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Europe
Page last updated: May 22, 2024
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.
Central Europe, south of Poland
48°40' N, 19°30' E
Europe
Total: 49,035 km²
Land: 48,105 km²
Water: 930 km²
About one and a half times the size of Maryland; about twice the size of New Hampshire
Area comparison map:
Total: 1,587 km
Border countries (5): Austria 105 km; Czechia 241 km; Hungary 627 km; Poland 517 km; Ukraine 97 km
0 km (landlocked)
None (landlocked)
Temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south
Highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 m
Lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m
Mean elevation: 458 m
Lignite, small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land
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.)
211 km² (2015)
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
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 km²)
A fairly even distribution throughout most of the country; slightly larger concentration in the west in proximity to the Czech border
Flooding
Landlocked; most of the country is rugged and mountainous; the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys
Total: 5,563,649
Male: 2,684,747
Female: 2,878,902 (2024 est.)
Comparison rankings: female 117; male 121; total 119
Noun: Slovak(s)
Adjective: Slovak
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
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.
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.)
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)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 49.5
Youth dependency ratio: 23.7
Elderly dependency ratio: 25.8
Potential support ratio: 3.9 (2021 est.)
Total: 42.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 41.3 years
Female: 44.4 years
-0.08% (2024 est.)
10 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
11.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
A fairly even distribution throughout most of the country; slightly larger concentration in the west in proximity to the Czech border
Urban population: 54% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.17% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
441,000 BRATISLAVA (capital) (2023)
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.)
27.2 years (2020 est.)
5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
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
Total population: 77.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 73.7 years
Female: 81 years
1.6 children born/woman (2024 est.)
0.77 (2024 est.)
NA
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.)
7.2% of GDP (2020)
3.57 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
5.7 beds/1,000 population (2018)
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.)
20.5% (2016)
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.)
Total: 31.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 37.4% (2020 est.)
Female: 25.6% (2020 est.)
NA
47.9% (2023 est.)
4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA
Total: 15 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 15 years (2020)
Air pollution and acid rain present human health risks and damage forests; land erosion caused by agricultural and mining practices; water pollution
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
Temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
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.)
Urban population: 54% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.17% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
0.22% of GDP (2018 est.)
0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
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.)
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.)
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
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 km²)
Municipal: 290 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 230 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
50.1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total global geoparks and regional networks: 1
Global geoparks and regional networks: Novohrad-Nógrád (includes Hungary) (2023)
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
Parliamentary republic
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)
8 regions (kraje, singular - kraj); Banska Bystrica, Bratislava, Kosice, Nitra, Presov, Trencin, Trnava, Zilina
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Constitution Day, 1 September (1992)
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
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
Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
18 years of age; universal
Chief of state: President Zuzana CAPUTOVA (since 15 June 2019)
Head of government: Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 25 October 2023); Deputy Prime Ministers Robert KALINAK, Denisa SAKOVA, Tomas TARABA, and Peter KMEC (all 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 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 first round - Ivan KORCOK (independent) 42.5%; Peter PELLEGRINI (Hlas-SD) 37%; Stefan HARABIN (independent) 11.7%, other 8.8%; percent of vote in second round Peter PELLEGRINI (Hlas-SD) 53.1%; Ivan KORCOK (independent) 46.9%; PELLEGRINI will takeoffice on 15 June 2024
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%
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)
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%
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;
Alliance-Szovetseg or A-S [Krisztian FORRO]
Christian Union or KĂš [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)
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, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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
Double-barred cross (Cross of St. Cyril and St. Methodius) surmounting three peaks; national colors: white, blue, red
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)
Total World Heritage Sites: 8 (6 cultural, 2 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales: Historic Town of Banská Ĺ tiavnica (c); LevoÄŤa, SpišskĂ˝ Hrad, and the Associated Cultural Monuments (c); VlkolĂnec (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)
High-income, EU-member European economy; major electronics and automobile exporter; new anticorruption and judiciary reforms; low unemployment; low regional innovation; strong financial sector
$180.205 billion (2022 est.)
$177.105 billion (2021 est.)
$169.011 billion (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
1.75% (2022 est.)
4.79% (2021 est.)
-3.34% (2020 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$33,200 (2022 est.)
$32,500 (2021 est.)
$31,000 (2020 est.)
Note: data in 2017 dollars
$115.462 billion (2022 est.)
Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
12.77% (2022 est.)
3.15% (2021 est.)
1.94% (2020 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices
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.
Agriculture: 3.8% (2017 est.)
Industry: 35% (2017 est.)
Services: 61.2% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: services 113; industry 47; agriculture 142
Household consumption: 54.7% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 19.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.2% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 96.3% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -92.9% (2017 est.)
Wheat, sugar beets, milk, maize, barley, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, potatoes, soybeans, pork (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
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
-0.4% (2022 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
2.815 million (2022 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
6.14% (2022 est.)
6.89% (2021 est.)
6.72% (2020 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Total: 21.5% (2021 est.)
Male: 19.6%
Female: 24.6%
13.7% (2021 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line
23.2 (2019 est.)
Note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
On food: 19.6% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 5.4% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
Lowest 10%: 3.6%
Highest 10%: 18.8% (2019 est.)
Note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
1.86% of GDP (2022 est.)
2.05% of GDP (2021 est.)
2.31% of GDP (2020 est.)
Note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Revenues: $43.495 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $44.914 billion (2019 est.)
-1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
79.31% of GDP (2021 est.)
78.41% of GDP (2020 est.)
63.15% of GDP (2019 est.)
Note: central government debt as a % of GDP
19.3% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
-$8.452 billion (2022 est.)
-$4.655 billion (2021 est.)
$671.914 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
$114.678 billion (2022 est.)
$109.565 billion (2021 est.)
$90.546 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Germany 20%, Czechia 11%, Hungary 9%, Poland 7%, France 6% (2022)
Note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Cars, vehicle parts/accessories, video displays, broadcasting equipment, electricity (2022)
Note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
$120.622 billion (2022 est.)
$109.265 billion (2021 est.)
$88.214 billion (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Czechia 18%, Germany 15%, Poland 9%, Russia 7%, Austria 7% (2022)
Note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Vehicle parts/accessories, broadcasting equipment, natural gas, cars, electricity (2022)
Note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
$10.28 billion (2022 est.)
$9.61 billion (2021 est.)
$9.344 billion (2020 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
$115.853 billion (2019 est.)
$114.224 billion (2018 est.)
Euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.95 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)
0.847 (2018 est.)
Electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 7.868 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 26.503 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Exports: 12.97 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 13.288 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 1.589 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 118; imports 19; exports 17; consumption 67; installed generating capacity 73
Fossil fuels: 19.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Nuclear: 55.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Solar: 2.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 16.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Tide and wave: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Biomass and waste: 5.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 5 (2023)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 1
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 2.31GW (2023)
Percent of total electricity production: 52.3% (2021)
Percent of total energy produced: 70.4% (2021)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 1
Production: 2.148 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 5.371 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 3.111 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 135 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Total petroleum production: 3,800 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 85,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
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.)
131,300 bbl/day (2017 est.)
81,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)
38,340 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Production: 62.495 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Consumption: 4.928 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2020 est.)
Imports: 4.361 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 14.158 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
32.506 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 11.521 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 11.747 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 9.238 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
129.665 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
Total subscriptions: 541,000 (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2022 est.)
Total subscriptions: 7.445 million (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 132 (2022 est.)
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)
Domestic: fixed-line is 11 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 135 per 100 teledensity (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)
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
.sk
Total: 4.806 million (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 89% (2021 est.)
Total: 1,701,561 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 31 (2020 est.)
Number of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 45
OM
114 (2024)
2 (2024)
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)
Total: 3,627 km (2020) 1,585 km electrified
Total: 45,106 km (2022)
172 km (2012) (on Danube River)
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 PolicajnĂ˝ Zbor) (2024)
Note: the SPF has sole responsibility for internal and border security
2.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.8% of GDP (2022)
1.7% of GDP (2021)
1.9% of GDP (2020)
1.7% of GDP (2019)
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)
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)
18-30 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription in peacetime suspended in 2004 (2023)
Note: as of 2020, women made up around 12% of the military's full-time personnel
240 Cyprus (UNFICYP); up to 150 Latvia (NATO) (2024)
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 missions
The 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)
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)
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 Appendix S
Refugees (country of origin): 117,265 (Ukraine) (as of 14 April 2024)
Stateless persons: 2,940 (2022)
Transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe; producer of synthetic drugs for regional market; consumer of MDMA (ecstasy)