Economy of Slovakia
The economy of Slovakia is based upon Slovakia becoming an EU member state in 2004, and adopting the euro at the beginning of 2009. Its capital, Bratislava, is the largest financial centre in Slovakia. As of 2018, the unemployment rate was 5.72%.
Due to the Slovak GDP growing very strongly from 2000 until 2008 – e.g. 10.4% GDP growth in 2007 – the Slovak economy was referred to as the Tatra Tiger.
History
Since the establishment of the Slovak Republic in January 1993, Slovakia has undergone a transition from a centrally planned economy to a free market economy, a process which some observers were to believe was slowed in the 1994–98 period due to the crony capitalism and other fiscal policies of Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar's government. While economic growth and other fundamentals improved steadily during Mečiar's term, public and private debt and trade deficits also rose, and privatization was uneven. Real annual GDP growth peaked at 6.5% in 1995 but declined to 1.3% in 1999.Two governments of the "liberal-conservative" Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda pursued policies of macroeconomic stabilization and market-oriented structural reforms. Nearly the entire economy has now been privatized, and foreign investment has picked up. Economic growth exceeded expectations in the early 2000s, despite recession in key export markets. In 2001 policies of macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform led to spiraling unemployment. Unemployment peaked at 19.2% in 2001, and though it has fallen to 9.8% among the members of OECD and the third highest in the EU. The country has had difficulties addressing regional imbalances in wealth and employment. GDP per capita ranges from 188% of EU average in Bratislava to only 54% in Eastern Slovakia.
GDP growth
The development of Slovakia's GDP according to the World Bank:| Year | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| % GDP | 3.3 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 6.7 | 8.4 | 10.8 | 5.6 | −5.4 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 4.1 |
In 2007, Slovakia obtained the highest GDP growth among the members of OECD and the EU, with the record level of 14.3% in the fourth quarter. In 2014, GDP growth was 2.4% and in 2015 and 2016 Slovakia's economy grew 3.6% and 3.3% respectively. For year 2018, National Bank of Slovakia predicts raise of GDP by 4%.
Foreign investments
in Slovakia has increased dramatically. Cheap and skilled labor, a 19% flat tax rate for both businesses and individuals, no dividend taxes, a weak labor code, and a favorable geographical location are Slovakia's main advantages for foreign investors. FDI inflow grew more than 600% from 2000 and cumulatively reached an all-time high of, US$17.3 billion in 2006, or around $18,000 per capita by the end of 2006. The total inflow of FDI in 2006 was $2.54 billion. In October 2005 new investment stimuli introduced – more favorable conditions to IT and research centers, especially to be located in the east part of the country, to bring more added value and not to be logistically demanding.Origin of foreign investment 1996–2005 – the Netherlands 24.3%; Germany 19.4%, Austria 14.1%; Italy 7.5%, United States 4.0%. Top investors by companies: Deutsche Telekom, Neusiedler, Gaz de France, Gazprom, U.S.Steel, MOL, ENEL, E.ON...
Foreign investment sectors – industry 38.4%; banking and insurance 22.2%; wholesale and retail trade 13.1%; production of electricity, gas and water 10.5%; transport and telecommunications 9.2%.
Foreign direct investment " on green field"
- inflows -2003: US$756 million,2004: US$1261 million,2005: US$1908 million
- outflows-2003: US$22 million,2004: -144 million USD,2005: US$146 million
Services
Industry
Slovakia became industrialized mostly in the second half of the 20th century. Heavy industry was built for strategic reasons because Slovakia was less exposed to the military threat than the western parts of Czechoslovakia. After the end of the Cold War, the importance of industry, and especially of heavy industry, declined. In 2010, industry accounted for 35.6% of GDP, compared with 49% in 1990. Nowadays, building on a long-standing tradition and a highly skilled labor force, main industries with potential of growth are following sectors: Automotive, Electronics, Mechanical engineering, Chemical engineering, Information technology. The automotive sector is among the fastest growing sectors in Slovakia due to the recent large investments of Volkswagen, Peugeot, Kia Motors and since 2018 also Jaguar Land Rover in Nitra. Passenger car production was 1,040,000 units in 2016, what makes Slovakia the largest automobile producer in produced cars per capita. Other big industrial companies include U.S. Steel, Slovnaft, Samsung Electronics, Foxconn, Mondi SCP, Slovalco, Hyundai Mobis, Continental Matador and Whirlpool Corporation. In 2006, machinery accounted for more than a half of Slovakia's export.Largest companies by revenue
Largest companies by profit
Agriculture
In 2016, agriculture accounted for 3.6% of GDP and occupied about 3.9% of the labor force. Over 40% of the land in Slovakia is cultivated. The southern part of Slovakia is known for its rich farmland. Growing wheat, rye, corn, potatoes, sugar beets, grains, fruits and sunflowers. Vineyards are concentrated in Little Carpathians, Tokaj, and other southern regions. The breeding of livestock, including pigs, cattle, sheep, and poultry is also important.IT
In recent years, service and high-tech-oriented businesses have prospered in Slovakia. Many global companies, including IBM, Dell, Lenovo, AT&T, SAP, Amazon, Johnson Controls, Swiss Re and Accenture, have built outsourcing and service centres in Bratislava and Košice. Slovak IT companies included ESET, Sygic and Pixel Federation have headquarters in Bratislava.R&D
According to a recent report by the European Commission, Slovakia is low on the list of EU states in terms of innovation. Within the EU, it ranks next to last on knowledge creation and last for innovation and entrepreneurship. In the process of transition to a knowledge economy, it particularly lacks investment into education and a broader application of IT. The World Bank urges Slovakia to upgrade information infrastructure and reform the education system. The OECD states that a stronger product market competition would help.In March 2006, the Slovak government introduced new measures to implement the Action Plan for R&D and Innovation. The program covers the period from 2006 to 2010. The RDA is expected to launch at least one call for the expression of interests related to this program each year. The annual budget for the program will be set by the RDA. The overall amount available for the program depends on annual national budget resources and is likely to vary from year to year. Following an increase of around 50% in budget resources, the RDA disposes of a total budget of €19.31 million in 2006.
Labour
The minimum wage in Slovakia is set at 520 € per month, the average salary for 2017 was 1052 € per month, in the Bratislava region in 2017 the average salary was €1527 per month. As of February 2018 the unemployment rate stood at 5.88%.Statistics
Currency switch to the euroSlovakia switched its currency from the Slovak crown to the Euro on 1 January 2009, at a rate of 30.1260 korunas to the euro.
Foreign trade
| Year | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
| Exports € bn | 49.5 | 39.7 | 35.0 | 56.8 | 62.8 | 64.4 | 64.8 | 73.12 | 74.35 |
| Imports € bn | 50.3 | 38.8 | 34.6 | 55.8 | 59.2 | 60.1 | 60.2 | 71.09 | 71.47 |