Slovakia - Statistics & Facts
The Slovak Republic, known as Slovakia, is a country located in central Europe, bordering a total of five countries, namely Poland, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary. Its population figures show a stable positive trend, registering between 5.4 and 5.43 million people over the last decade. The largest city is also the capital of the country, Bratislava, with approximately 42,000 inhabitants living there.
In terms of population growth, Slovakia’s population has been on a decline since 2012. Recently, it reported the lowest growth in the last five years. The fertility rate in the country frequently fluctuates, declining between 2012 and 2013, but picking up again in 2014 to 2015. Slightly more than half of the population live in urban areas, but it seems that the Slovak people prefer living in the countryside rather than big cities: This is reflected in the urbanization rate, which decreased by almost 2 percent over the last decade.
Together with the Czech Republic, Slovakia had formed Czechoslovakia, which, until its dissolution in 1993, was mainly under communist rule. On the 1st of January 1993, the Czech Republic and Slovakia became two independent states. Slovakia's official language is Slovak, spoken by a large percentage of the population. The country has been a member of the EU since 2004 and implemented/adopted the euro as their national currency in 2009.
Shortly after the separation from the Czech Republic, and due to the country’s high levels of corruption, Slovakia’s economy had a hard time recovering from the economic slump it was in. Nevertheless, the economic policies implemented after 1998 made Slovakia a country with a stable economy, and nowadays its GDP has a growth rate of between 3 and 4 percent and is estimated to only slightly fluctuate (in both directions) in the foreseeable future. The services sector makes up for over 60 percent of the country’s GDP, whereas the industry sector amounts to more than one third of it. Its most important partner for import and export is Germany, with a share of approximately one fifth of the trade.
In terms of population growth, Slovakia’s population has been on a decline since 2012. Recently, it reported the lowest growth in the last five years. The fertility rate in the country frequently fluctuates, declining between 2012 and 2013, but picking up again in 2014 to 2015. Slightly more than half of the population live in urban areas, but it seems that the Slovak people prefer living in the countryside rather than big cities: This is reflected in the urbanization rate, which decreased by almost 2 percent over the last decade.
Together with the Czech Republic, Slovakia had formed Czechoslovakia, which, until its dissolution in 1993, was mainly under communist rule. On the 1st of January 1993, the Czech Republic and Slovakia became two independent states. Slovakia's official language is Slovak, spoken by a large percentage of the population. The country has been a member of the EU since 2004 and implemented/adopted the euro as their national currency in 2009.
Shortly after the separation from the Czech Republic, and due to the country’s high levels of corruption, Slovakia’s economy had a hard time recovering from the economic slump it was in. Nevertheless, the economic policies implemented after 1998 made Slovakia a country with a stable economy, and nowadays its GDP has a growth rate of between 3 and 4 percent and is estimated to only slightly fluctuate (in both directions) in the foreseeable future. The services sector makes up for over 60 percent of the country’s GDP, whereas the industry sector amounts to more than one third of it. Its most important partner for import and export is Germany, with a share of approximately one fifth of the trade.
