Over the decade, the consumption of medicines increased by 71 % in the SR, the number of cars produced in Slovakia doubled and exceeded the value of one million cars. The average wage increased by a half and the amount of the solo old-age pension by 30 %. Accommodation establishments in Slovakia reached a record 6,4 million guests last year.

Europe and the whole world are commemorating the World Statistics Day on 20 October. This year is in a spirit of the idea "We connect the world with data we can trust". On this occasion, the Statistical Office issues the publication SLOVAK REPUBLIC IN FIGURES 2020. The current edition of the publication includes more than 130 key indicators about Slovakia. The situation in 2019 was not only evaluated, but also comparisons and developments in different areas of society over the last ten years.

"The publication contains a summary of selected economic and social indicators in the country, such as the population, but also about our education, health care and economy, housing, tourism and waste production in a visualized form by graphs," said Oľga Dzianová, General Director of the Statistical Products and Services Provision Directorate of the Statistical Office of the SR.

Moreover, the publication offers information that the life expectancy of the average Slovak was 74,3 years last year, while it increased by 2,7 years in ten years. The average Slovak woman lived to the age of 80,8, her age increased by 2,1 years in the last decade. In 2019, the number of marriages was by 17 % higher than in 2010 and we recorded a slight decrease in the last two years. Slovaks postpone until later not only the conclusion of the marriage, but also family planning. In ten years, the average age at first marriage for women increased by 2,1, brides were on average 29 years old and 5 months, the age of grooms also increased by two years to 31 years and 11 months. The average age of a mother with her first child shifted by less than a year to 28 years and one month, four of ten children were born out of wedlock.

Last year, we had more than 105 000 students attending the full-time education in Slovakia, their number was by a quarter lower than in 2010. Since 2010, the number of university graduates has also been declining; last year, the number of students completed their studies was by a half lower than in 2010, when there were less than 37 thousand of them. External studies also recorded a rapid decline in universities, in 2019 the number of students with distance learning was by 65 % lower than ten years ago.

The aging of the population is also reflected in a growth of the share of seniors over 65 years. While ten years ago they represented 12,4 % of the structure, in 2019 their share increased to 16,6 %. Their share was higher than the share of children under 14 (15,8 %) the second year. Pensioners received the solo average monthly old-age pension in the amount of € 460, which is by 30 % more than in 2010.

Household incomes and expenditures also increased since 2010, but the positive thing was that expenditures grew at a slower rate than incomes. While in 2010 households kept financial reserves of only € 41 per member per month, in 2019 they had available reserves of € 110. Net cash income per household member increased by more than 42 % in ten years, while expenditure by 25 %.

In last years, prices of some selected products also increased, but not at the same rate as pensions or wages. The average price of a dark bread rose by more than 15 % to € 1,4 per kilogram over ten years, and 10 hen eggs cost € 1,4 last year, i.e. by 19 % more than ten years ago.

The number of motor vehicles is constantly growing in the SR. In 2019, almost 2,4 million passenger cars drove on roads, i.e. an increase of 43 % compared to 2010. However, the number of road accidents fell by a third in ten years. The number of motorcycles also significantly increased, more than 117 000  in total, and their number has doubled in a decade.

In recent years, more waste was produced in Slovakia, since 2010 the production of municipal waste increased by 31,1 %. In the last decade, however, the recovery of municipal waste improved. While in 2011 almost 24 % was recovered, in 2019 the share of recovered municipal waste was at the level of more than 46 %.

The publication SLOVAK REPUBLIC IN FIGURES 2020 is supplemented by several key indicators from European statistics.