Slovak Republic

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How’s Life?

The Slovak Republic performs well in a limited number of dimensions of well-being relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. The Slovak Republic outperforms the average in safety and social connections. It underperforms average in income,  health, environmental quality, and life satisfaction. These assessments are based on available selected data.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In the Slovak Republic, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 21 149 a year, less than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.

In terms of employment, about 68% of people aged 15 to 64 in the Slovak Republic have a paid job, above the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 73% of men are in paid work, compared with 62% of women. In the Slovak Republic, 4% of employees work very long hours in paid work, below the OECD average of 10%, with 6% of men working very long hours in paid work compared with 2% of women.

Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In the Slovak Republic, 92% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%. However, completion varies between men and women, as 93% of men have successfully completed high school compared with 92% of women. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored 469 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is lower than the OECD average of 488. On average in the Slovak Republic, girls outperformed boys by 12 points, well above the average OECD gap of 5 points.

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in the Slovak Republic is around 78 years, three years lower than the OECD average of 81 years. Life expectancy for women is 81 years, compared with 74 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 18.5 micrograms per cubic meter, above the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In the Slovak Republic, 81% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, lower than the OECD average of 84%.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and moderate levels of civic participation in the Slovak Republic, where 95% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, more than the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 66% during recent elections, lower than the OECD average of 69%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 80% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 75%.

When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Slovakians gave it a 6.5 grade on average, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

OECD in Action

OECD Economic Surveys: Slovak Republic

OECD’s periodic surveys of the Slovak economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.

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