Capital

Slowakei

name: Bratislava

geographic coordinates: 48 09 N, 17 07 E

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

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: the name was adopted in 1919 after Czechoslovakia gained its independence and may derive from later transliterations of the 9th century military commander, Braslav, or the 11th century Bohemian Duke BRETISLAV I; alternatively, the name may derive from the Slovak words brat (brother) and slava (glory)

Citizenship

Slowakei

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

Legal system

Slowakei

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

Suffrage

Slowakei

18 years of age; universal

Area

Slowakei

total: 49,035 sq km

land: 48,105 sq km

water: 930 sq km

Land use

Slowakei

agricultural land: 40.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 28.9% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 10.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 40.2% (2018 est.)

other: 19.7% (2018 est.)

Location

Slowakei

Central Europe, south of Poland

Age structure

Slowakei

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)

Birth rate

Slowakei

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

Death rate

Slowakei

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

Languages

Slowakei

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

Slowakei

total population: 76.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 73.1 years

female: 80.4 years

Major urban areas - population

Slowakei

441,000 BRATISLAVA (capital) (2023)

Median age

Slowakei

total: 42.5 years (2023 est.)

male: 41 years

female: 44.1 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Slowakei

27.2 years (2020 est.)

Net migration rate

Slowakei

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

Population distribution

Slowakei

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

Population growth rate

Slowakei

-0.13% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Slowakei

1.6 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Slowakei

urban population: 54% of total population (2023)

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

Education expenditures

Slowakei

4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Slowakei

total: 15 years

male: 14 years

female: 15 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Slowakei

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

Industrial production growth rate

Slowakei

2.46% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Slowakei

2.766 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Slowakei

11.9% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Slowakei

6.74% (2021 est.)

6.69% (2020 est.)

5.75% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Slowakei

77.36% of GDP (2020 est.)

61.99% of GDP (2019 est.)

62.29% of GDP (2018 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Slowakei

3.15% (2021 est.)

1.94% (2020 est.)

2.66% (2019 est.)

Exports

Slowakei

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

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

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

Exports - partners

Slowakei

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

Imports

Slowakei

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

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

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

Imports - partners

Slowakei

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

Airports

Slowakei

35 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Slowakei

total: 1,701,561 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 31 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Slowakei

total: 4.806 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 89% (2021 est.)

Railways

Slowakei

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

Roadways

Slowakei

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

Telephones - fixed lines

Slowakei

total subscriptions: 577,390 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Slowakei

total subscriptions: 7,362,325 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 135 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Slowakei

172 km (2012) (on Danube River)

Disputes - international

Slowakei

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