Main growth and inequality challenges in Slovakia

Slovakia performs relatively poorly in most measures of material well-being

Main short-medium term economic indicators

General government expenditure

Efficiency of tax collection is low

Slovakia is specialised in low value-added manufacturing goods

Ensuring a transition towards cleaner activities

The public administration lags behind in developing e-government tools

Management of public human resource is weak

There is room to improve the business environment

Absorption of EU funds

Regional disparity is high and increasing

Regional labour mobility is low

Public support is skewed to home ownership

Active labour market policies need to be refined to strengthen mobility

Minimum wages are not adapted to local labour market conditions

The low skilled have worse labour outcomes in lagging regions

Raising infrastructure is key

The capacity of central and eastern firms to absorb technology is weak

Resource inputs and outcomes in the health sector

General government spending

Composition of general government spending

Education outcomes in secondary education and spending per student

Government investment and infrastructures are low

Resource inputs and performance in government general services

Public procurement

E-government

Digital agenda

Human resource management needs to be improved

Extent of bribery and corruption perception in selected areas

The tax wedge is high

Barriers to entrepreneurship have been reduced

Regulatory burden on SMEs

Services liberalisation

Indicators of judicial process

ICT justice budget and judicial performance

Slovakia has high regional inequality and low life satisfaction

Regional disparity in unemployment, 2013

Geographical and occupational mobility of workers is low

Home ownership is high

Low skilled unemployment is the main challenge for Slovakia

There is room for higher resources and efficiency in public employment services

The tax wedge for low-paid jobs is high

Lifelong learning is almost non-existent in lagging regions

Youth labour market performance is weak

Uneven resources of vocational education and training should be avoided

Inequalities of opportunity in education are high

Rising infrastructure is key

The quality of roads is weak

Public support to business R&D is insufficient

Slovakia is a main beneficiary from EU cohesion and structural funds in 2014-20

Lagging regions tend to receive less EU funds than planned

Sectoral allocation of EU funds are in line with growth challenges