Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Slovakia instead of Bulgaria, you would:
Health
live 2.6 years longer
In Bulgaria, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Slovakia, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.
have 12.3% more access to essential health services
Bulgaria scores 73 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Slovakia scores 82 as of 2021.
be 28.3% more likely to be obese
In Bulgaria, 20.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Slovakia, that number is 26.1% of people as of 2024.
have 14.6% fewer doctors per person
Bulgaria has 43.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Slovakia has 37.0 as of 2022.
Economy
be 35.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bulgaria, 21.2% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Slovakia, however, that number is 13.7% as of 2021.
make 40.4% more money
Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $20,328 as of 2025, while in Slovakia, the GDP per capita is $28,544 as of 2025.
be 51.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Bulgaria, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Slovakia, that number is 5.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 33.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bulgaria, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Slovakia, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 15.2% more likely to die during infancy
In Bulgaria, approximately 4.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Slovakia, on the other hand, 5.3 children do as of 2024.
Safety
be 23.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bulgaria, road accidents kill 8.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Slovakia, they kill 6.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 94.0% less strain on fresh water
Bulgaria withdraws 40% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Slovakia withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 12.8% less electricity
Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Slovakia uses 4,675 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 52.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bulgaria, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Slovakia, it causes 30.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bulgaria vs. Slovakia
Slovakia: At a glance
How big is Slovakia compared to Bulgaria? See an in-depth size comparison.