2023 Edition

Background

Slovakia traces its roots to the 9th century state of Great Moravia. Subsequently, the Slovaks 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, backlash to language and education policies favoring the use of Hungarian (Magyarization) encouraged the strengthening of Slovak nationalism and a cultivation of cultural ties with the closely related Czechs, who fell administratively under the Austrian half of the empire. After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of World War I, the Slovaks joined the Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. The new state was envisioned as a nation with Czech and Slovak branches. During the interwar period, Slovak nationalist leaders pushed for autonomy within Czechoslovakia, and in 1939 Slovakia became an independent state created by and allied with Nazi Germany. Following World War II, Czechoslovakia was reconstituted and came under communist rule within Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops 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 the spring of 2004 and the euro zone on 1 January 2009.

Area

land

48,105 sq km

total

49,035 sq km

water

930 sq km

Area - comparative

about one and a half times the size of Maryland; about twice the size of New Hampshire

Climate

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m

lowest point

Bodrok River 94 m

mean elevation

458 m

Geographic coordinates

48 40 N, 19 30 E

Geography - note

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

211 sq km (2015)

Land boundaries

border countries

Austria 105 km; Czechia 241 km; Hungary 627 km; Poland 517 km; Ukraine 97 km

total

1,587 km

Land use

agricultural land

40.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 28.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 10.8% (2018 est.)

forest

40.2% (2018 est.)

other

19.7% (2018 est.)

Location

Central Europe, south of Poland

Major rivers (by length in km)

Dunaj (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

flooding

Natural resources

lignite, small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country; slightly larger concentration in the west in proximity to the Czech border

Terrain

rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south

Age structure

0-14 years

14.87% (male 415,224/female 391,397)

15-64 years

66.49% (male 1,811,919/female 1,795,499)

65 years and over

18.64% (2023 est.) (male 404,979/female 606,301)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

4.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

4.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

10.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

2.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

10.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

7.2% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

47.9% (2023 est.)

Death rate

11.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

25.8

potential support ratio

3.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

49.5

youth dependency ratio

23.7

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

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

0.77 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

5.7 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

4.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

5.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Languages

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

female

80.4 years

male

73.1 years

total population

76.6 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

441,000 BRATISLAVA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

44.1 years

male

41 years

total

42.5 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

27.2 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Slovak

noun

Slovak(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.5% (2016)

Physicians density

3.57 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

5,425,319 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country; slightly larger concentration in the west in proximity to the Czech border

Population growth rate

-0.13% (2023 est.)

Religions

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

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2020)

male

14 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.67 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

25.6% (2020 est.)

male

37.4% (2020 est.)

total

31.5% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.17% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

54% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

24.6%

male

19.6%

total

21.5% (2021 est.)

Administrative divisions

8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banska Bystrica, Bratislava, Kosice, Nitra, Presov, Trencin, Trnava, Zilina

Capital

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)

geographic coordinates

48 09 N, 17 07 E

name

Bratislava

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

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

amendments

proposed by the National Council; passage requires at least three-fifths majority vote of Council members; amended many times, last in 2020

history

several previous (preindependence); latest passed by the National Council 1 September 1992, signed 3 September 1992, effective 1 October 1992

Country name

conventional long form

Slovak Republic

conventional short form

Slovakia

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

local long form

Slovenska republika

local short form

Slovensko

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Gautam A. RANA (since 28 September 2022)

email address and website

consulbratislava@state.govhttps://sk.usembassy.gov/

embassy

P.O. Box 309, 814 99 Bratislava

FAX

[421] (2) 5441-8861

mailing address

5840 Bratislava Place, Washington DC  20521-5840

telephone

[421] (2) 5443-3338

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Radovan JAVORCIK (since 18 January 2021)

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

emb.washington@mzv.skhttps://www.mzv.sk/web/washington-en

FAX

[1] (202) 237-6438

telephone

[1] (202) 237-1054

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

chief of state

President Zuzana CAPUTOVA (since 15 June 2019)

election results

2019: Zuzana CAPUTOVA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Zuzana CAPUTOVA (PS) 58.4%, Maros SEFCOVIC (independent) 41.6%2014: Andrej KISKA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Andrej KISKA (independent) 59.4%, Robert FICO (Smer-SD) 40.6%

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 last held on 16 March and 30 March 2019 (next to be held March 2024); 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

head of government

Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 25 May 2023); Deputy Prime Minister Lívia VASAKOVA (since 23 May 2023)

Flag description

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

note: the Pan-Slav colors were inspired by the 19th-century flag of Russia

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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

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

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

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)

election results

2023: 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, 102020; percent of vote by party - OLaNO-NOVA 25%, Smer-SD 18.3%, Sme-Rodina or SR 8.2%, LSNS 8%, SaS 6.2%, Za Ludi or ZL 5.8%, other 28.5%; seats by party - OLaNO-NOVA 53, Smer-SD 38, Sme-Rodina 17, LSNS 17, SaS 13, Za Ludi 12; composition (as of April 2023) - men 117, women 33, percent of women 22%

elections

last held on 30 September 2023; next election to be held in February 2024

National anthem

lyrics/music

Janko MATUSKA/traditional

name

"Nad Tatrou sa blyska" (Lightning Over the Tatras)

note

note: adopted 1993, in use since 1844; music based on the Slovak folk song "Kopala studienku" (She was digging a well)

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica (c); Levoča, Spišský Hrad, and the Associated Cultural Monuments (c); Vlkolínec (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)

total World Heritage Sites

8 (6 cultural, 2 natural)

National holiday

Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)

National symbol(s)

double-barred cross (Cross of St. Cyril and St. Methodius) surmounting three peaks; national colors: white, blue, red

Political parties and leaders

Alliance-Szovetseg or A-S [Krisztian FORRO]Christian Union or KÚ [Anna ZABORSKA]Civic Conservative Party or OKS [Ondrej DOSTAL]Democrats [Eduard HEGER]Direction-Social Democracy or Smer-SSD [Robert FICO]For the People or Za Ludi [Veronika REMISOVA]Freedom and Solidarity or SaS [Richard SULIK]Life National Party or Život–NS [Tomáš TARABA] (formerly Christian Democracy - Life and Prosperity - Alliance for Slovkia)New Majority or NOVA [Gábor GRENDEL]Ordinary People and Independent Personalities - New Majority or OLaNO-NOVA [Igor MATOVIC]People's Party Our Slovakia or LSNS [Marian KOTLEBA]Progressive Slovakia or PS [Michal SIMECKA]Republic [Milan UHRIK]Slovak National Party or SNS [Andrej DANKO]Voice - Social Democracy or Hlas-SD [Petr PELLIGRINI]We Are Family or Sme-Rodina [Boris KOLLAR] (formerly Party of Citizens of Slovakia)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

wheat, maize, sugar beets, milk, barley, rapeseed, potatoes, sunflower seeds, soybeans, pork

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

5% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

18.4% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$44.914 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$43.495 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

A (2020)

Moody's rating

A2 (2012)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

A+ (2015)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$3.532 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$671.914 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$2.875 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$114.224 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$115.853 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

high-income, EU-member European economy; major electronics and automobile exporter; new anticorruption and judiciary reforms; low unemployment; low regional innovation; strong financial sector

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

0.885 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.847 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$96.859 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$90.546 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$107.43 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, video displays, broadcasting equipment, tires, refined petroleum (2019)

Exports - partners

Germany 22%, Czechia 11%, Poland 7%, France 7%, Hungary 6%, Austria 5%, United Kingdom 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

96.3% (2017 est.)

government consumption

19.2% (2017 est.)

household consumption

54.7% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-92.9% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.2% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

3.8% (2017 est.)

industry

35% (2017 est.)

services

61.2% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$105.388 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

23.2 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

19.3% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%

3.3%

Imports

Imports 2019

$96.755 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$88.214 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$107.358 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, broadcasting equipment, crude petroleum, natural gas, insulated wiring (2019)

Imports - partners

Germany 18%, Czechia 18%, Poland 8%, Hungary 7%, Russia 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

2.46% (2021 est.)

Industries

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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.66% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

1.94% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

3.15% (2021 est.)

Labor force

2.766 million (2021 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

3.9%

industry

22.7%

services

73.4% (2015)

Population below poverty line

11.9% (2018 est.)

Public debt

note

note: data cover general Government Gross Debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by Government entities, including sub-sectors of central, state, local government, and social security funds

Public debt 2018

62.29% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

61.99% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

77.36% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$174.388 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$168.503 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$173.582 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.52% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-3.37% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.01% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$32,000 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$30,900 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$31,900 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$7.169 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$9.344 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$9.61 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

18.5% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

5.75% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

6.69% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

6.74% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

24.6%

male

19.6%

total

21.5% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

11.521 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

9.238 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

11.747 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

32.506 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

5.371 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

3.111 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

2.148 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

135 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

26.503 billion kWh (2020 est.)

exports

12.97 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

13.288 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

7.868 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.589 billion kWh (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

5.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

19.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

16.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

55.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

2.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

129.665 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

4.928 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2020 est.)

imports

4.361 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

production

62.495 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

proven reserves

14.158 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

2.31GW (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

1

Number of nuclear reactors under construction

1

Number of operational nuclear reactors

5 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

52.3% (2021)

Percent of total energy produced

70.4% (2021)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

100 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

109,800 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

9 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

85,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

3,800 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

81,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

38,340 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

131,300 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

31 (2020 est.)

total

1,701,561 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

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

.sk

Internet users

percent of population

89% (2021 est.)

total

4.806 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 11 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 135 per 100 teledensity (2021)

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 (2021)

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

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

540,558 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

132 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

7,445,151 (2022 est.)

Airports

35 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

19

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

15

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OM

Heliports

1 (2021)

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

45

number of registered air carriers

4 (2020)

Pipelines

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)

Ports and terminals

river port(s)

Bratislava, Komarno (Danube)

Railways

total

3,627 km (2020) 1,585 km electrified

Roadways

total

56,926 km (2016) (includes local roads, national roads, and 464 km of highways)

Waterways

172 km (2012) (on Danube River)

Military - note

the Slovak military was created from the Czechoslovak Army after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in January 1993; it is a small and professional force 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 missionsthe military operates under a General Staff and a Joint Operations Command; the combat units of the subordinate Land Forces are two mechanized infantry brigades, plus separate battalions of artillery and reconnaissance forces; the separate Special Operations Forces include special forces and airborne units; the 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; as a landlocked country, Slovakia does not have a naval force (2023)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (Ozbrojene Sily Slovenskej Republiky): Land Forces (Slovenské Pozemné Sily), Air Forces (Slovenské Vzdušné Sily), Special Operations Forces (Sily Pre Speciálne Operácie)Ministry of Interior: Slovak Police Force (SPF or Policajný Zbor) (2023)

note

note: the SPF has sole responsibility for internal and border security

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 14,000 active-duty personnel (8,000 Land Forces; 4,000 Air Forces; 2,000 other, including staff, special operations, and support forces) (2023)

Military deployments

240 Cyprus (UNFICYP); up to 150 Latvia (NATO) (2023)

note

note: in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries, including Slovakia, have sent additional troops and equipment to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in eastern Europe

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists mostly of Soviet-era platforms; in recent years, it has imported limited quantities of more modern equipment, particularly from Italy and the US (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

1.7% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.9% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.7% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription in peacetime suspended in 2004 (2023)

note

note: as of 2020, women made up around 12% of the military's full-time personnel

Disputes - international

Slovakia-Austria: none identified Slovakia-Czechia: none identified Slovakia-Hungary: initiated by the 1977 Budapest Treaty, Hungary and formerly Czechoslovakia agreed to a hydroelectric dam project on the Danube with dams to be constructed at Gabcikovo (Slovakia) and Nagymaros (Hungary) to prevent floods, improve river navigability, and to generate electricity; when Hungary suspended work on the project until its environmental impact could be assessed, Slovakia continued working on it and adopted a pared down strategy to divert the Danube so that all construction was within Czechoslovakian territory; Hungary terminated the project on environmental and economic grounds in 1989, and in 1992 both countries took the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ); the ICJ found largely in favor of then Slovakia, finding Hungary had breached their agreement; however, then Czechoslovakia should not have begun the alternative plan before the ICJ ruled on the case; in 2017, Hungary and Slovakia agreed to discontinue the ICJ proceedings Slovakia-Poland: none identified Slovakia-Ukraine: tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees are crossing the border to Slovakia to escape the Russian invasion in their country

Illicit drugs

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

refugees (country of origin)

112,350 (Ukraine) (as of 12 November 2023)

stateless persons

2,940 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

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

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

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 Appendix S

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

32.42 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

4.43 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

15.89 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Environment - current issues

air pollution and acid rain present human health risks and damage forests; land erosion caused by agricultural and mining practices; water pollution

Environment - international agreements

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

Land use

agricultural land

40.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 28.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 10.8% (2018 est.)

forest

40.2% (2018 est.)

other

19.7% (2018 est.)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Dunaj (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Revenue from coal

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.22% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

50.1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

230 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

290 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.17% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

54% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

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.)