Factbook dossier
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 …
Location
Central Europe, south of Poland
Area
total : 49,035 sq km land: 48,105 sq km water: 930 sq km
Natural resources
lignite, small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land
Population
total: 5,563,649 (2024 est.) male: 2,684,747 female: 2,878,902
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: data represent population by nationality; Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 7 11% of Slovakia's population
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.
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.)
Environmental issues
air pollution and acid rain; land erosion from agricultural and mining practices; water pollution
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
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 meaning is unclear but has medieval Slavic origins; the name was adopted in 1919 after Czechoslovakia gained its independence, replacing the name Pre porok
Executive branch
chief of state: President Peter PELLEGRINI (since 15 June 2024) head of government: Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 25 October 2023) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); following National Council elections, 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 most recent election date: 23 March 2024, with a runoff on 6 April 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% expected date of next election: 2029
Legislative branch
legislature name: National Council (Narodna rada Slovenskej republiky) legislative structure: unicameral chamber name: National Council (Národná rada) number of seats: 150 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 9/30/2023 parties elected and seats per party: Smer - Social Democracy (Smer-SD) (42); Progressive Slovakia (PS) (32); Hlas (“Voice”) - SD (27); Coalition OĽaNO and Friends, 'For the People' and 'Christian Union' (16); Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) (12); Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) (11); Slovak National Party (SNS) (10) percentage of women in chamber: 23.3% expected date of next election: September 2027
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$218.762 billion (2024 est.) $214.343 billion (2023 est.) $209.794 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$40,300 (2024 est.) $39,500 (2023 est.) $38,600 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.8% (2024 est.) 10.5% (2023 est.) 12.8% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Germany 20%, Czechia 10%, Hungary 7%, USA 6%, Poland 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Germany 16%, Czechia 14%, Poland 8%, China 7%, Hungary 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (Ozbrojene Sily Slovenskej Republiky): Ground Forces (S lovensk Pozemn Sily) , Air Forces (S lovensk Vzdu n Sily) , Special Operations Forces (Sily Pre Speci lne Oper cie) Ministry of Interior: Slovak Police Force (SPF or Policajn Zbor) (2025) note: the SPF has sole responsibility for internal and border security
Military expenditures
2% of GDP (2025 est.) 2% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.8% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2021 est.)