Estonia vs Slovakia development indicators, 2024

Demography and Health

In terms of demography, Estonia has a total population of 1.4 million, making it significantly smaller than Slovakia, which has a population of 5.4 million. The crude birth rate in Estonia is 8 per 1,000 people, slightly lower than Slovakia's 9, ranking Estonia 64th compared to Slovakia’s 40th. The death rate is higher in Estonia at 11.7 per 1,000 people versus Slovakia's 10 per 1,000, placing Estonia 35th and Slovakia 51st.

Life expectancy at birth is 78.5 years in Estonia, which is slightly longer than Slovakia's 78 years. Additionally, the under-5 mortality rate indicates better health outcomes in Estonia, with just 2.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to Slovakia's higher rate of 6.1. On the undernourishment front, only 2.5% of Estonia's population is undernourished, whereas Slovakia has 3.6%, showing a healthier nutritional landscape in Estonia. However, the suicide mortality rate is concerning in Estonia at 14.9 per 100,000 people, significantly higher than Slovakia's 9.9, raising mental health concerns.

Economy

Estonia's economy demonstrates a GDP per capita of $31,170, ranking it 59th globally, which is higher than Slovakia's GDP per capita at $26,148, ranking 73rd. When considering purchasing power parity (PPP), Estonia’s GDP per capita reaches $49,334, whereas Slovakia's is $47,181. In terms of foreign direct investment, Estonia reports net inflows of -8.2% of GDP, indicating challenges in attracting foreign capital, compared to Slovakia's 2.5%, which reflects a more favorable environment for investors.

Both countries exhibit high export-oriented economies, with Estonia's exports of goods and services accounting for 76.3% of GDP versus Slovakia’s 85.2%. Additionally, while Estonia has a consumer price inflation rate of 3.5%, Slovakia's is lower at 2.8%, suggesting a more stable price environment in Slovakia.

Trade and Investment

Estonia's high-technology exports amount to $2.1 billion; however, Slovakia leads significantly with $10.1 billion. This discrepancy reflects Slovakia’s stronger position in the high-value manufacturing sector. The import levels replicate the export dynamic, with Estonia’s imports comprising 75.7% of GDP, lower than Slovakia's 85%, indicating a reliance on imported goods.

The current account balance shows Estonia with a deficit of -1.1% of GDP, compared to Slovakia's slightly larger deficit of -2.7%. This points to differing external economic resilience, with Estonia potentially in a better position to manage its external financial relationships.

Governance and Institutions

In governance, Estonia excels with a Control of Corruption score of 1.5, starkly better than Slovakia’s 0.3, reflecting stronger institutional integrity and public sector efficiency in Estonia. Government effectiveness also showcases Estonia's advantage with a score of 1.3 compared to Slovakia's 0.2. Regulatory quality and the rule of law further highlight Estonia's governance strength, scoring 1.4 versus Slovakia's 0.6 in both areas. Political stability shows both countries performing similarly, with Estonia scoring 0.7 compared to Slovakia's 0.6.

The unemployment rate in Estonia stands at 6.4%, slightly above Slovakia's 5.8%, indicating a marginally tighter labor market in Slovakia.

Infrastructure and Technology

Estonia possesses a strong logistics performance index score of 3.5, indicating good quality in trade and transport infrastructure, compared to Slovakia’s 3.3, which still reflects adequate performance. In terms of patent applications, Estonia’s residents filed 25, while Slovakia showcased a significantly higher number of 146 applications, signaling greater innovation activity in Slovakia.

Research and development expenditure in Estonia, at 1.8% of GDP, puts it ahead of Slovakia’s 1%, emphasizing Estonia's commitment to technological advancement and innovation capacity.

Environment and Sustainability

Estonia’s renewable energy consumption is notable at 38% of total energy usage, positioning it 5th globally, compared to Slovakia’s much lower figure of 17.9% in 16th place, reflecting Estonia's commitment to sustainable energy. Estonia’s water stress level is 10.8%, which is higher than Slovakia’s 2.4%, suggesting a more acute water resource management challenge in Estonia.

Finally, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, Estonia emits 10.5 tons of CO2 equivalent per capita, which is significantly higher than Slovakia's 8.3 tons. This may pose additional environmental challenges for Estonia as it works to balance economic growth with ecological sustainability.