy - Life and Prosperity - Alliance for Slovkia) New Majority or NOVA Ordinary People and Independent Personalities - New Majority or OLaNO-NOVA People's Party Our Slovakia or LSNS Progressive Slovakia or PS Republic Slovak National Party or SNS Voice - Social Democracy or Hlas-SD We Are Family or Sme-Rodina (formerly Party of Citizens of Slovakia)
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
Slovakia traces its roots to the 9th century state of Great Moravia. The Slovaks then became part of the Hungarian Kingdom, where they remained for the next 1,000 years. After the formation of the dual Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1867, language and education policies favoring the use of Hungarian (known as "Magyarization") led to a public backlash that boosted Slovak nationalism and strengthened Slovak cultural ties with the closely related Czechs, who fell administratively under the Austrian half of the empire. When the Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolved at the end of World War I, the Slovaks joined the Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar period, Slovak nationalist leaders pushed for autonomy within Czechoslovakia, and in 1939, in the wake of Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland, the newly established Slovak Republic became a German client state for the remainder of World War II. After World War II, Czechoslovakia was reconstituted and came under communist rule within Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe. In 1968, Warsaw Pact troops invaded and ended the efforts of Czechoslovakia's leaders to liberalize communist rule and create "socialism with a human face," ushering in a period of repression known as "normalization." The peaceful Velvet Revolution swept the Communist Party from power at the end of 1989 and inaugurated a return to democratic rule and a market economy. On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia underwent a nonviolent "velvet divorce" into its two national components, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU in 2004 and the euro zone in 2009.
Military and Security
Military - note
[time series]
the Slovak military was created from the Czechoslovak Army after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in January 1993; it is responsible for external defense and fulfilling Slovakia s commitments to European and international security; Slovakia has been a member of both the EU and NATO since 2004; a key focus of the Slovak military is fulfilling the country s security responsibilities to NATO, including modernizing and acquiring NATO-compatible equipment, participating in training exercises, and providing forces for security missions such as NATO s Enhanced Forward Presence in the Baltic States; since 2022, Slovakia has hosted a NATO ground force battlegroup comprised of troops from Czechia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the US as part of the NATO effort to boost the defenses of Eastern Europe since the Russian invasion of Ukraine; Slovakia also contributes to EU and UN peacekeeping missions the Slovak Air Force has only a handful of fighter aircraft and is assisted by NATO s air policing mission over Slovakia, which includes fighter aircraft from Czechia and Poland; in 2022, Slovakia signed a defense agreement with the US that allows the US to use two Slovak military air bases (2024)
Military and security forces
[time series]
Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (Ozbrojene Sily Slovenskej Republiky): Land Forces (S lovensk Pozemn Sily) , Air Forces (S lovensk Vzdu n Sily) , Special Operations Forces (Sily Pre Speci lne Oper cie) Ministry of Interior: Slovak Police Force (SPF or Policajn Zbor) (2024) note: the SPF has sole responsibility for internal and border security
Military and security service personnel strengths
[time series]
approximately 15,000 active-duty personnel (8,000 Land Forces; 4,000 Air Forces; 3,000 other, including staff, special operations, and support forces) (2024)
Military deployments
[time series]
240 Cyprus (UNFICYP); up to 150 Latvia (NATO) (2024)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
[time series]
the military's inventory consists mostly of Soviet-era platforms; in recent years it has imported limited quantities of more modern, NATO-compatible equipment, particularly from Italy and the US (2024)
Military expenditures
[time series]
2% of GDP (2024 est.) 2.1% of GDP (2023) 1.8% of GDP (2022) 1.7% of GDP (2021) 1.9% of GDP (2020)
Military service age and obligation
[time series]
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription in peacetime suspended in 2004 (2023) note: as of 2021, women made up nearly 13% of the military's full-time personnel
People and Society
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 15.3% (male 444,033/female 408,902) 15-64 years: 66.5% (male 1,834,359/female 1,867,158) 65 years and over: 18.1% (2024 est.) (male 406,355/female 602,842)
Alcohol consumption per capita
[time series]
total: 10.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 4.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 2.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 4.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
10 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
[time series]
NA
Contraceptive prevalence rate
[time series]
NA
Current health expenditure
[time series]
7.2% of GDP (2020)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
[time series]
47.9% (2023 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
11.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Dependency ratios
[time series]
total dependency ratio: 49.5 youth dependency ratio: 23.7 elderly dependency ratio: 25.8 potential support ratio: 3.9 (2021 est.)
Drinking water source
[time series]
improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Education expenditure
(Education expenditures)
[time series]
4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Slovak 83.8%, Hungarian 7.8%, Romani 1.2%, other 1.8% (includes Czech, Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Russian, German, Polish), unspecified 5.4% (2021 est.) note: data represent population by nationality; Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 7 11% of Slovakia's population
Gross reproduction rate
[time series]
0.77 (2024 est.)
Hospital bed density
[time series]
5.7 beds/1,000 population (2018)
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 5.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
[time series]
Slovak (official) 81.8%, Hungarian 8.5%, Roma 1.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified 5.7% (2021 est.) major-language sample(s): Svetova Kniha Faktov, nenahraditelny zdroj zakladnej informacie. (Slovak) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 77.2 years (2024 est.) male: 73.7 years female: 81 years
Literacy
[time series]
total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Major urban areas - population
[time series]
441,000 BRATISLAVA (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
[time series]
5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Median age
[time series]
total: 42.8 years (2024 est.) male: 41.3 years female: 44.4 years
Mother's mean age at first birth
[time series]
27.2 years (2020 est.)
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Slovak(s) adjective: Slovak
Net migration rate
[time series]
0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
[time series]
20.5% (2016)
Physician density
[time series]
3.57 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
Population
[time series]
total: 5,563,649 male: 2,684,747 female: 2,878,902 (2024 est.)
Population distribution
[time series]
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country; slightly larger concentration in the west in proximity to the Czech border
Population growth rate
[time series]
-0.08% (2024 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Roman Catholic 55.8%, Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession 5.3%, Greek Catholic 4%, Reformed Christian 1.6%, other 3%, none 23.8%, unspecified 6.5% (2021 est.)
Sanitation facility access
[time series]
improved: urban: 99.9% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
[time series]
total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 15 years (2020)
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
[time series]
total: 31.5% (2020 est.) male: 37.4% (2020 est.) female: 25.6% (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
1.6 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Urbanization
[time series]
urban population: 54% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.17% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Space
Space agency/agencies
[time series]
no national government agency; the Slovak Space Office is responsible for inter-ministerial political coordination and multilateral international cooperation; it serves as the official national contact point for international cooperation between space agencies, offices, associations, businesses, and research entities, and is part of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Sport (2023)
Space program overview
[time series]
focused on the development of satellites, satellite subcomponents, and other space-related technologies; as a member state of the EU, it is actively involved in all key components of the EU space program, and Slovak researchers actively participate in a variety of EU and/or European Space Agency (ESA) space missions including the Galileo global navigational system program, Copernicus Earth observation satellite program, Rosetta comet probe, BepiColombo (Mercury planetary orbiter), and Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission; has more than 40 established companies actively involved in the space sector (2023) note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide
Transnational Issues
Illicit drugs
[time series]
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market; consumer of MDMA (ecstasy)
Refugees and internally displaced persons
[time series]
refugees (country of origin): 117,265 (Ukraine) (as of 14 April 2024) stateless persons: 2,940 (2022)
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
114 (2024)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
[time series]
OM
Heliports
[time series]
2 (2024)
National air transport system
[time series]
number of registered air carriers: 4 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 45
Pipelines
[time series]
2,270 km gas transmission pipelines, 6,278 km high-pressure gas distribution pipelines, 27,023 km mid- and low-pressure gas distribution pipelines (2016), 510 km oil (2015) (2016)
Railways
[time series]
total: 3,627 km (2020) 1,585 km electrified
Roadways
[time series]
total: 45,106 km (2022)
Waterways
[time series]
172 km (2012) (on Danube River)