As of May 2026, the population of Slovakia is 5.6 million. The number of inhabitants has decreased by 23 thousand in the last year, representing a decline of 0.70%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 38.6 years in 2016 to 41.8 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 78.9 years and population density is 114.1 inhabitants per square kilometer.
The population growth rate of Slovakia peaked in 2022, reaching around 7.23% annually, but has since declined to approximately -0.41% in 2026. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 408.04 thousand in 2022 to nearly -23.07 thousand in 2026.
In Slovakia, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 74.4 years in 2006 to 78.9 years in 2026, representing an increase of more than 4 years over the past 2 decades.
The cities of Slovakia are mostly small, but 3 stand out with more than 100 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Bratislava, Bratislava Region, with approximately 423.7 thousand inhabitants. It is followed by Košice, Košice Region with 225 thousand and Petržalka, Bratislava Region with 112.4 thousand.
These are the 20 most populous cities in Slovakia:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bratislava, Bratislava Region | 423,737 |
| 2 | Košice, Košice Region | 225,044 |
| 3 | Petržalka, Bratislava Region | 112,380 |
| 4 | Nitra, Nitra Region | 86,329 |
| 5 | Prešov, Prešov Region | 82,927 |
| 6 | Žilina, Žilina Region | 81,219 |
| 7 | Banská Bystrica, Banská Bystrica Region | 74,590 |
| 8 | Trnava, Trnava Region | 62,806 |
| 9 | Trenčín, Trenčín Region | 58,278 |
| 10 | Martin, Žilina Region | 51,139 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Poprad, Prešov Region | 49,091 |
| 12 | Staré Mesto, Bratislava Region | 46,080 |
| 13 | Prievidza, Trenčín Region | 43,645 |
| 14 | Zvolen, Banská Bystrica Region | 39,844 |
| 15 | Považská Bystrica, Trenčín Region | 37,483 |
| 16 | Nové Zámky, Nitra Region | 36,781 |
| 17 | Michalovce, Košice Region | 35,874 |
| 18 | Karlova Ves, Bratislava Region | 35,644 |
| 19 | Dúbravka, Bratislava Region | 35,518 |
| 20 | Spišská Nová Ves, Košice Region | 34,855 |