Slovakia

• temperate;
• cool summers;
• cold, cloudy, humid winters

• lignite, small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore;
• salt;
• arable land

• landlocked;
• most of the country is rugged and mountainous;
• the Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys

noun:

Slovak(s)

adjective:

Slovak

total:

43.1 years (2025 est.)

male:

41.3 years

female:

44.4 years

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.)

total:

5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 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

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:

30.3% (2025 est.)

male:

34.5% (2025 est.)

female:

26.3% (2025 est.)

• air pollution and acid rain;
• land erosion from agricultural and mining practices;
• water pollution

• temperate;
• cool summers;
• cold, cloudy, humid winters

urban population:

54% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

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

municipal solid waste generated annually:

2.296 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

13.2% (2022 est.)

municipal:

306.21 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

224.562 million cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

32.851 million cubic meters (2022)

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:

• the country takes its name from the local Slav ethnic group;
• the origin of the group's name is unclear, although early forms were used in Medieval Latin (Sclavus) and Byzantine Greek (Sklabos)

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 Prešporok

history:

several previous (pre-independence); latest passed by the National Council 1 September 1992, signed 3 September 1992, effective 1 October 1992

amendment process:

proposed by the National Council; passage requires at least three-fifths majority vote of Council members

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

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

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

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

• Direction - Social Democracy or SMER-SD
• Freedom and Solidarity or SaS
• Progressive Slovakia or PS
• Republic
• Slovakia
• The Slovak National Party or SNS
• The Christian Democratic Movement or KDH
• Voice - Social Democracy or HLAS-SD

chief of mission:

Ambassador Andrej DROBA (since 16 December 2025)

chancery:

3523 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 237-1054

FAX:

[1] (202) 237-6438

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.mzv.sk/web/washington-en

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Gautam A. RANA (since 28 September 2022)

embassy:

P.O. Box 309, 814 99 Bratislava

mailing address:

5840 Bratislava Place, Washington DC 20521-5840

telephone:

[421] (2) 5443-3338

FAX:

[421] (2) 5441-8861

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://sk.usembassy.gov/

description:

• three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red;
• the national coat of arms (a red shield bordered in white, with a white double-barred cross of St. Cyril and St. Methodius on top of three blue hills) is centered over the bands but offset to the left

meaning:

white, blue, and red are the pan-Slav colors

note: the pan-Slav colors were inspired by Russia's flag

title:

"Nad Tatrou sa blyska" (Storm Over the Tatras)

lyrics/music:

Janko MATUSKA/traditional

history:

adopted 1993; music based on an 1843 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 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)

• high-income EU and eurozone economy;
• manufacturing and exports led by automotive sector;
• growth supported by private consumption and public investment from EU funds, tempered by trade risks;
• increased taxes and withdrawal of energy subsidies contributing to rising but manageable inflation;
• strong labor demand and influx of foreign labor offsets aging workforce

agriculture:

2% (2024 est.)

industry:

28.5% (2024 est.)

services:

60% (2024 est.)

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

• 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

total:

18.2% (2024 est.)

male:

20.1% (2024 est.)

female:

15% (2024 est.)

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

on food:

19.4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

4.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.8% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

18.2% (2022 est.)

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

Number of operational nuclear reactors:

5 (2025)

Number of nuclear reactors under construction:

1 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:

2.3GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production:

61.3% (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down:

3 (2025)

production:

2.315 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

6.066 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

13,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

3.658 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

19 million metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

7,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

90,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

9 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

46.585 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

4.277 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

4.56 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

14.158 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• state-owned public broadcaster, Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS), has 2 national TV stations;
• roughly 50 privately owned national, regional, and local TV stations;
• about 40% of households connected to multi-channel cable or satellite TV;
• multiple RTVS national and regional radio networks;
• 32 privately owned radio stations

refugees:

144,349 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

65 (2024 est.)