2025 country profile

How democratic is
Slovakia?

Slovakia scores 64.1 out of 100 and ranks 64 of 179 in our independent 2025 democracy measure. Its lowest-scoring test is public reasoning. Explore the evidence and history below.

Democracys.org beta estimate, derived from V-Dem v16. A measure of political institutions and conditions—not a percentage of democracy or a judgment of people.

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DEMOCRACYS SCORE

64.1out of 100Substantial but incomplete

2025 rank64 of 179

10-year change−14.3

25-year change−17.3

Source-bound range55.8–71.9

Weakest areaReasoning

The source-bound range is an uncertainty guide, not a confidence interval for this combined score. How to read the range →

SCORE HISTORY

Slovakia, 1993–2025

The shaded area is a plain-language uncertainty guide. Treat small score differences cautiously.

About uncertainty

BEYOND THE NUMBERS

What changed on the ground?

A documented development to help interpret the institutions behind the score.

2025 context · Freedom House assessment

Accelerated lawmaking reduced scrutiny

A growing use of fast-track procedures limited debate and public input, including for major institutional changes. This concerns the quality of decision-making between elections: representatives and citizens need time to inspect and challenge proposals. A legislative majority does not eliminate the value of those safeguards.

Read the country report · Freedom in the World 2026

AI-assisted source summary · not independently expert-reviewed

What this context does—and does not—explain

This is a selected development, not a complete political history. Its date may differ from the selected comparison period. It is not evidence that one event caused a particular number of points, and it may describe progress even when this index declines.

The scores use V-Dem. The narrative summarizes a separate assessment by Freedom House, whose definitions and coverage differ. Neither organization endorses this website. The summary is AI-assisted, source-linked, and has not received independent country-expert review. Source checked October 5, 2026.

Why democracy measures can disagree →

UNDERSTAND THE CHANGE

What drove the score?

2015–2025 · the measured story

The score for Slovakia fell 14.3 points, from 78.4 to 64.1 between 2015 and 2025. All five areas declined. Public reasoning contributed the largest downward push in the score calculation.

Read the political context ↓

Largest influence on the calculation

Public reasoning

The evidence rates public justification, consultation, and engagement with opposing arguments less favorably.

Area score: 73.5 → 37.1
Approx. contribution to overall change: −8.4 points

Another important influence

Elections

The evidence rates electoral choice, voting rights, political organization, and the space for open debate less favorably.

Area score: 83.8 → 73.3
Approx. contribution to overall change: −2.0 points

These contributions explain the calculation—not the causes. The five area scores combine several indicators; they do not identify which individual law, election, or event changed.

When did the biggest shifts appear?

The largest year-to-year movements within this period. These are changes in annual estimates, not precise dates of political events.

2021–2022−2.2 points
The overall score fell from 79.4 to 77.2. Public reasoning supplied the largest downward contribution to that year’s calculated change.
2022–2023−2.5 points
The overall score fell from 77.2 to 74.7. Public reasoning supplied the largest downward contribution to that year’s calculated change.
2023–2024−9.8 points
The overall score fell from 74.7 to 64.9. Public reasoning supplied the largest downward contribution to that year’s calculated change.

Highest published score in this window: 79.4 in 2021. Small differences may fall within the source’s uncertainty.

See all five areas and how contributions are calculated

Changes in inputs versus contributions to the overall score
Area	2015	2025	Input change	Approx. contribution
Public reasoning	73.5	37.1	−36.4	−8.4
Elections	83.8	73.3	−10.5	−2.0
Rights and checks	86.0	75.9	−10.1	−1.9
Participation	72.0	64.4	−7.6	−1.5
Political equality	77.2	74.8	−2.4	−0.5

We change the five inputs from their starting to ending values in every possible order, then average each area’s effect on the formula. This distributes the formula’s interactions (a Shapley allocation). It is a mathematical attribution, not a causal estimate.

Inputs and published scores are rounded, so contributions are approximate and may not add exactly to the displayed total. No significance test is implied. Read the full scoring method →

BENEATH THE SCORE

Five dimensions of democracy

The headline score cannot show where a political system is strong or constrained. These five tests can. Each has equal weight in the beta standard.

Free and fair elections

Can people choose their leaders through broad voting rights, honest elections, free political groups, and open public debate?

73.3

Rights and checks on power

Are basic freedoms protected, laws applied fairly, courts independent, and leaders prevented from abusing power?

75.9

Public participation

Can people shape public life through civic groups, direct voting, and meaningful local and regional government?

64.4

Public reasoning

Do leaders explain decisions, consult the public, answer opposing arguments, and consider the common good?

37.1

Political equality

Do different social groups have equal rights, access, resources, and a real chance to influence political power?

74.8

HOW TO READ THIS PROFILE

Two kinds of evidence.
One clearer picture.

The score breakdown identifies which parts of the measure changed most. The country report adds documented political context. Together they help explain the institutions at stake—but they do not prove that a specific event produced a specific number of points.

Why this score differs from other democracy indices →

What a declining score can—and cannot—tell us about democratic backsliding

A recent improvement can coexist with a long-term decline. Always compare the dates, check the linked source, and consider developments the selected narrative does not cover.

ANNUAL DATA

Slovakia score table

Download Slovakia CSV

Year	Score	Source-bound range	Elections	Rights & checks	Participation	Reasoning	Equality
2025	64.1	55.8–71.9	73.3	75.9	64.4	37.1	74.8
2024	64.9	57.2–73.3	74.6	77.0	64.9	37.6	75.5
2023	74.7	68.8–82.2	81.2	90.0	68.4	57.6	78.5
2022	77.2	71.7–84.2	83.7	91.8	66.2	66.7	79.4
2021	79.4	75.0–86.1	83.9	90.8	67.4	78.3	77.8
2020	79.2	74.2–85.7	84.0	90.6	68.6	78.5	75.3
2019	78.6	73.5–85.2	84.1	87.5	69.1	76.1	77.0
2018	77.6	72.4–84.4	81.4	85.6	69.4	75.5	76.6
2017	77.7	72.4–84.8	83.5	85.6	69.4	73.9	76.7
2016	78.4	73.0–85.3	83.7	86.3	71.4	73.9	77.3
2015	78.4	73.3–85.5	83.8	86.0	72.0	73.5	77.2
2014	79.3	74.1–85.8	83.4	86.4	73.2	75.4	78.3
2013	79.4	74.3–85.9	83.5	86.8	73.6	75.4	78.3
2012	81.1	76.6–87.6	84.4	87.5	74.2	80.7	79.2
2011	82.4	78.0–88.4	85.1	88.7	73.6	84.5	80.3
2010	82.3	77.9–88.4	85.0	88.5	73.6	84.5	80.3
2009	79.3	74.4–86.3	83.5	87.7	70.8	76.3	78.6
2008	79.5	74.5–86.5	83.4	87.8	72.0	76.3	78.6
2007	79.6	74.6–86.6	83.5	88.2	71.9	76.3	78.6
2006	80.0	75.2–86.7	82.0	88.6	72.3	78.8	78.5
2005	81.3	76.6–87.5	84.5	88.6	73.6	81.7	78.3
2004	81.3	76.6–87.5	84.5	88.6	73.6	81.7	78.3
2003	81.2	76.4–87.4	84.3	88.6	73.6	81.7	78.3
2002	80.9	75.9–87.3	84.7	88.2	73.3	80.4	78.3
2001	81.5	76.6–87.8	84.9	88.2	75.8	80.4	78.3
2000	81.4	76.5–87.7	84.9	88.2	75.5	80.4	78.3
1999	79.9	74.8–86.4	84.4	88.2	75.5	80.4	71.4
1998	71.7	64.8–79.4	76.5	80.6	72.9	57.0	72.6
1997	66.2	58.2–73.9	70.2	74.2	71.0	45.9	72.2
1996	65.1	57.4–73.0	70.2	73.8	65.8	45.9	72.2
1995	65.2	57.3–72.9	70.2	74.0	65.8	45.9	72.2
1994	65.2	57.7–73.4	70.4	74.3	65.8	45.9	72.2
1993	67.9	61.2–76.2	75.0	83.5	57.1	53.9	72.3

CITE THIS PROFILE

Source and attribution

Democracys.org (2026), “Slovakia Democracy Score, 1993–2025,” Democracys Standard v1.0 beta; derived from Coppedge et al. (2026), V-Dem Country-Year Dataset v16.

Open source DOI

NEARBY IN THE 2025 RANKING

#62Sao Tome and Principe65.2 #63Sierra Leone64.7 #65Argentina63.6 #66Mongolia63.6

All rankings

How democratic isSlovakia?

Slovakia, 1993–2025

Accelerated lawmaking reduced scrutiny

Public reasoning

Elections

When did the biggest shifts appear?

Five dimensions of democracy

Free and fair elections

Rights and checks on power

Public participation

Public reasoning

Political equality

Two kinds of evidence.One clearer picture.

Slovakia score table

Source and attribution

How democratic is
Slovakia?

Two kinds of evidence.
One clearer picture.