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Austria vs Czechia
Bulgaria vs Slovakia
Side-by-side comparison of Bulgaria and Slovakia from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Bulgaria
Europe & Central Asia · nation age 1,345 years
Slovakia
Europe & Central Asia · nation age 33 years
In short
Slovakia scores 59.9 in the NationsTree Index (57th in the world) and Bulgaria scores 55.7 (67th), a gap of 4.3 points. Their trees are 9.9 m and 10.0 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Bulgaria has 19% more people than Slovakia. Bulgaria is 2.3 times larger than Slovakia by land area. Bulgaria and Slovakia have economies of similar size (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Bulgaria 6.4 million and Slovakia 5.4 million (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $49,309 in Slovakia and $44,451 in Bulgaria (2025, international dollars). People in Slovakia live on average 2.6 years longer (78.4 vs 75.8 years).
Of 37 indicators reported by both countries, Bulgaria ranks higher in the world on 15 and Slovakia on 22. Bulgaria is clearly stronger in military, economy and natural resources. Slovakia is clearly stronger in main industries and institutions & safety.
As a nation, Bulgaria is the older of the two (statehood since 681, 1,345 years), compared with Slovakia (since 1993). Over the last five years Bulgaria improved faster (direction score 10 vs 3 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Bulgaria and Slovakia.
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Bulgaria overtook Slovakia in GDP (PPP) in 2022 and has stayed ahead since.
Slovakia overtook Bulgaria in the NationsTree Index in 2019 and has stayed ahead since.
Slovakia overtook Bulgaria in life expectancy in 1992 and has stayed ahead since.
Slovakia has been ahead of Bulgaria in GDP per person (PPP) in every year since 1990.
Bulgaria has been ahead of Slovakia in population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
BulgariaSlovakia All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Bulgaria | Slovakia |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 111,000105th/216 · 2024 | 49,030129th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 108,560102nd/216 · 2024 | 48,080129th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 6.4 m111th/217 · 2025 | 5.4 m122nd/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | -0.13%181st/217 · 2025 | -0.15%183rd/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 59.3146th/216 · 2024 | 112.895th/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 74.2%76th/217 · 2025 | 53.2%148th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 14.4%190th/217 · 2025 | 15.6%171st/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 22.2%18th/217 · 2025 | 19.0%42nd/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $130.78 bn63rd/210 · 2025 | $154.53 bn60th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $285.97 bn70th/199 · 2025 | $266.95 bn75th/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $227.26 bn74th/199 · 2025 | $220.29 bn75th/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $20,32874th/210 · 2025 | $28,54459th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $44,45160th/199 · 2025 | $49,30956th/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $17,78073rd/201 · 2025 | $26,41054th/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 3.1%110th/210 · 2025 | 0.8%180th/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 4.6%134th/180 · 2025 | 4.0%122nd/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | 3.5%59th/187 · 2025 | 5.4%99th/187 · 2025 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 29.9%33rd/189 · 2025 | 61.4%118th/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -3.0%107th/192 · 2025 | -4.5%141st/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 2.5%140th/197 · 2025 | 1.6%155th/197 · 2025 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 21.2%120th/200 · 2025 | 28.1%63rd/200 · 2025 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | — | 16.2%36th/192 · 2025 |
| Services % of GDP | 63.3%66th/200 · 2025 | 59.8%86th/200 · 2025 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $66.35 bn58th/182 · 2025 | $131.50 bn43rd/182 · 2025 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $67.71 bn59th/182 · 2025 | $131.73 bn41st/182 · 2025 |
| Exports % of GDP | 50.7%51st/183 · 2025 | 85.1%15th/183 · 2025 |
| Imports % of GDP | 51.8%77th/183 · 2025 | 85.2%17th/183 · 2025 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 102.5%58th/183 · 2025 | 170.3%13th/183 · 2025 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 7.3%62nd/170 · 2025 | 3.6%82nd/170 · 2025 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 54.3%64th/171 · 2025 | 88.9%6th/171 · 2025 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 16.2%86th/171 · 2025 | 4.7%141st/171 · 2025 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 15.4%32nd/171 · 2025 | 1.8%112th/171 · 2025 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 13.4%53rd/168 · 2024 | 10.6%60th/168 · 2024 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | -6.1%153rd/191 · 2025 | -3.6%123rd/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 3.7%57th/196 · 2025 | 1.3%127th/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 0.9%119th/209 · 2021 | 0.2%149th/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.02%97th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%112th/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.01%87th/197 · 2021 | 0.01%84th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.13%28th/195 · 2021 | 0.01%56th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.59%52nd/209 · 2021 | 0.01%83rd/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 0.17%97th/209 · 2021 | 0.20%93rd/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 32.2%25th/206 · 2024 | 27.1%36th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | 3,24878th/183 · 2022 | 2,32096th/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 5.0 m38th/194 · 2020 | 15.3 m17th/194 · 2018 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $1.79 bn53rd/175 · 2020 | $1.30 bn63rd/175 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 4.4%90th/168 · 2020 | 1.4%143rd/168 · 2020 |
| Outbound trips departures | 4.0 m33rd/107 · 2020 | 5.2 m29th/107 · 2019 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 75.8101st/217 · 2024 | 78.463rd/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 5.747th/196 · 2024 | 6.352nd/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 4.3323rd/174 · 2022 | 3.7038th/174 · 2022 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 8.25th/145 · 2023 | 5.621st/145 · 2023 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 94%66th/193 · 2024 | 96%48th/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 97.0%20th/153 · 2023 | 99.4%6th/153 · 2023 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 94.8%81st/173 · 2024 | 93.2%87th/173 · 2024 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | 73.6%2007 | 88.6%2009 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 35.1%19th/217 · 2025 | 29.1%42nd/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 7.9%64th/193 · 2023 | 7.4%79th/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | 98.3%2011 | — |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 69.5%50th/150 · 2024 | 54.5%70th/150 · 2024 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.84555th/193 · 2023 | 0.88044th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 39.584th/108 · 2023 | 23.82nd/108 · 2023 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 1.0%50th/108 · 2023 | 0.5%36th/108 · 2023 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed drinking water % of population | 96.2%48th/150 · 2024 | 99.6%24th/150 · 2024 |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | 75.7%56th/144 · 2024 | 83.4%46th/144 · 2024 |
| Internet users % of population | 82.4%93rd/186 · 2024 | 89.8%57th/186 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 11897th/210 · 2024 | 14041st/210 · 2024 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 37.036th/208 · 2023 | 33.847th/208 · 2024 |
| Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) score 1–5 | 3.1051st/164 · 2022 | 3.3043rd/164 · 2022 |
| Rail lines route-km | 4,03132nd/82 · 2021 | 3,62636th/82 · 2021 |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 723,825108th/161 · 2023 | 1,925157th/161 · 2022 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 5.31155th/203 · 2024 | 5.51158th/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 20.4%105th/212 · 2021 | 17.9%114th/212 · 2021 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 19.7114th/200 · 2023 | 13.771st/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 36.4%92nd/214 · 2024 | 40.3%79th/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 2,60841st/149 · 2024 | 2,92538th/149 · 2024 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 54.997th/205 · 2025 | 64.361st/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 42.2114th/207 · 2025 | 49.290th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 57.9101st/207 · 2025 | 66.174th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 69.994th/207 · 2025 | 77.368th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 61.369th/205 · 2025 | 62.064th/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 62.784th/205 · 2025 | 73.351st/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 1.145th/145 · 2023 | 1.148th/145 · 2023 |
| Military | ||
| Military expenditure USD | $2.59 bn61st/156 · 2025 | $3.12 bn55th/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of GDP | 2.0%65th/156 · 2025 | 2.0%60th/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of government spending | 5.2%75th/154 · 2025 | 4.2%103rd/154 · 2025 |
| Armed forces personnel people | 37,00082nd/170 · 2020 | 18,000110th/170 · 2020 |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | 1.18%55th/168 · 2020 | 0.67%97th/168 · 2020 |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 540.0 m19th/163 · 2025 | 445.0 m24th/163 · 2025 |
| Arms exports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 33.0 m38th/65 · 2024 | 9.0 m48th/65 · 2025 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| R&D spending % of GDP | 0.79%48th/110 · 2023 | 1.03%40th/110 · 2023 |
| Patent applications by residents applications | 17963rd/137 · 2024 | 16764th/137 · 2024 |
| Scientific articles articles | 4,99861st/197 · 2023 | 5,33258th/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Bulgaria or Slovakia?
Bulgaria has the larger population: 6.4 m (2025) compared with 5.4 m for Slovakia (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Bulgaria or Slovakia?
Bulgaria is larger: 111,000 km² (2024) compared with 49,030 km² for Slovakia (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Bulgaria or Slovakia?
Bulgaria has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $285.97 bn intl. (2025) compared with $266.95 bn intl. for Slovakia (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Bulgaria or Slovakia?
Slovakia has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $49,309 intl. (2025) compared with $44,451 intl. for Bulgaria (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Bulgaria or Slovakia?
Slovakia has the higher life expectancy at birth: 78.4 years (2024) compared with 75.8 years for Bulgaria (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which spends more on the military, Bulgaria or Slovakia?
Slovakia spends more on the military: $3.12 bn (2025) compared with $2.59 bn for Bulgaria (2025). Source: World Bank, MS.MIL.XPND.CD.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Bulgaria or Slovakia?
Slovakia: 59.9 points (57th in the world); Bulgaria: 55.7 points (67th). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Finland
Serbia
CroatiaSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Bulgaria vs Slovakia — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/bulgaria-vs-slovakia. Data as of 26 October 2026.