Slovakia Population
Slovakia had an estimated population of 5,413,813 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 122nd most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.07% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of −0.15% a year.
Slovakia at a glance
How Slovakia's population is changing
Slovakia's population is roughly stable: −0.15% a year, which works out to about −8,250 people per year, or −23 a day. Births (8.5 per 1,000) and deaths (9.9 per 1,000) alone would give −0.14% a year; net migration removes about 31,377 people a year (−0.58%). Roughly one in every 1,517 people on Earth lives in Slovakia.
Population of Slovakia since 1960
In 1960, Slovakia had 4,068,095 people. By 2025 that was 5,413,813 — 1.3× larger. The population peaked in 2020 at 5,458,827 and has declined since. The fastest growth came between 1960 and 1970, when the population rose by 12%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 4,068,095 | — |
| 1970 | 4,538,223 | +11.6% |
| 1980 | 4,979,815 | +9.7% |
| 1990 | 5,299,187 | +6.4% |
| 2000 | 5,388,720 | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 5,391,428 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 5,458,827 | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 5,413,813 | −0.8% |
Slovakia from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Slovakia at about 2,140,651 people in 1800; the UN estimates 5,474,874 in 2025 (3× 1800) and projects 3,427,219 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2023 at 5,518,057 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 2,140,651 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 2,392,070 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 2,865,937 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 3,465,750 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 5,380,001 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 5,474,874 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 4,936,493 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 4,090,674 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 3,427,219 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Slovakia
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 5,413,813. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bratislava | 288,533 | UN urban centre | 5.33% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Košice | 216,740 | UN urban centre | 4.00% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 3 | Prešov | 76,161 | UN urban centre | 1.41% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 4 | Žilina | 65,278 | UN urban centre | 1.21% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Banská Bystrica | 59,336 | UN urban centre | 1.10% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 6 | Trenčín | 58,278 | GeoNames settlement | 1.08% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Trnava | 55,695 | UN urban centre | 1.03% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 8 | Nitra | 54,146 | UN urban centre | 1.00% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 9 | Martin | 51,139 | GeoNames settlement | 0.94% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Poprad | 49,091 | GeoNames settlement | 0.91% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Slovakia compares
Slovakia has almost the same population as Palestine (5,413,596).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Slovakia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #120 |  Oman | 5,494,691 | +1% | compare → |
| #121 |  Ireland | 5,484,367 | +1% | compare → |
| #123 |  Palestine | 5,413,596 | −0% | compare → |
| #124 |  New Zealand | 5,324,700 | −2% | compare → |
Compare Slovakia with any country →
Same region (Europe & Central Asia): Russia, Türkiye, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy.
Explore around Slovakia
Land neighbours (5)
Ukraine 38,980,376 · 7.2× the population · compare
Poland 36,435,861 · 6.7× the population · compare
Czechia 10,886,878 · 2.0× the population · compare
Hungary 9,514,251 · 1.8× the population · compare
Austria 9,208,163 · 1.7× the population · compare
Slovakia's 5 neighbours together hold 105,025,529 people — 19.4× Slovakia's population. The most populous is Ukraine (38,980,376).
In its region
Slovakia is the 33rd most populous of the 58 economies in Europe & Central Asia, holding 0.6% of the region's 932,525,035 people.
Rankings featuring Slovakia
Cities
Bratislava, Košice, Prešov, Žilina, Banská Bystrica, Trenčín, Trnava, Nitra — all Slovakia's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Slovakia when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.