2024 Edition

Background

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.

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

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

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 births/1,000 population (2024 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

11.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

5.7 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

4.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

5.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 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

81 years

male

73.7 years

total population

77.2 years (2024 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

44.4 years

male

41.3 years

total

42.8 years (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

27.2 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Slovak

noun

Slovak(s)

Net migration rate

0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.5% (2016)

Physician density

3.57 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

female

2,878,902 (2024 est.)

male

2,684,747

total

5,563,649

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

-0.08% (2024 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

1.09 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.98 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 (2024 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 (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

54% of total population (2023)

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 JAVORČÍK (since 18 January 2021)

consulate(s) general

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 Peter PELLEGRINI (since 15 June 2024)

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%

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

head of government

Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 25 October 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); 76 seats needed for a majority

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%

elections

last held on 30 September 2023 (next to be held by 2027)

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

Alliance-Szovetseg or A-SChristian Union or KÚCivic Conservative Party or OKSDemocratsDirection-Social Democracy or Smer-SSDFor the People or Za LudiFreedom and Solidarity or SaSLife National Party or Život–NS (formerly Christian Democracy - Life and Prosperity - Alliance for Slovkia)New Majority or NOVAOrdinary People and Independent Personalities - New Majority or OLaNO-NOVAPeople's Party Our Slovakia or LSNSProgressive Slovakia or PSRepublicSlovak National Party or SNSVoice - Social Democracy or Hlas-SDWe Are Family or Sme-Rodina (formerly Party of Citizens of Slovakia)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

wheat, sugar beets, milk, maize, barley, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, potatoes, soybeans, pork (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

5% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

20% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$46.056 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$43.882 billion (2022 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 2021

-$4.655 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$8.452 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$2.088 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

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

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$109.565 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$114.678 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$121.238 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

cars, vehicle parts/accessories, video displays, broadcasting equipment, electricity (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Germany 20%, Czechia 11%, Hungary 9%, Poland 7%, France 6% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

91.4% (2023 est.)

government consumption

20.1% (2023 est.)

household consumption

58.9% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-90.1% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

22% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-2.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2% (2023 est.)

industry

32.7% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

56.5% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$132.794 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

24.1 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

19.2% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

3.4% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$109.265 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$120.622 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$118.869 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

vehicle parts/accessories, broadcasting equipment, natural gas, cars, electricity (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Czechia 18%, Germany 15%, Poland 9%, Russia 7%, Austria 7% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

15.61% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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) 2021

3.15% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

12.77% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

10.53% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

2.823 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

13.7% (2021 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

64.51% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$205.856 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$209.705 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$213.053 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.77% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

1.87% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

1.6% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$37,800 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$38,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$39,300 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

2.05% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

1.69% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$9.61 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$10.28 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$11.288 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.5% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

6.89% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

6.14% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.84% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

15.8% (2023 est.)

male

21.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

19.4% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

9.253 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

118,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

12.033 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

21.405 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

5.794 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

20,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

3.414 million metric tons (2022 est.)

production

2.343 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

19 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

26.372 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

15.336 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

16.709 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

8.029 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.236 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

7.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

17.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

11.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

nuclear

60.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

2.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

93.681 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

60.424 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

6.241 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

52.556 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

14.158 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

2.31GW (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

3 (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors under construction

1 (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

5 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

61.3% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

9 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

94,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

7,000 bbl/day (2023 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 10 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 132 per 100 tele density (2022)

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)

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

541,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

132 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

7.445 million (2022 est.)

Airports

114 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OM

Heliports

2 (2024)

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)

Railways

total

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

Roadways

total

45,106 km (2022)

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 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 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

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) (2024)

note

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

Military and security service personnel strengths

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

240 Cyprus (UNFICYP); up to 150 Latvia (NATO) (2024)

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, NATO-compatible equipment, particularly from Italy and the US (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

1.9% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.7% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.8% of GDP (2022)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.1% of GDP (2023)

Military Expenditures 2024

2% of GDP (2024 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 2021, women made up nearly 13% of the military's full-time personnel

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)

117,265 (Ukraine) (as of 14 April 2024)

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 the Space Programs reference guide

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

Geoparks

global geoparks and regional networks

Novohrad-Nógrád (includes Hungary) (2023)

total global geoparks and regional networks

1

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.)