If you lived in Slovakia instead of France, you would:

Health

have 12.7% more doctors per person

France has 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Slovakia has 37.0 as of 2022.

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be 40.2% less likely to die by suicide

France has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Slovakia, it is 9.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 4.6 years less

In France, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Slovakia, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 2.3 times more likely to be obese

In France, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Slovakia, that number is 26.1% of people as of 2024.

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see 53.0% less spent on your healthcare

France spends $6,868 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Slovakia spends $3,230 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 28.9% less likely to be unemployed

In France, 7.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Slovakia, that number is 5.4% as of 2025.

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be 12.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In France, 15.6% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Slovakia, however, that number is 13.7% as of 2021.

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make 41.7% less money

France has a GDP per capita of $48,986 as of 2025, while in Slovakia, the GDP per capita is $28,544 as of 2025.

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Life

be 42.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In France, approximately 7.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Slovakia, 4.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 55.9% more likely to die during infancy

In France, approximately 3.4 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.

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have 12.4% fewer children

In France, there are approximately 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Slovakia, there are 8.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 12.4% less on education

France spends 5.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Slovakia spends 4.7% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 36.3% less on healthcare

France spends 11.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Slovakia, that number is 7.3% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 16.4% less likely to be murdered

France has a homicide rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Slovakia, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 36.2% more likely to die in a road accident

In France, road accidents kill 4.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Slovakia, they kill 6.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 88.6% less strain on fresh water

France withdraws 21% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Slovakia withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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find 30.9% less home broadband

France has 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Slovakia has 33.8 as of 2024.

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use 27.5% less electricity

France uses 6,447 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Slovakia uses 4,675 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 3.0 times more likely to die from air pollution

In France, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Slovakia, it causes 30.0 as of 2019.

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emit 37.7% more CO2

France emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Slovakia emits 5.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Slovakia: At a glance

Slovakia is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 48,105 sq km. Slovakia's roots can be traced to the 9th century state of Great Moravia. Subsequently, the Slovaks became part of the Hungarian Kingdom, where they remained for the next 1,000 years. Following the formation of the dual Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1867, language and education policies favoring the use of Hungarian (Magyarization) resulted in a strengthening of Slovak nationalism and a cultivation of cultural ties with the closely related Czechs, who were under Austrian rule. After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the close of World War I, the Slovaks joined the Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar period, Slovak nationalist leaders pushed for autonomy within Czechoslovakia, and in 1939 Slovakia became an independent state allied with Nazi Germany. Following World War II, Czechoslovakia was reconstituted and came under communist rule within Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize communist rule and create "socialism with a human face," ushering in a period of repression known as "normalization." The peaceful "Velvet Revolution" swept the Communist Party from power at the end of 1989 and inaugurated a return to democratic rule and a market economy. On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a nonviolent "velvet divorce" into its two national components, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Slovakia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004 and the euro zone on 1 January 2009.
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