Rising Poverty in Slovakia: Over 980,000 people at risk of social exclusion in 2024
In Slovakia, more than 980,000 people, approximately every sixth resident, faced poverty or social exclusion in 2024. Both the share and the number of individuals at risk increased compared to the previous year, marking a continuing trend of deteriorating poverty indicators since 2020. However, the situation showed improvement in two of the eight regions in Slovakia and remained unchanged in one. More than 20% of the population continued to face poverty in three regions.
The overall at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion rate reached 18.3% in 2024, representing over 980,000 individuals. This marked an increase of 37,000 people year-on-year. In 2023, 17.6% of the population were at risk, indicating a 0.7 percentage point rise within a year. These figures are based on the results of the EU SILC 2024 survey conducted by the Statistical Office of Slovakia, which assesses household income and living conditions.
The survey identifies those affected by one or more of the three dimensions of poverty: income poverty, severe material and social deprivation, or living in a household with very low work intensity. The aggregate indicator, known as the "at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion rate," measures the proportion of affected individuals within the total population. Severe material and social deprivation applies to those experiencing at least seven out of thirteen material deficiencies.
Examining the long-term development of poverty indicators, Slovakia saw a decrease in the share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion until 2020. In 2015, approximately 907,000 individuals were at risk, and by 2020, this number had declined significantly. However, the situation has been worsening since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rising prices, and inflation. While the overall trend continues to be negative, the rate of increase has slowed in recent years.
The most vulnerable group consists of those facing all three forms of poverty or social exclusion. According to EU SILC 2024 data, this group comprises 2.1% of the Slovak population, or about 112,000 individuals. Addressing their needs should be a priority in poverty reduction measures.
Regional disparities remain significant in Slovakia. The highest poverty rate has persistently been recorded in the Prešov region, where every fourth resident—around 224,000 people, or 28.0% of the population—was affected in 2024. Similarly, Banská Bystrica and Košice regions had poverty rates exceeding 20%. In contrast, the Bratislava region maintained the lowest share of people affected by poverty, standing at 8.6% in 2024, followed by Trnava at 12.1% and Žilina at 13.7%.
Year-on-year, the situation worsened in five out of eight regions, with the most significant deterioration observed in the Nitra and Trenčín regions. In Nitra, the number of people affected by poverty rose from 16.1% to 19.4%, an increase of 22,000 individuals. The Trenčín region also saw a rise from 13.8% in 2023 to 15.2% in 2024. Conversely, poverty rates declined in Bratislava, where the share fell from 9.5% in 2023 to 8.6% in 2024, and in Žilina, where the rate dropped from 14.0% to 13.7%. Banská Bystrica saw only a minimal change, with the rate remaining at 23.1%.
Households with children remain significantly more at risk than those without. In 2024, one-fifth of households with dependent children—20.4%—faced poverty, compared to slightly over 15% of households without children. Among households with children, single-parent families were the most vulnerable, with almost 38% of individuals at risk. However, this figure marked a notable improvement from 46.4% in 2023. Large families, defined as households with two adults and three or more dependent children, also remained highly vulnerable, with nearly 33% of individuals affected, although this figure had decreased from 37.1% in 2023. Among households without children, the most at-risk group consisted of single women aged 65 and older, with 30.3% affected.
The most prevalent form of poverty in Slovakia is income poverty, which affects individuals living in households with incomes below the national poverty line. In 2024, this threshold was set at EUR 6,103 per year, or EUR 509 per month for a single-person household, based on household income data from 2023. Approximately 14.5% of the population—around 778,000 individuals—lived below this line, marking a year-on-year increase of nearly 12,000 people.
Severe material and social deprivation is another significant factor, affecting 7.6% of the population, or 408,000 individuals. This number increased by over 33,000 year-on-year. The most common material hardships included the inability to afford a one-week annual holiday away from home (33.4% of residents), unexpected financial expenses of EUR 461 (28.2%), and replacing worn-out furniture (23.3%).
The third dimension, very low work intensity, affected 3.8% of the population, equivalent to nearly 206,000 people. This category includes working-age individuals living in households where members worked less than one-fifth of their annual work potential. The share of people at risk in this category increased by 0.2 percentage points year-on-year.
The report highlights the continued challenges in poverty reduction efforts in Slovakia while noting regional differences and slight improvements in some areas. Addressing income disparities, supporting vulnerable households, and improving employment opportunities remain key to mitigating the effects of poverty and social exclusion.
Source: Statistical Office of the SR
