Consumer Lifestyles in Slovakia

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN
SLOVAKIA
Euromonitor International
November 2014
CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA
LIST OF CONTENTS AND TABLES

Top Five Consumer Trends .......................................................................................................... 1
Consumer Spending Remains Sluggish Amidst High Unemployment ...................................... 1
Many Consumers Still Going on Holiday Despite Economic Worries ....................................... 1
More Consumers Consumers Turning To Online Shopping ..................................................... 1
Obesity Rate Climbing .............................................................................................................. 2
Spending Patterns of Older Consumers Exhibit Significant Impact .......................................... 2
Consumer Segmentation .............................................................................................................. 3
Babies and Infants .................................................................................................................... 3
Tweenagers .............................................................................................................................. 6
Teens........................................................................................................................................ 7
Young Adults ............................................................................................................................ 8
Middle Youth ............................................................................................................................. 9
Mid-lifers ................................................................................................................................. 10
Late-lifers ................................................................................................................................ 11
Table 1
Chart 1
Consumer Segmentation and Population Data 2000, 2005, 2011,

2012, 2013, 2016 ....................................................................................... 12
Population Aged 15-64 Compared with Old-Age Dependency Ratio
2000-2020 .................................................................................................. 13
Housing and Households ........................................................................................................... 14

Home Ownership .................................................................................................................... 14
Household Profiles.................................................................................................................. 15
Running Costs ........................................................................................................................ 16
Table 2
Chart 2
Housing and Households Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ........ 18
Number of Households by Disposable Income Bracket 2005, 2010,
2016 ........................................................................................................... 19
Money and Savings .................................................................................................................... 20

Attitudes Toward Payment Methods ....................................................................................... 20
Savings ................................................................................................................................... 21
Loans and Mortgages ............................................................................................................. 22
Table 3
Chart 3
Money and Savings Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ................. 23
Consumer Lending Compared with Savings and Savings Ratio 20002016 ........................................................................................................... 24
Eating and Drinking .................................................................................................................... 24

Eating Habits .......................................................................................................................... 24
Drinking Habits ....................................................................................................................... 25
Table 4
Chart 4
Eating and Drinking Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ................. 26
Real Growth in Consumer Expenditure Compared with Real Growth
in Consumer Expenditure on Food and Alcoholic Drinks 2000-2016 ......... 27
Grooming and Fashion ............................................................................................................... 27

Perceptions of Beauty............................................................................................................. 27
Female Grooming ................................................................................................................... 28
Male Grooming ....................................................................................................................... 28
Fashion Trends ....................................................................................................................... 28
Table 5
Grooming and Fashion Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ............ 29
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Chart 5

in Consumer Expenditure on Clothing, Footwear and Personal Care
2000-2016 .................................................................................................. 30
Health and Wellness .................................................................................................................. 30

Attitudes To Health and Well-being ........................................................................................ 30
Obesity ................................................................................................................................... 31
Attitudes To Smoking.............................................................................................................. 31
Table 6
Chart 6
Health and Wellness Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ............... 32
Real Growth in Public and Private Expenditure on Health Compared
with Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth 2000-2013 ....................................... 33
Shopping Habits ......................................................................................................................... 34

Main Household Shop ............................................................................................................ 34
Shopping for Big-ticket Items .................................................................................................. 35
Personal Shopping ................................................................................................................. 36
Shopping Online ..................................................................................................................... 36
Table 7
Chart 7
Shopping Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ................................. 37

Index of Retail Sales through Discounters, Hypermarkets,
Supermarkets and Internet Retailing 2000-2016 ........................................ 38
Leisure and Recreation .............................................................................................................. 39

Staying in ................................................................................................................................ 39
Going Out ............................................................................................................................... 40
Sport and Fitness.................................................................................................................... 41
Holidays .................................................................................................................................. 41
Public Holidays, Celebrations and Gift-giving ......................................................................... 42
Table 8
Chart 8
Leisure and Recreation Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ........... 43
Percentage of Households in Possession of Cable TV; Satellite TV
System; Internet Enabled Computer; Mobile Telephone; Video
Games Console 2000-2016 ....................................................................... 45
Getting Around ........................................................................................................................... 45

Private Transport .................................................................................................................... 45
Public Transport...................................................................................................................... 45
Commuting ............................................................................................................................. 46
Air Travel ................................................................................................................................ 47
Table 9
Chart 9
Transport Data: 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ................................ 48

in Consumer Expenditure on Transport Services and Purchase of
Cars, Motorcycles and other Vehicles 2000-2016 ...................................... 48
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II
CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN
SLOVAKIA
TOP FIVE CONSUMER TRENDS
Consumer Spending Remains Sluggish Amidst High Unemployment
The economic situation in Slovakia has had a significant effect on consumer expenditure in
recent years. Despite recent modest growth in GDP1.8% in 2012 and 0.9% in 2013
expectations regarding future financial prospects among Slovaks continue to worsen. The
unemployment rate, while gradually declining, is still high at 13.6% in 2014. Indeed, jobless
households are suffering, with average incomes 40% lower than that of the average household
income, according to data from Sberbank. Even retirees reportedly spent nearly twice as much
as much than unemployed households in 2014.
The employment situation is not expected to change significantly in the near future, as the
economic recovery has been very slow and the number of new jobs created has been lagging.
Thus, consumers are expected to continue reining in their spending, postponing purchases of
big-ticket items and generally only buying goods and services they deem essential.
Many Consumers Still Going on Holiday Despite Economic Worries

While the economic situation has forced many consumers to reconsider their holiday plans, a
large number have decided to go ahead and look for savings elsewhere. Indeed, a recent
survey by Home Credit revealed that 60% of Slovaks went on holiday in 2013, though onehalf noted they spent less than in prior years.
The survey also revealed that three out of 10 Slovaks said they took more than one holiday in
2014. Some 51% of Slovaks said they go on holidays with their families while another 33% said
they go with their partners. A very small percentage, around 2%, said they go on holiday alone.
Of those who go on holiday, 61% go abroad. The most popular holiday destination for Slovaks
was Croatia (40% of respondents), followed by Italy (15%) and Bulgaria (11%).
A recent survey by the European Commission revealed that, when Slovaks were asked to
identify the main reasons for going on holiday in 2012, 33% said they sought the sun/ beach;
28% said they wanted to visit family and friends; 35% said they wanted a nature holiday
(mountains, lakes, etc.); 17% wanted to sample an areas culture; 24% said they wanted to take
city trips; 19% said they were looking for health treatments at spas or wellness centres; 14%
said their holidays were related to sports activities; and 8% said their holidays were related to
specific events (festivals, sports events, etc.)
More Consumers Consumers Turning To Online Shopping

Internet retailing has altered the traditional retail landscape in Slovakia and changed the
shopping habits and attitudes of a growing number of consumers. In 2014 nearly one-half of
respondents to an IIBR survey said that they could not even imagine a day without going online
and nearly one-third said they had purchased goods on an online site in 2013. While consumers
of all ages now shop online, it is younger consumers aged 25 to 35 years-old who are driving
most of the growth and innovation in the retail channel.
According to a recent article from TASR newswire, in 2013 there were 7,000 domestic internet
retailers, reflecting growth of one-third over the previous year. The article noted that most of the
new sites emerged in the clothing and footwear, consumer electronics and fragrances sectors.
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A growing trend in recent years has been the extension of online shopping to mobile
platforms. The spread of smartphones and tablets has made online shopping even more
convenient. The devices have also changed the way shoppers behave while shopping in brickand-mortar stores. Indeed, it is common to see shoppers on their devices doing price and
product feature research in store aisles while others use apps to scan barcodes and quickly
compare prices.
Obesity Rate Climbing

Although it is still low compared to other EU countries, the obesity rate in Slovakia has
increased steadily in recent years among Slovaks in all age groups. Some 19% of the
population were considered obese in 2013, up by nearly five percentage points since 2000.
Among other reasons, the obesity rate is rising due to an increasingly poor diet among
consumers and modern, sedentary lifestyle with little exercise.
Most worrying to many is the growing obesity rate among children. According to the Slovak
Heart Foundation, 10% of Slovak children were obese in 2014, again a result of changing
dietary and exercise habits. Indeed, most children and teens spend their time after school at
home, either watching television or accessing the internet on their computers and other digital
devices. They often skip breakfast and eat fast food rather than healthy meals. A recent survey
by IUVENTA (Slovak Youth Institute) revealed that only one-third of 15-year-olds said they ate
fruit regularly.
Not surprisingly, many are trying to turn this situation around. Campaigns in the media
regularly feature doctors warning about the effects of sedentary lifestyles and poor diets. At the
same time, retailer and other groups have in recent years established and sponsored a wide
range of fitness events, such as races, meant to convey the benefits of regular exercise and an
active lifestyle.
Spending Patterns of Older Consumers Exhibit Significant Impact

The number of consumers aged 65 years-old and older is projected to reach 764,000 in 2016,
up from 697,000 in 2013. While they are relatively well-offa recent report from the OECD said
Slovak pensioners had, on average, an income equivalent to 82% of the total population in
2010, a rate only slightly below the OECD average of 86%their spending patterns
nevertheless tend to have a dampening effect on consumer spending overall. Indeed, older
consumers with fixed incomes generally spend on products and services that they deem to be
essential, i.e., food, energy, etc., and they typically avoid high levels of spending on
discretionary items.
On the other hand, the large and growing group of older consumers has also made its mark
by boosting spending in selected product categories, in particular driving greater demand for a
wide range of products and services well-suited for the slower, less frenetic lifestyles they tend
to lead once they leave the workforce. For example, with time on their hands pensioners that
can afford it often drive demand for leisure travel and other leisure and entertainment-related
products and services. In addition, as members of this cohort get older they also drive greater
demand for medical and health products and services, including OTC drugs, nutritional
supplements and home care equipment.
Conversely, there are, of course, categories of products and services which are of less
interest to consumers as they get older. Among these are basic household items. According to
the OECD, 95% of those 65 years-old and older in Slovakia live in owner-occupied homes and,
for the most part, these older home owners have already invested over many years in a wide
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range of big-ticket items for their homes. Thus, they tend to contribute little to overall demand for
such items as new furniture, white goods and other household-related items.
These unique spending patterns and peaks and valleys in consumer demand are expected to
become more pronounced in coming years as the number of older consumers in Slovakia
grows. Indeed, by 2030 those 65 years-old and older are projected to account for more than
one-fifth of the entire population.
CONSUMER SEGMENTATION
Babies and Infants
Following a steep drop in the number of babies and infants (aged 0-2) in the period 20002005, Slovakia has experienced growth in the number in this age group to a peak of 180,000 in
2012. However, in 2013, the number dropped slightly and this decline is forecast to continue to
reach 177,000 in 2016, a level similar to 2011.
The fertility rate in Slovakia has increased constantly since 2002, albeit at a slow pace. It was
1.4 children per woman in 2013. Statistics show that the fertility rate peaked at 1.5 in 2011.
The average age for the birth of a first child stood at 27.5 years of age in 2013 up from 25.8 in
2005. People with high and higher education are more inclined to marry before having children.
In contrast, people with low educational levels tend to prefer co-habitating. Currently a third of
children in Slovakia are born out of wedlock. A Department of Research into Social
Communication study found also that financial security is a factor influencing womens decision
to have a baby.
Women from Bratislava are statistically delaying their first birth most. Two thirds of women in
Slovakia give birth between 30 and 39 years of age, according to March 2014 data from the
Slovak Statistical Office (SUSR). In contrast, Presov county has the lowest number of women
who give birth during that age bracket. On the other hand, Bratislava reports the highest birth
rates, followed by Presov and Kosice counties.
The census of 2011 found that only 28% of Slovak babies born abroad registered for
permanent residence in Slovakia during the 2010-2011 census brackets. That has prompted the
national statistics office to change the methodology of counting babies as of 2012 to include in
the Slovak birth rate only children who register for permanent residence in the country. As a
result, the birth rate is likely to show a decline in the official figures. This is as a result of young
couples leaving the country mainly in search of a job abroad.
Attendance at pre-school and nurseries for children up to three years of age in Slovakia is
extremely low. At around 3% in 2014, the country ranked among the lowest in the EU. The EU
average stood at 29% in 2014. The reasons for this abysmal level of attendance is a
combination of the parental leave programmes available until the age of three and the lack of
available room in childcare facilities. Pre-school childcare facilities are geared for older children,
mostly from the age of four years old. Nurseries are the most common form of such care and
are managed by public authorities, as well as churches and private companies. Slovakia also
has crches for babies under two years of age, but they are a rarity and for many Slovak
families are not financially affordable.
Increased expenditure on baby products
Spending on baby care products has surged in recent years and families deciding to have
their first child have to factor in rather high costs, particularly in the general economic context in
Slovakia.
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A November 2013 survey by Cord Blood Center found that the expenditure related to
pregnancy with a first child and the costs of baby care products in the first year of life stood at
an average of 7,040. The survey was conducted among 330 mothers.
The average costs for a pregnant women stands at 797. This covers medical examinations,
epidural, the cost of an obstetrician and other fees. The average expenditure related to the
babys needs, including crib, changing table and baby basic equipment is 1,269. Expenditure
on travel needs, including pram, car seat and travel cot is 690. When it comes to regular
monthly expenses related to the childs needs, the most expensive item is nutrition, which is
around 125 a month.
High demand for nursery facilities
The demand for nursery facilities able to accommodate infants up to two years of age has
increased significantly in recent years. The reason is economic. Although the law allows
mothers to be paid to spend three years with their child at home, in recent years they have the
tendency to return to work much earlier as they fear loss of their jobs or because they do not
want to jeopardise their career growth. In 2010 Slovakia had some 4,400 children under three
years old in nurseries. This number spiked to over 7,000 in 2012, according to statistics.
The number of nurseries has plummeted in recent years. Usually run by municipalities,
nurseries have closed at a steady pace in the past decade as a result of declining government
funding. Formerly each major town in Slovakia had a nursery operated by local authorities.
There are only few such facilities still in place and thus competition for a place in a nursery has
become fierce. Sometimes families have to apply for a place a year in advance and even then it
is not guaranteed. Trnava, for example, a city of more than half a million people, has only one
municipality-run nursery with 55 places.
The alternative is to turn to privately run nurseries which have been opened in several large
cities since 2007. However, many average Slovak families cannot afford the cost of such a
facility. In Bratislava the cost for sending a child to a private nursery, with services such as
teaching English, swimming or dancing, starting at between 350-400 a month.
The number of Kids (aged 3-8) reached 331,000 in 2013 up slightly from the 315,000 Kids
recorded in 2011. This number is projected to reach 350,000 in 2016.
The basic school (kindergartens mostly) population in Slovakia has been experiencing strong
growth since 2009 after many years of decline due to a declining birth rate, according to a 2012
study from the Institute for Information and Prognoses for Education (UIPS). This growth phase
is forecast to last until 2017 when the number of entrants to kindergartens for children aged
between three and five years, is to go up from 161,220 to 176,078. A long period of decline is
predicted to begin in 2017 and last until 2025 when 162,908 children in this age bracket are
expected to attend basic schools.
At the age of six, Slovak children are expected to enter primary schools where they usually
spend eight years before enrolling in secondary schools. The six-year school population follows
more or less the same development trend as those under this age. This segment of children is
now experiencing a growth period that began in 2009 and is expected to be finished in 2017.
The number of six-year old kids entering primary schools during this period is forecast to grow
from 51,403 to 60,710.
As schools in many large cities are located close to communities, children tend to walk to
school. If they do not go to the local school, they are taken in their parents car or use public
transportation. However, despite a relatively high number of primary schools in Slovakia, in
smaller towns and villages kids have to travel to school by bus. In 2013 a network of 2,125
primary schools operated in Slovakia. The number is expected to grow to over 2,300 by 2023,
according to data from UPIS. In 2013 some 60,000 pupils of up to 14 years of age had to
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regularly travel to school, according to data from the education ministry. This costs state
authorities an overall 7.6m, which was an increase of almost 70% compared to 2006.
Provision of lunch at schools is a widespread practice in Slovakia, particularly in kindergartens
and primary schools. Almost all basic schools (kindergartens) provide lunch. In primary schools,
some 67% of pupils had school lunch in 2013, according to the education ministry, which
finances meals in the countrys schools. The interest in school lunch increased massively from
50% in 2000 to over 70% in 2013.
There is no obligation for children to wear schools uniform in primary schools. The idea
caught on only since 2011 with a number of school directors, but the local ministry said that it
would not impose them in the state system. Uniforms have been adopted mostly by private
schools. For some of these schools, uniform is seen as a sign of prestige or a way to ensure
kids feel equal, which is important for school activities and interaction. The discussion was
restarted in the Slovak parliament in spring 2013. MPs from the Christian Democrat Movement
(KDH) party opined that as the gap between rich and poor has widened in Slovak society, the
introduction of uniforms in schools would reduce inequality and strife.
Slovak kids are mostly sedentary and prefer in-house activities such as online surfing or
television watching. Only some 40% of Slovak parents encourage their children to do sports
activities, according to a 2012 study by Procter & Gamble (P&G). Parents have a crucial role in
the decisions that kids make when it comes to spending their leisure time, according to the
psychologist, Ivan Brazina. If parents explain to their kids the benefits of sports or engage in
sports activities with them, kids are more likely to embrace a more dynamic lifestyle. A P&G
survey in 2014 found that only a third of Slovak kids engage in sports activities. The younger the
children are, the more time they spend with the family. A 2011 survey run by the drink
manufacturer Jupik found that 32% of kids aged between six to 10 years old spend their time
with parents. A majority of them, almost 54%, said that the internet was the most attractive
activity. Television came second with 40.3%.
For parents of kids, expenditure on items needed for school is high compared to their average
income. A 2012 survey by Home Credit Slovakia found that families sending their kids to
primary school spend some 300 before the start of the school year, which is equivalent for
many citizens to half their monthly salary. The study was conducted in the seven countries in
Europe and Asia where Home Credit Slovakia operates. Families with six-year-olds spend most
on toys. The study found that they are willing to spend on average 80 a month for toys. This
high figure stems from the exorbitant prices of toys in Slovakia. Second came food with 75.
The lowest expenditure is on entertainment activities such as movies or theatre where Slovak
families spend a mere 40 a year.
Increased interest in organic school lunches
One of the recent trends in school meals provision is the increased popularity of organic
foodstuffs in schools. On advice from doctors, families and school directors have been
increasingly seeking to offer meals based on organic products. The local Centre for
Environmental Activities (CEA), a local NGO, launched a pilot project in 2013 promoting organic
food in schools. Some of the first schools that embarked on this project (including a school in
Nove Zamky) reported high satisfaction with the quality of meals. The project included a series
of visits to local farms in a move aimed to imbue children with the desire to consume naturally
produced food. Criteria and rules on the produce used in cooking meals in schools are approved
by regional healthcare offices.
Organic food manufacturers and retailers are increasingly entering co-operation projects with
schools. For example, Alfa-Bio supplies products to schools in Presov. It also offers recipes and
training for school cooks on how to prepare these meals.
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Growth in sales of toys online

Faced with steep prices for toys, Slovaks have in recent years turned to the internet for these
products, which are the highest expenditure for families with kids. Only in Russia do families
spend more on toys, namely 125 a month, according to a Home Credit Slovakia study.
A 2013 survey carried out by Heureka.sk and NMS Market Research found that 54% of the
people shopping online do so because of lower prices. The most frequently purchased products
online remain clothing and footwear, mobile phones and books, but toys are increasingly sought
by consumers as well. Some 17% of the respondents in the survey said that they bought toys on
the internet.
When it comes to Christmas gifts, toys are among the most frequently purchased goods
online. One of the largest bricks-and-mortar toy store operators in Slovakia, Alltoys runs an
online store as well.
Tweenagers
The population of Slovak tweens aged between nine and 12 has been declining steadily in the
past decade to reach a record low of 205,000 in 2013, mostly a result of the birth rate decline in
the 1990s. However, as birth rates improve the number of tweenagers is expected to reach
211,000 in 2016. This number is still well below the 272,000 recorded in 2005.
Prompted by numerous reports in the media and advice from doctors, parents increasingly
encourage tweens to walk to school. However, safety-related fears still make many parents take
their tweens to school by car, especially before the age of 10. The car-maker Skoda Auto is
running an interactive web portal that encourages children to walk to school. By the end of 2012
it had over 10,000 users. The non-governmental organisation Zdruzenia Slatinka has been
running campaigns and events to encourage children to walk or cycle to school since 2010.
Many of these campaigns have been triggered by concerns about the growing obesity rate
among children in general. A 2014 study by the European Union (EU) found that 13% of Slovak
children between seven and 11 years old were obese. Although this is one of the lowest rates in
the EU, three times lower than in Italy, the sedentary lifestyle of Slovak children is pushing the
obesity rate up at a fast pace.
Sports are the main activity for less than 40% of kids aged around 10 (or fifth grade) in
Slovakia, according to a 2014 survey by the Food Chamber of Slovakia (PKS). Some 14% of
the kids canvassed by the survey spend time on their hobbies and 15% on watching television
or on a computer. Some 50% of kids who engage regularly in sports activities do so after school
hours and 32% in organised training or sports clubs.
Tweens have not generally been allowed by their parents to have and manage their own
money. Financial literacy among tweens is very low in Slovakia, according to the psychologist
Mirina Hochelova. She says that more should be done in schools to improve childrens
understanding of money and financial issues. Children start being interested in money at the
age of six or seven and between 10 and 12 they really begin to understand the value of money.
Parents usually do not spend money on branded clothing for their children, especially before
the age of nine or 10. Surveys since 2010 have shown that this attitude has not changed. A
2014 survey by Profi Credit shows that 87% of Slovaks are willing to save when it comes to
spending on children in general, including tweens. Most of the money spent on tweens goes into
food followed by products needed for school. Sports clothing, toys and electronics come last on
the Slovak parents spending list. Profi Credit estimated the expenditure on these products at
some 16 monthly in 2014.
Obesity rate on the rise
Although the obesity rate is not high compared to other EU countries, doctors warn about the
marked and fast growth of the obesity rate among children, including tweens, as a result of
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changes in lifestyle. Children are increasingly eating at random outside school hours, according
to doctors in Slovakia. A 2013 PKS study shows that 40% of children aged 10 do not have
breakfast. Instead, parents prefer to give them money and let them buy food on their way to
school.
In recent years a number of companies have engaged in campaigns aimed at convincing
children to do more sports activities and eat healthier foods. In March 2014, for example, the
sports garment retailer EXIsport launched a public campaign, Healthier Slovakia, targeting
families with children. The company sends families information about the health benefits of a
more active lifestyle.
More children banking
Interest from parents has prompted most of the banks in Slovakia to launch accounts and
other financial products for children. Most of the banks in Slovakia offer bank accounts for
children which they can use up to the age of 15. The account usually includes a bank card,
preferential interest rates and is free of charge. The most popular products are credit cards, as
they offer parents the best option to ensure tweens have pocket money, according to VUB bank.
Also, they prefer credit cards because they are a much safer option than cash.
Opening a bank account for children between eight and 15 years is easy and requires only a
birth certificate and two other forms of identification. At the age of 15, the bank account is
automatically switched to a student bank account.
Teens
The number of teens aged 13 to 17 in Slovakia has continued to decline, which is the result of
the declining birth rate after the collapse of communism. The drop to 289,000 teens in 2013 is
part of a larger decline that has been on-going for more than a decade; in 2000 the number in
this age segment was 437,000. The number of teens is expected to reach 265,000 in 2016.
Teens have on average some four hours of free time a day. They tend to spend most of their
free time in activities that are rather sedentary, most of them at home watching television,
listening to music or browsing the internet. However, in the past five years, an emerging trend
among teenagers is an increased amount of time spent in large shopping centres, where they
either hang out in cafs with friends, playing games or watching movies. A 2013 survey by
MasterCard found that teenagers spend most of their free time in malls. In 2009 over 54% of
their free time was spent at home, according to an Iuventa survey. A 2014 report from Iuventa
shows that physical activities decline along with age among Slovak youth. If some 20% of girls
do physical activities daily at the age of 11, four years later at the age of 15, only 10% of them
do so.
A sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits such as skipping breakfast and eating at
irregular hours have led to an increase in the incidence of obesity among the teen population,
too. An Iuventa survey found that the popularity of breakfast is declining with age among tweens
and teens: 60% at the age of 11 have regular breakfast and less than 50% at the age of 15. The
same report states that 50% of tweens of the age 11 eat fruit regularly, but only a third of teens
aged 15 do so.
The use of drugs adds to teens health woes. The incidence of smoking among teenagers has
been increasing in Slovakia in the past few years. The highest percentage of children and youth,
26.5%, start smoking at the age of 12, followed by the 13-year-old group with 22.9%, according
to a 2012 study from UIPS. Almost a third of teens aged 13-15 use tobacco products, according
to the 2013 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). Of those, 29.7% are boys and 27.6% girls.
More than half of 15-year-olds have tried smoking, according to the 2014 Iuventa report. The
same percentage of 15-year-olds reported alcohol consumption during the previous month.
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A major problem for Slovakias youth is poverty. The youth to 18-year-old age group is the
most vulnerable to social exclusion, according to Iuventa. Major gaps exist among regions. The
risk of poverty stands at 6.3% in Bratislava. In contrast, it is almost 20% in Presov county.
Young people, particularly teens, are largely dependent financially on their parents. Due to the
difficult economic conditions, Slovaks go to work at an earlier age than before. Even while at
high school, at the ages of 16-19, teens take part-time jobs. In the past, this happened mostly
when teens started college at around 19.
Teens spend their money mainly on food, mostly in cafs and fast food restaurants. Part of
their income goes on transport, mobile phones and clothing and cosmetics.
Teens in Slovakia are major users of technology. Youths aged 12-26 spend an average of
four hours a day online, according to data from SITA agency. They use the internet mostly for
communications with friends and browsing social networks. Teens aged 12-15 go online also to
play games. A Home Credit Slovakia report shows that teens spent some 150 on food monthly
in 2012, the highest expenditure in their budget. They spend around 350 a year on clothing.
Technology adopters
Teens are major adopters of new technology, particularly communication and entertainment
devices. Smartphones are the preferred and most sought products among teens. More than
three quarters of teens own a smartphone at the moment and 25% of them want a new one (or
the second one), daily Sme reported. The following two most sought-after technology devices
are notebooks and tablets. The most owned technology devices among teens and youth are
notebooks and personal computers.
Avid mall visitors
In the past four to five years, Slovak teens have increasingly devoted part of their free time to
shopping malls, particularly those that also offer entertainment. Teens aged 15-19 are the group
that most enjoy a visit to the mall.
At the same time, teens spend the highest amount of time in malls among all age categories.
A MasterCard survey shows that about 60% of teens aged 15-19 spend three to four hours per
visit in shopping centres, mostly because they combine shopping with going to the cinema or
spending time in a caf.
Young Adults
The population of young adults (aged 18-29) has been declining in Slovakia for the past
decade, which is mostly a consequence of the declining birth rate in the decade after the
collapse of communism. In 2012 the young adult population in Slovakia dropped below onemillion for the first time in over a decade and is forecast to decline further to reach 873,000 in
2016. This is the age bracket that sees the highest number of marriages in Slovakia: 33.3% of
men and 39.6% of women in the total number of marriages, according to 2012 data from the
Slovak Statistical Office.
The past three years experienced a significant decline in the number of university students. Of
the 20 public universities operating in Slovakia, 18 saw the number of their students declining
between 2009 and 2012, according to a UIPS study released in December 2013. The steepest
drop, of 11%, was recorded during this period by the Technical University of Kosice, followed by
Matej Bel University in Banska Bystrica, with an 8.7% decline.
Experts from the education ministry argue that the high number of branches in smaller towns
that universities are running explains the low number of students. In other words, there are too
many universities in Slovakia. To correct that, the ministry began in April 2014 an accreditation
process that is likely to lead to a drop in the number of university places. The country has also
12 private universities and three state universities.
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This consumer segment has been the most impacted by unemployment in Slovakia in the
past three to four years. University graduates have been affected massively by unemployment
but since mid-June 2012 the number of university graduates without a job dropped from almost
8,200 to a record low of 1,800 in April 2013, although, it jumped to over 5,300 a month later. Of
more concern is the increase in the length of unemployment time: university graduates reached
an unemployment period of 5.6 years in 2013, more than double compared to 2.2 years in 2007.
Unemployment has been the root of immigration. More than 70% of young adults up to 30 years
old want to go abroad for a job, according to the governments Strategy for Youth 2014-2020.
For a decade women have tended to delay the birth of their first child as their lifestyle has
changed significantly. In 2013 the average age of a woman at the birth of their first child reached
27.5 years, which was an increase of 4.4 years compared to 2000. Lone-parent households
present the highest risk of poverty among all households with a share of over 30%, according to
a Slovak Statistical Office study. The risk of poverty with a single child increased between 2012
and 2013 by 2.6 percentage points to 30.1%. Studies from Iuventa estimate that a quarter of all
adults aged 20-30 depend financially on their parents.
The young adult population has a high number of smokers. Almost a third of all Slovaks aged
18 to 30 are daily smokers. In terms of gender, 39% of males and 26% of women smoke daily,
according to Iuventa.
Young adults, continuing from their teen habits, are major adopters of communication
technology. More than three quarters of them own a smartphone and another quarter want a
new one, according to technology journalist Fero Chovanak. Young adults are also the most
avid users of social media in Slovakia. A 2012 study from the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) in
Bratislava found that 90% of people aged 14-24 use social networks.
Big borrowers
Young adults are among the largest borrowing group in Slovakia, according to a survey by the
Zuno bank. Some 83% of the loan takers in Slovakia are in the age bracket 18-30 years. Those
coming out of schools and taking loans in the first years of employment have the tendency to
run into a financial predicament as they borrow more money than they can pay back. The age
group 18-25 is thus the riskiest loan-taking group for banks. Most of the loans, some 52% of all
loans in Slovakia, are given for a car purchase, followed by furniture (25%) and electronics
(11%).
Middle Youth
The middle youth (aged 30-44) has been a growing age segment in Slovakia, reaching 1.29
million in 2013. The growth harks back to the higher birth rates in the 1980s.
Slovaks tend to marry later in life mostly as a result of the changes in their lifestyle as society
offers new entertainment and hedonistic opportunities. Although most marriages occur before
30 years of age, over the long term the marriage age for both men and women has increased
considerably in the age bracket 30-34. In 2012 the average marriage age surged by 0.2 years
on a year-on-year basis to 32.6 years and 29.6 years for men and women, respectively,
according to the Slovak Statistical Office. Average marriage duration has grown as well to 14.9
years in 2012, more than 1.8 years more compared to the year before, which indicates that
Slovaks are more prone to family stability than before. Nevertheless, the incidence of births
outside of marriage continues to be high. The actual number of such births in 2012 plummeted
by 1,100 compared to the previous year, but in percentage terms it increased, reaching a record
high of 35.4%.
Economic conditions force young adults to live with their parents longer. The average age
when they leave the parents house is 31, according to Eurostat. Men leave even later at 32.
This is the result of the lack of dwellings for young adults as well as unemployment. The middle
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youth population is experiencing high levels of unemployment. In April 2014 there were over
135,000 unemployed people in the age group 30-44, according to data from Trexima. This
number represented roughly 35% of all unemployed in Slovakia.
The middle youth group has been traditionally the most inclined towards taking the selfemployment path as it gives more flexibility and often more money. However, economic
conditions in Slovakia have had an adverse effect on the self-employed. Their number has been
declining dramatically since 2011 as many self-employed cannot cope with high taxation
imposed on them. In July 2014 alone, 5,500 self-employed businesses folded, according to data
from the Slovak Statistical Office.
Middle youth is a major user of online social networks. Although not as heavy users as youth
up to 25 years of age, middle youth come second in terms of use of social networks on the
internet. A study from IVO shows that some 76% of those aged 25-34 and 63% of those aged
35-44 use social networks.
Mortgage applicants getting older
With Slovaks starting their family life later than before, the average age of mortgage-takers
has gone up to some 36 years, according to information from Slovenska Sporitelna bank. The
average maturity age reached 22 years in 2012, according to data from Iuventa.
The main problem encountered by banks is that the age when mortgage takers should pay
back the loan is becoming very high. As a result, banks are increasingly putting caps on the age
when the mortgage should be paid back. They vary between 65 and 73.
Online banking popular
Middle youth, aged 30-39, are among the most active users of bank services in Slovakia. The
number of bank users in Slovakia has increased in recent years, reaching some 88% in 2013. At
the same time, middle youth are finding more sophisticated ways to use bank services. In 2012
adults in the 25-34 age group led among all age categories when it came to use of internet
banking, with a 60% share, followed by the 35-44 age group with 55%, according to Eurostat.
In total, 40% of Slovaks used online banking services in 2012, which was a significant
increase from 15% in 2007. This still places Slovakia much below countries such as Finland, the
Netherlands and Sweden, where more than three thirds of the population use online banking.
Mid-lifers
The mid-lifers segment (aged 45-59) has remained steady since 2005 and reached 1.125
million in 2013. A slight decline to 1.094 million is expected in 2016.
The mid-lifers group will face later retirement ages and stricter rules governing pensions as
the government began preparation of new legislation in 2013, which will change current
retirement conditions. The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is drafting an analysis that would
put forward several options for reform of the retirement system in Slovakia. One of the most
drastic plans according to the Ministry is to increase the minimum insurance period needed for
retirement to 30 years from the current 15 years. This is likely to force the current mid-lifers
segment into retiring at a much older age than the current 62 years. Slovaks currently have one
of the lowest retirement ages in the EU.
Mid-lifers have not been so badly hit by unemployment in recent years. However, their
number has increased in the past two years, particularly those aged 55-59. In Q1 2014 Slovakia
had some 81,000 unemployed people aged 50-59, which was an increase of over 11% year on
year, according to the Slovak Statistical Office. The 55-59 age group experienced an increase of
almost 18% year on year.
Mid-lifers are the most cautious and price-conscious consumer group. They pay attention to
small details and are very price-sensitive when they shop. The Association for Health and
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Nutrition (ZZV) in Slovakia found in 2013 that people aged 45-54 most often study labels on
food products to assess the quality of the product. In contrast, some 40% of Slovaks never read
food product labels.
Although not so many as their younger peers, mid-lifers are still an active internet group. An
IVO study in 2012 found that 45% of people aged 45-54 use social networks. The 55-59 age
group is a less intensive user group with 21% active users. At the same time, a relatively hefty
percentage of mid-lifers use many other services online. Some 42%, for example, use online
banking, according to Eurostat. However, online banking usage drops after 55 years.
The most frequent activity of mid-lifers is watching television and listening to the radio,
according to a 2012 IVO study. It is followed by household chores, hobbies, gardening and
socialising. Slovaks are not much engaged in doing sports and other such activities. Some 41%
of the people aged 45-61 do not understand the concept of active ageing at all.
Little interest in private pensions
Despite the reduction in the state retirement fund, which by 2040 is expected to generate only
30% of the total pension payment in Slovakia, interest in contributing to other forms of
retirement funds has not increased in any age group. Some 71% of those aged up to 35 years
said in a 2013 survey by ING-Sympatia that they did not plan to spend time on solving the
financial retirement issue.
However, while this reaction is normal for this age group, interest in alternative retirement
payment schemes has not increased much even among older people. In the group aged 30-60,
some 53% have not paid any attention to savings for retirement in private funds. The reason for
such a reaction is the big gap between the expected income from an alternative pension, of
344 a month, and the sum estimated to be necessary for a decent life in retirement, which is
670. On the other hand, the feeling among consumers of all ages, is that contributions to a
private pension fund is an investment rather than a form of savings, which prevents growth in
the popularity of private pension funds.
Bricks-and-mortar store regulars
Mid-lifers, particularly those older than 50, are staunch clients of bricks-and-mortar stores. A
study from NMS Research and Heureka.sk released in January 2014 found that the highest
number of people satisfied with the services and products of bricks-and-mortar stores were
those between 51 and 60 years of age. In contrast, the same survey found that people aged 3140 were the most satisfied with online stores.
However, an increasing number of mid-lifers have become active in online shopping in the
past five years. In 2011 some 12% of mid-lifers aged 51-60 had an internet purchase
experience. Many of the people in this group were mainly interested in checking and comparing
prices of products in several stores. The more sophisticated and confident went further and
made purchases online.
Late-lifers
One of the key demographic trends is the marked ageing of Slovak society. The population of
late-lifers, aged 60 and older, has surged dramatically from some 828,000 a decade ago to over
one million in 2013 and is predicted to further increase in the coming years. The mean age of
the population went up in both sexes in 2013 to 37.1 years for men and 40.2 for women. This
was the first year that the mean age for women was over 40 years.
The ageing of society has significant consequences for the economic health of society. The
old-age dependency ratio (the percentage of persons older than 65 per persons aged 1564)
reached 18.4% in 2013. Which means that there were 18 economically dependent people per
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100 active persons aged 15-64. By 2030, the 65+ age group will make up more than a fifth of
the countrys total population.
The economic situation of late-lifers in Slovakia is rather grim. A 2014 study from the Institute
for Research of Socio-economic Risks and Alternatives (IVRA) shows that 30% of late-lifers
lived in poverty in 2013. Women fared even worse, 37% of women late-lifers being povertystricken in 2013. On average, monthly retirement pay is worth 400 and 300 for men and
women, respectively, according to data from the labour ministry.
Spending by late-lifers is thus very low and is mainly concentrated on basic goods such as
foodstuffs. Although late-lifers tend to live in their own homes the increase in the cost of living,
coupled with the declining economic situation is pushing an increasing number of pensioners
into seeking alternative housing. The availability of housing is, however, totally insufficient to
meet demand.
The dire financial situation is forcing an increasing number of late-lifers to seek employment. It
was estimated that in 2013, some 50,000 retirees had a higher salary than their pension,
according to the Institute for Economic and Social Studies (INESS). However, the labour
ministry wants to prevent a high number of seniors in employment as this takes job opportunities
from younger people. The ministry thus wants to introduce legal provisions that would make it
easier for companies to make older employees redundant or encourage them to retire.
High demand for retirement homes
Social housing for senior people is experiencing a major crisis. There is insufficient housing at
the moment for those seeking this form of housing. In 2013 Slovakia had a capacity of 45,328
beds for almost 650,000 seniors in search of a place in a retirement home. Of those, some
220,000 were not able to take care of themselves, according to the Association of Social
Services Providers in Slovakia.
Accommodation in a retirement home does not come cheap. It costs an average of 300 a
month. Still, many prefer to pay all their income to secure a place in a retirement home. There is
currently a long waiting list of seniors who have applied for a place. Private retirement home
facilities are in the most critical situation as the state and local municipalities do not have the
budget to subsidise part of the living costs to make these places affordable for seniors. Since
March 2011, each retirement home has received a subsidy of 320 per place per month.
A small but by no means negligible group of online customers
Despite the profound economic difficulties late-lifers are experiencing in Slovakia, there is a
group of wealthier retirees who are better connected to new technologies. A 2014 survey by
Heureka.sk and NMS Market Research showed that some 40% of people aged over 61 years
who make purchases online own a smartphone. Some 7% of them had an experience buying
online.
Some 18% of the respondents in the survey said that they owned a tablet. A total of 51% of
the respondents said that they had neither a smartphone nor a tablet. Like most Slovak online
shoppers, seniors aged over 61 years mostly buy electronics, books and clothing on the
internet. But unlike other age groups, they are the group that stands out for purchasing house
and garden products. They are notable in purchasing practical products such as anti-skid
bathroom products, walking sticks and magnifying glasses. The most searched services online
by the people aged over 61 are discounted holidays and spa stays.
Table 1
Consumer Segmentation and Population Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013,
2016
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
12
Babies/infants (aged 02) ('000)

Kids (aged 3-8) ('000)
Tweens (aged 9-12) ('000)
Teens (aged 13-17) ('000)
Young adults (aged 1829) ('000)
Middle youth (aged 3044) ('000)
Mid-lifers (aged 45-59)
('000)
Later-lifers (aged 60+)
('000)
Population: National
estimates at January
1 ('000)
- Population aged 0-14:
January 1 ('000)
- Population aged 1564: January 1 ('000)
- Population aged 65+:
January 1 ('000)
- Male population:
January 1 ('000)
- Female population:
January 1 ('000)
- Urban population ('000)
- Rural population ('000)
Birth rate (per '000
population)
Death rate (per '000
population)
Marriage rate (per
'000 population)
Divorce rate (per '000
population)
Source:
Chart 1
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171
155
177
180
179
177
408
316
437
1,072
334
272
398
1,094
315
215
315
1,004
322
209
299
985
331
205
289
960
350
211
265
873
1,173
1,158
1,256
1,272
1,291
1,338
975
1,099
1,146
1,138
1,125
1,094
828
860
968
999
1,031
1,126
5,379
5,370
5,397
5,404
5,412
5,434
1,065
916
825
825
827
839
3,700
3,829
3,904
3,901
3,889
3,831
613
624
668
679
697
764
2,614
2,606
2,628
2,632
2,635
2,646
2,764
2,764
2,769
2,773
2,777
2,788
3,019
2,360
10.3
2,977
2,393
10.1
2,944
2,453
11.3
2,947
2,457
11.2
2,952
2,460
11.2
2,973
2,461
11.0
9.8
10.0
9.6
9.6
9.6
9.7
4.8
4.9
4.7
4.8
4.8
4.7
1.7
2.2
2.1
2.0
2.0
2.1
National statistics, Euromonitor International
Population Aged 15-64 Compared with Old-Age Dependency Ratio 20002020
13
Source:
HOUSING AND HOUSEHOLDS

Home Ownership
In 2013 more than 80% of houses in Slovakia were owned, a percentage that has increased
gradually in the past decade. This is explained by the traditional habit among Slovaks, harking
back to communist times, to be house owners rather than tenants. With the rise in the mortgage
market, the number of owned houses has continued to increase whereas the number of rented
homes is in steady decline. Only 133,000 dwellings were rented in 2013, down from 141,000 in
the year before and from 150,000 in 2011.
The number of houses is almost equally divided between rural and urban areas. Some 54% of
houses were in cities in 2013 and the remainder in rural areas. The number of dwellings in
apartment buildings and in family houses was equally split. Out of the almost two million
dwellings inhabited in Slovakia, 1.15 million were in apartment buildings and 1.12 million were
family house dwellings in 2013.
The price of housing in Slovakia has dropped significantly in the past five years, mostly as a
result of the economic crisis, which slowed down residential construction and sales of
apartments. The average price of apartments, both new and old, declined most in 2013 in the
Kosice area, by 79/m or more than 8% year on year. It was followed by Presov county with a
5% decline. In 2013 the average price of apartments increased only in Trencin and Zilina.
Overall, the average price of flats in 2013 dropped by more than 2.5% year on year to
1,215/m. Between 2010 and 2014, the average price of an apartment went down to 82/m on
average. Thus, the price of an apartment of 70 m dropped between 2010 and 2014 from over
90,000 to some 85,000. Compared to 2008, the gap was even higher. The price of the same
apartmentt in 2008 was worth more than 108,000.
The country has seen significant price differences between types of apartments, the steepest
decline being experienced by one-bedroom apartments whose average price fell by 474/m
between 2008 and 2013. Thus a one-bedroom priced at over 67,000 in 2008 saw its price
down to under 48,000 in 2013. As of 2014, however, as economic conditions began to improve
and mortgage interest rates lowered, demand for residential properties started to become
stronger. Nevertheless, that has not pushed up the price of housing. Following an increase of
6/m in the first quarter of 2014, the average price of residential space went down by 10/m to
1,211/m at the end of June 2014, according to data from the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS).
This value was equivalent to the price level in mid-2007.
The tendency among Slovaks in recent years, mostly because of cash shortages, was to
purchase smaller flats. The most popular are two-bedrooms that offer more space compared to
one-bedroom apartments. Bencont Investments found that the average size of flats in Bratislava
at the beginning of 2014 reached 72.79 m, which is the lowest figure since 2010. Most of the
bigger flats are located in the Stare Mesto district. Most of the luxury residences are located in
Bratislava and since 2010 interest in purchasing upscale flats has gone down steadily.
Slovaks tend to live a long time in their parents houses. Data from Eurostat shows that three
quarters of Slovaks aged 18 to 34 live with their parents. They move out at an average age of
31, which is one of the highest in the EU. After moving, they usually take a mortgage to move
into their own house. Data from Postova Banka shows that at the age of 31 Slovaks do not have
significant savings to buy a flat. They have on average money to buy a mere 0.6 m of
residential space.
Only a fifth of Slovaks said in a survey by Prima Bank that they live in an ideal house for their
family. The highest number of respondents, 42% of them, said that they wanted to live in a
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house on the city outskirts rather than in a small or mid-size flat in the city centre, which was the
option of only 10% of respondents. The tendency to move out of the city to more rural-like
outskirts has increased significantly since 2010. People want to do that because they want to
live in rural, quiet areas while not losing the benefits of city life such as cultural events, good
jobs and quality services. This trend is slowing down as satellite cities growing in the outskirts of
major cities, particularly Bratislava, cannot absorb the number of people who want to move
there, according to studies from 2013-2014 from the Demographic Research Centre Infostat.
Living tastes have changed significantly from markedly utilitarian to more self-indulgent. Only
6%, in a 2014 survey by the Riesime Byvanie real estate agent, said that they wanted to live
close to a school. In contrast, 54% said that a patio or garden was an important criterion in
choosing a property. Slovaks also have an emotional relationship with their homes as this is a
major part of their lifestyle. Some 75% of the respondents said that home was the most
important place for them as they look at it as a lifelong investment.
Nevertheless, moving house is occurring more often. Mobility due mostly to job changes has
led to changes in the pattern of living. Unlike in the distant past when Slovaks used to live in the
same dwelling for more or less their whole life, in recent years they tend to move more often.
Some 46% of the respondents in a 2013 survey by the bank CSOB said that they moved town
and house because of work.
In recent years Slovakia has started to experience an insufficient supply of housing. The
country had some 100 dwellings per 1,000 inhabitants in 2013, according to data from mortgage
banks. This is increasingly a problem in Bratislava. A study from Bencont Investments in 2013
found that the number of new flats on offer has declined in Bratislava. Particularly, flats meeting
size, price and location expectations of buyers are disappearing from the market, prompting an
increasing number of people to search for older dwellings.
Household Profiles
Slovakia has a relatively high number of single-person households, which have experienced a
steady increase for many years. In 2013 there were 856,000 such households. This is primarily
as a result of longer life expectancy. At the same time, the number of households inhabited by
couples without children has increased whereas those with children declined. This is explained
in part by the older age at which couples marry in Slovakia, between 30 and 34 years of age,
according to data from the Slovak Statistical Office.
This situation is likely to change as a result of the increase in the number of marriages and a
falling divorce rate. After a drop in 2009, the number of marriages began to pick up, albeit at a
moderate pace, reaching 26,000 in 2012, according to the Slovak Statistical Office. The number
of divorces, in contrast, declined in 2012 for the fourth consecutive year to 10,900, some 154
fewer than in the previous year. At the same time, Slovak couples tend to stay together for
longer than they used to. Between 2001 and 2012, the average marriage duration increased by
1.8 years to 14.9 years.
Slovakia is distinctive compared to other EU countries when it comes to the number of young
people who live in their parents house. A 2013 study from the CSOB bank estimated that 32%
of Slovaks live with their parents. The survey was run in late 2013 among 3,085 respondents.
Most of them, 66%, live in blocks of flats and most often in three-room dwellings. Asked what
the ideal period during which they want to acquire a new living space is, some 39% of the
respondents said five years. Some 13% of them said one year. The study found that 21% of the
respondents were in the process of buying a flat in which to live.
The average annual household income was US$14,000 in 2012, which is only 60% of the
OECD average, according to a 2014 OECD study. However, household income increased by
12% between 2008 and 2012, which is one of the fastest rates of growth among the OECD
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countries. The number of households in the lowest income bracket (US$10,000 to US$15,000)
was 268,000 in 2014, which was more than 10% of the total number of households.
The study confirmed that poverty is closely linked to unemployment in Slovakia. The biggest
problem is the survival on social benefits by the long-term unemployed. Some 67% of all
unemployed were long-term unemployed in 2012, which is the highest rate in the EU. The
average unemployment benefit in 2014 was around 350 a month.
In the first quarter of 2014, the average nominal monthly wage in Slovakia increased by 4.1%
year on year to 821, according to the Slovak Statistical Office. The financial and insurance
sector boasted the highest figure, 1,796, and the construction industry the lowest, 566.
Bratislava led the list of most well-paid cities, with 1,098. The net income, however, continued
to slide. The overall average net income in 2012 was 4,398 a year, down from 4,403 in the
year before, according to the Slovak Statistical Office.
Slovaks are a pet-loving nation. Half of Slovak households are estimated to have a pet,
according to a 2014 survey carried out by Perfect Crowd for the furniture retail group IKEA of
Sweden. Some 40% of Slovak households own a dog. Increasingly, Slovaks spend more time
and money on the wellbeing of their pets. The expenditure on pet food has grown significantly in
recent years. Magazine Strategie reported in 2013 that people buy pet food every three weeks
and two thirds of their spending is in hypermarkets, supermarkets and discounters. Pet owners
rarely buy pet food in specialist shops or online only. A survey commissioned by the company
Mars found that a quarter of Slovak households had a cat in 2013. Increasingly, people buy
more quality food for their pets and are much influenced in that direction by advertisements.
As of September 2013, all pets in Slovakia had to be taken to the vet to have a chip that
consists of information about the animal, which is being recorded in a national registry.
However, the State Veterinary and Food Administration (SVPS) estimates that there are still
many uncounted pets in the country as households in the countryside in particular have not
responded to the request to register their pets. Those who do not chip them risk a fine of 300.
Running Costs
Slovaks are cautious spenders and have become even more so in recent years as they have
been confronted with financial woes and dropping incomes. Some 71% of the respondents in a
2013 survey run by IMAS International for the bank Slovenska Sporitelna said that they
considered it important to save regularly. That was an increase of 4 percentage points
compared with 2012. Roughly 72% said that they were saving on expenses related to house
reconstruction. Spending on reconstruction and modernisation of flats slowed down markedly in
recent years. Most of the repairs are kitchen refurbishments and window replacement.
Refurbishment of a flat costs on average 3,500, according to estimates from Postova Banka
from 2013. Some 25% of households spend between 3,500 and 7,000 on refurbishment.
There is also a smaller group of more demanding and affluent consumers, approximately 8% of
the total, who are willing to pay more for refurbishing their apartment of up to 20,000. At the
same time, work on houses is more expensive than of apartments as it often involves
infrastructure repairs such as sewerage cleaning or external pipes. Refurbishment usually
covers repairs of walls, painting and decoration of the living space.
The drop in energy prices in Slovakia helped households cut down on living costs. In
November 2014 the Regulatory Office for Network Industries (URSO) in Slovakia announced
that in 2014 the prices of electricity and gas were to decrease by 7% and 0.23%, respectively.
The drop in electricity prices is expected to save households between 11 and 200 a year,
depending on the electricity tariffs used, URSO estimated. Households also save on gas,
between 0.23% for those who use gas often and 0.12% for those households who use gas only
for cooking. In April 2014 URSO forecast that the price of electricity was likely to drop by
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another 10% in 2015. Much of the fall comes from the state price regulation in the energy
sector.
The decrease in energy prices, however, has not had a massive effect on overall household
energy spending, according to data from the European Commission. The Slovak finance
ministry explained that the high share of energy expenditure was the result of low purchasing
power in Slovakia. URSOs representatives disputed the figure, casting doubts on the
Commissions methodology. Electricity, gas and other fuels represented over 60% of the total
average household expenditure on running costs in 2013.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014, followed by the string of sanctions imposed by the EU
on Russia is expected to lead to an increase in the price of gas in Slovakia, according to the
government. In June 2014 some 53% of Slovaks were not ready to pay more for gas in order to
make Slovakia less dependent on Russian suppliers, according to a survey by Slovakia Energy.
During the first half of 2014, state authorities in Slovakia explained that becoming more
independent from the Russian supply would mean an increase in the price of energy.
Slovaks have shown in recent years a growing interest in the use of renewable energy
sources. A 2010 survey carried out by Dicio showed that in 2010 almost 33% of the countrys
households were planning to use renewable energy, mostly solar panels. However, the sector
has not grown as expected, mostly because of disputes between the government and energy
providers over the unreliability of the renewable energy production facilities, whose production
fluctuates highly.
Slovaks are among the lowest generators of waste in the EU. Some 327 kilograms of waste
per head were generated in Slovakia in 2013, according to Eurostat. Environmental NGOs,
however, warned that the figure does not reflect the true amount, as many people discard
rubbish indiscriminately. Many households also burn rubbish at home. Illegal waste disposal is
rampant, according to Friends of the Earth. Recycling is at low levels in Slovakia. Just 5% of
Slovaks recycle on a regular basis, three times less than neighbouring Czechs.
Eyeing property in Hungary
In recent years, a growing number of Slovaks have been purchasing properties in Hungary
mostly attracted by the low prices of flats and houses. This trend is particularly visible at border
areas between Slovakia and Hungary. Such is the region of Kosice, where prices of similar
houses in a radius of 20 km sell 50% to 60% more cheaply, according to one real estate agent
in Kosice. For many inhabitants of Kosice, the north-eastern part of Hungary is only a few
minutes drive from the city. Half of the inhabitants in several villages and towns north of the
Hungarian city of Miskolc, for example, are Slovaks. The interest in Hungarian residential
properties among Slovaks began in 2011. The profile of people buying properties in Hungary
varies broadly from young Slovaks who want to have a house and do not mind a short
commute, to older people who want to settle down in a proper house instead of an apartment.
There is also a group of richer Slovaks who also go deeper into the Hungarian country and
purchase holiday properties, whose prices have also plummeted in the past five years. Such an
area is the region around the tourist-favoured Balaton Lake.
Higher quality housing coming back in demand
The economic downturn has had a devastating effect on large swathes of Slovakias
population, pushing down demand for luxury residential space, which in 2008 was growing at a
healthy pace. However, as of 2013, demand for upscale properties and larger houses showed
signs of recovery. A Postova Banka report shows that there is a growing group of professionals
who now have stable and higher incomes and are actively investing in higher quality residences.
The Bratislava region is experiencing the highest demand for such properties among all regions.
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Increased demand for low energy appliances

High expenditure on energy costs has in recent years pushed many households to shop for
low-energy appliances, particularly kitchen appliances, as some 40% of the energy in a
household is consumed in the kitchen, according to data from the retailer IKEA.
Slovaks are thus now some of the most conscious consumers when it comes to home
appliances. A Eurobarometer survey in 2012 found that some 81% of consumers have invested
during the past two years in replacing their old, high-consumption large appliances with newer,
modern and low-consumption models. That proportion was significantly higher than the average
of 54% in the EU.
Table 2
Housing and Households Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Total number of
households ('000)
- Urban ('000)
- Rural ('000)
Households by tenure
- Home owner ('000)
-- Home owner without
mortgage ('000)
-- Home owner with
mortgage ('000)
- Rented ('000)
Households by type of
dwelling
- House ('000)
-- Detached ('000)
-- Semi-detached and
terraced ('000)
- Apartment ('000)
Households by number of
persons
- 1 ('000)
- 2 ('000)
- 3 ('000)
- 4 ('000)
- 5 ('000)
- 6+ ('000)
Households by number of
rooms
- 1 ('000)
- 2 ('000)
- 3 ('000)
- 4 ('000)
- 5+ ('000)
Households by sex of
head of household
- Male ('000)
- Female ('000)
Households by type
- Single person ('000)
- Couple without
children ('000)
- Couple with children
('000)
- Single-parent family
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
2,045
2,151
2,247
2,261
2,274
2,308
1,150
895
1,193
957
1,228
1,019
1,235
1,025
1,242
1,031
1,265
1,043
1,494
1,476
1,656
1,570
1,796
1,621
1,814
1,622
1,831
1,621
1,875
1,613
18
86
175
192
210
262
331
227
150
141
133
113
1,009
970
39
1,057
1,016
41
1,109
1,066
43
1,114
1,071
43
1,120
1,076
43
1,134
1,090
44
1,018
1,082
1,138
1,144
1,151
1,168
597
474
369
408
139
59
719
505
370
384
118
54
828
530
373
367
100
49
843
533
374
366
97
48
856
536
375
365
95
47
890
543
379
362
89
45
159
418
841
343
284
134
366
911
389
350
124
314
981
435
393
124
306
991
441
397
125
299
1,001
448
401
128
280
1,029
465
406
1,374
672
1,350
801
1,327
919
1,324
937
1,320
954
1,308
1,000
597
392
719
402
828
413
843
415
856
417
890
422
725
704
681
678
674
665
240
262
280
283
285
291
18
('000)
- Other ('000)
Housing stock ('000)
Housing completions
('000)
House price index (2010
= 100)
Ownership of household
durables by type
- Dishwasher (% of
households)
- Freezer (% of
households)
- Microwave oven (% of
households)
- Refrigerator (% of
households)
- Telephone (% of
households)
- Tumble drier (% of
households)
- Vacuum cleaner (% of
households)
- Washing machine (% of
households)
Average household
expenditure
on running costs (EUR per
households, at constant
prices)
- Maintenance and
repair of dwellings
- Water and miscellaneous
domestic services
- Electricity, gas and
other fuels
- Hardware and DIY
goods
- Household and
domestic services
Source:
Chart 2
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1,872
13
63
1,962
15
44
2,112
15
42
2,135
15
41
2,158
15
40
2,217
15
66.3
96.9
95.9
95.0
1.0
3.2
14.1
14.1
15.3
18.4
43.8
37.2
42.4
43.1
43.7
45.3
39.4
76.4
88.4
89.4
89.9
91.6
74.7
81.6
87.8
88.6
89.2
91.0
82.7
58.4
41.3
40.1
38.0
33.9
0.3
1.2
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.3
85.7
87.8
89.4
89.6
89.8
90.3
74.2
86.8
95.2
97.0
97.4
98.5
248.5
497.4
569.8
548.7
540.8
589.8
175.9
396.7
494.4
495.5
498.1
542.0
1,263.3
1,828.6
1,987.4
2,036.8
2,042.3
2,173.3
61.1
59.3
74.3
71.2
68.4
69.8
230.2
276.2
323.1
320.3
310.7
321.3
Number of Households by Disposable Income Bracket 2005, 2010, 2016
19
Source:
MONEY AND SAVINGS

Attitudes Toward Payment Methods
Slovakia has made significant advances in the use of payment cards in recent years, mostly
as an increasing number of people find this payment method to be easier, more convenient and
safer. Within a decade the number of ATM cards issued almost trebled to some 2.6 million in
2011 and grew slightly to 2.7 million in 2013. Most of these cards are debit cards. In 2013 only
half a million cards out of the 2.7 million total were credit cards. The slow increase in the number
of credit cards reflects the cautious attitude of Slovaks when it comes to using credit. On the
other hand, money borrowing has experienced major growth: the total outstanding balance on
consumer loans and mortgages has risen dramatically since 2000, exceeding US$25 billion in
2013.
Cards owners in Slovakia are heavy users of debit cards. Some 38% of the respondents in a
2013 MasterCard survey said that they were willing to pay by card, even for small purchases of
under 2. A total of 78% of the respondents said that they are open to using contactless cards
for purchases of up to 20, which is the limit of such cards. The use of cards is still low, but it is
steadily increasing. In 2012 some 23.9% of Slovaks used payment cards daily. A year later,
over 25% did so. Another 43.4% use payment cards at least twice a week.
Slovaks are less reliant on cash than in the past. In 2009 some 38% of all card transactions in
Slovakia were cash withdrawals. By 2013 that figure had fallen to 17%, according to a survey by
the financial consumer group Home Credit Slovakia. At the same time, the amount of cash
withdrawn from ATMs declined from an average of 101 in 2009 to 85 in 2013.
Online shopping has also recorded major growth in the past few years. Every second Slovak
has a notebook, two in five own a computer, some 33% use smartphones and 10% of them
have a tablet. Ownership of mobile devices has also pushed up the number and value of
purchases online via mobile platforms, according to a 2014 survey by the banking group Erste.
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Some 15% of Slovaks make a purchase online at least once a month. They mostly do online
shopping between the hours 7pm and 9pm, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Clothing and
footwear are the most frequently purchased goods on the internet, according to a 2014 survey
by Mediaresearch carried out between May 2013 and May 2014. Some 46% of the respondents
said that they bought clothing and shoes during that period. Other frequently bought goods
online are books and mobile phones.
Payment for utilities or other home services by card or online is not popular among Slovaks.
Some of the large utility services groups in Slovakia started to introduce the option of paying
invoices online in 2009. Electricity provider Zapadoslovenska Energetika (ZSE) was the first
utility operator to launch e-invoices in Slovakia, back in 2006. At the beginning, the service was
offered only to companies, but in 2010 it was extended to households. ZSE records monthly
some 500 new subscribers to e-payments, mostly consumers aged 30 to 40. Another electricity
producer, Stredoslovenska Energetika (SSE), reports that only 5% of its customers pay invoices
electronically.
Credit card owners tend to be careful users who cover their balance regularly. A 2012 study
by the banking group ING found that only 5% of all households that had a credit card carried
balances over to the following month.
Savings
Generally, Slovaks are not major savers, compared to other Europeans. A survey by CSOB
bank in 2013 found that generally only a third of the Slovak households save. Some 14% of the
respondents said that they put money aside monthly and another 42% said that they do that
irregularly and only when they could afford it. Inhabitants of Bratislava are among the heaviest
savers with 367 in monthly savings. Bratislava was trailed by Trencin and Trnava counties,
with an average monthly savings amount of 312.
To a certain extent, people with lower salaries are more likely to save, according to CSOBs
spokesperson Zuzana Eliasova. They do that as they fear unexpected situations that could
require significant expenditure. Sometimes, people with low salaries put aside up to 10% of their
salary per month.
In recent years Slovaks have increasingly cut down on expenses, mostly because of the
economic downturn. Some 71% of the respondents in a 2013 survey by the pollster IMAS said
that they were spending 90 less per annum, which was 2 more than in 2012. Overall,
including pension funds, the average savings amount in Slovakia stood at 11% of total income
in 2013. However, in 2014 an increase in spending was noted. With consumers determined to
spend more in 2014 than in the previous year, although many see 2014 as a worse year
economically, according to a 2014 survey by the consumer loan group Cetelem.
The value of savings increased by almost 9% in 2013 compared to the previous year, to some
3.1 billion. However, this was lower than in 2011 when savings totalled 3.6 billion. A marked
trend in recent years has been the decline in the savings ratio to 6.6% of total disposable
income in 2012. However, the savings ratio is expected to pick up in the coming years, albeit at
a slow pace.
The most preferred form of savings in Slovakia is a savings account in a bank. Half of the
respondents in the 2013 IMAS survey said that they had a savings account. A similar number
(47%) said that they save through life and capital insurance. The fastest growth was registered
in 2013 by people interested in pension plans. Some 39% of Slovaks said that they were
interested in a pension plan, which was 7 percentage points more than in the year before.
Stashing cash at home has become an out-dated habit, but still 33% of Slovaks reported that
they had cash in safes at home, a decline of 5 percentage points compared to the previous
year.
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The main reasons why Slovaks save are to have financial means in case of an emergency or
to invest in something in the future. A third of the respondents in the IMAS survey said that they
put money aside for holidays. Financial literacy is low in Slovakia. Only a little more than a third
of the Slovaks in the IMAS survey knew the interest rates on their savings accounts. The other
two thirds said that they did not know the interest rates and did not compare them with other
banks or financial institutions. At the end of August 2013 the average savings amount in Slovak
banks was worth 4,700, according to Postova Banka.
Most of the population has a bank account, but there are still a high number of people who do
not use bank services, at around 30%, according to research by Pioneer Investments in 2013.
Males use investment instruments such as funds more than women with 13% of men investing
compared to 8% of women.
Loans and Mortgages

Slovaks are increasingly resorting to loans and in 2013 the outstanding balance reached
US$13.2 billion up by US$7.5 billion since 2005. The outstanding balance on mortgages was
US$12 billion in 2013 from US$2.9 billion in 2005.
However, lending activity in Slovakia is still at a low level compared to other EU countries.
Data from 2013 from the European Central Bank (ECB) shows that Slovaks had on average
loans worth 3,385 taken from local banks. This is higher than in Hungary, Romania and
Bulgaria, but less than in the Czech Republic or Slovenia and only a fraction of western
countries such as Sweden or the Netherlands. Similarly, Slovaks have small amounts of savings
in banks compared to other European countries. The ECB study of 2013 showed that the
average deposit in a Slovak bank was worth 5,008.
The reasons for the low level of debt are that Slovaks have learned historically to buy only
what they can afford, according to Tatra Bank. However, increasingly people began to resort to
loans more often, according to experts from Postova Banka. A 2012 ING study found that only a
quarter of Slovak households were indebted in one form or another. The biggest share was
represented by households who had unsecured loans, such as consumer loans. Less than 10%
had loans secured by collateral, most often real estate properties. Outstanding balances on an
overdraft account were reported by less than 8% of people.
A 2014 survey by Cetelem shows that most Slovaks are taking loans to invest in renewing
their household appliances, especially consumer electronic goods, as well as in reconstruction
and renovation of their homes, and travel and leisure activities.
Lower mortgage interest rates in recent years, hovering at around 3.5% in 2014, made
mortgages a more attractive and affordable lending product for many Slovaks. The periods
when the largest number of mortgages are concluded are early spring and autumn, according to
information from Postova Banka. The newest trend among Slovaks is the growth in mortgage
refinancing. Some 40% of the mortgages awarded in 2014 were refinancing loans. The month of
February 2014 was the strongest in modern Slovak mortgage history with a record high of
297.7 million in awarded mortgages, 91.6 million more than in the same month in 2013,
according to Postova Banka data. Demand is still healthy and if interest rates are maintained at
low levels, consumers are likely to continue to look for loans.
On the negative side, debt and unemployment have caused an increase in the number of
reposed and auctioned properties in recent years. It was estimated in 2013 that daily some 11
flats or houses are put up for auction, according to the company Platit se Oplati. Most of them
are the result of the so-called mortgage trap in which many households increasingly fall.
The mortgage boom has also been driven by the easing in the application procedure for
housing loans. Banks are competing for mortgage applicants, and frantically launch new
products and offers in the competition for mortgage takers. CSOB bank, for example, takes only
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24 hours to run the credit approval process for a mortgage application, releasing the money
within two hours from the approval moment.
Cashless payments for foodstuffs
In recent years, Slovaks have increasingly used payment cards for the purchase of groceries.
This category of goods registered the steepest increase. The share of foodstuffs purchased in
the total amount of card payments surged from 18% in 2009 to almost 32% in 2013, according
to a Home Credit Slovakia survey. It has become natural for consumers to pay even 5 by card,
according to Home Credit Slovakias analyst, Michal Kozub.
A 2014 survey by Zuno bank found that Slovaks spend roughly 300 a month on their debit
cards. The highest share of that, some 44%, is accounted for by groceries. The average amount
spent in stores a month by contactless card stood at 7.25 in 2014.
Shopping on foreign websites
Increasingly, Slovaks have turned to purchases on foreign portals. Over 52% of Slovaks make
purchases on the internet in other countries, mostly because they find lower prices there,
according to a 2013 survey by PayPal. Another 31% said that they cannot find the products that
they can find elsewhere, on Slovak websites.
Some of the clothing brands most frequently purchased on foreign portals include Levis,
Adidas, Nike, Puma, Calvin Klein, Armani and Tommy Hilfiger. When it comes to consumer
electronics, the brands most acquired abroad are Apple, Asus, Canon, HTV, Kingston and
Samsung. The websites most used for online shopping are located in the EU (32%), followed by
the USA (16%) and Asia (13%). Around 40% spend 200 a year, and 17% spend 30 to 70.
Table 3
Money and Savings Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Financial cards in
circulation
- ATM cards (mn cards)
- Debit cards (mn cards)
- Credit cards (mn cards)
Financial cards'
transactions
- ATM cards (USD mn, at
constant prices)
- Debit cards (USD mn,
at constant prices)
- Credit cards (USD mn,
at constant prices)
Cash transactions (USD
mn, at constant prices)
Annual savings (EUR mn,
at constant prices)
Savings ratio (% of
disposable income)
Annual lending rate (%)
Consumer lending
- Consumer credit
(outstanding balance)
(USD mn)
- Mortgages/housing
(outstanding balance)
(USD mn)
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
0.9
0.9
0.0
1.9
1.6
0.4
2.6
2.2
0.5
2.7
2.2
0.5
2.7
2.3
0.5
2.8
2.3
0.6
4,697
10,040
11,643
13,159
13,101
12,543
459
1,228
4,394
5,961
6,264
6,683
300
639
742
811
987
39,770
55,506
52,655
53,218
52,882
52,328
3,683
2,034
3,597
2,876
3,161
3,256
11.3
5.5
8.1
6.6
7.2
7.0
14.9
6.7
3.0
1.8
1.0
1,812
5,694
10,655
12,517
13,170
15,135
1,238
2,886
9,869
11,306
11,983
12,921
23
Source:
Chart 3
Source:
Consumer Lending Compared with Savings and Savings Ratio 2000-2016
EATING AND DRINKING

Eating Habits
Slovaks, particularly those with lower education and on a low income, have a tendency to eat
unhealthily. For example, they mostly fry food instead of choosing healthier cooking methods
such as boiling or baking, according to a 2013 survey by the Association for Health and
Nutrition. Some 20% of the respondents in the survey said that they usually fry their food.
Younger people are also inclined to fry.
Almost twice as many young people aged 18-24 compared to pensioners fry their food on a
regular basis. Although grilling food is a growing trend, the proportion of people who do cook in
this way on a regular basis is only 5%. One worrying habit for the populations health is the low
consumption of vegetables, with only a fifth of households consuming vegetables on a regular
basis, according to the Association for Health and Nutrition. Some 44% of respondents said that
they sometimes eat vegetables and a third of them do so regularly. Most seniors aged 65 and
over, living alone, consume vegetables on a regular basis. Consumers use mostly vegetable oil
for cooking with one in three of the households using it frequently.
Slovaks are not generally fussy when it comes to foods. Only 20% of the respondents in a
2013 survey by the Association for Health and Nutrition said that they checked the labels on the
packaging. The most health-conscious customers who want to be informed about the food they
buy are people with higher education and aged 45-54. The unemployed, pensioners and
students are the least likely groups to check labels on food.
Fast foods have gained in popularity in recent years. Some 61% of Slovaks eat regularly in
fast-food outlets, according to a 2013 survey by the Association for Health and Nutrition and
Focus agency. Men eat fast food more often than women. Some 36% of consumers in the 18-24
age group eat fast food at least once a week. The same survey found that consumers with an
income of at least 1,500, eat more fast foods and this type of food is most popular in western
Slovakia in cities such as Kosice and Presov.
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Slovaks are increasingly saving money and time during their work by taking their meals with
them and avoiding going out for lunch. On average nine out of 10 Slovaks bring lunches with
them to work, according to a 2013 survey by the recruitment portal Profesia.sk. At the same
time, delivery service companies have not been successful as this kind of service is not used
much either at home or at work.
Slovaks like to get up early. Some 41% of them wake up before 6am, and another third before
7am, according to a 2014 survey conducted by Perfect Crowd for the IKEA furniture chain. An
April 2014 poll online carried out by the cooking portal Dobruchut.sk found that almost three
quarters of people find time for breakfast. For 54% of Slovaks, starting the day without a coffee
is totally unthinkable, according to Perfect Crowd.
Slovaks do not eat in restaurants often. Without counting lunches at restaurants during work,
less than 11% of Slovaks visit a restaurant at least once a week, according to Dobruchut.sk. At
home, pre-cooked meals or takeaways are not common. Almost 57% of Slovaks prepare their
own food from scratch. In 75% of households, women cook regularly whereas in the remaining
quarter of households, women and men take turns at cooking.
There is not much appetite for ethnic cuisine among Slovaks. Consumers more than anything
prefer local cuisine, the most popular dishes being traditional ewes milk cheese dumplings
followed by roast chicken. Apart from local cuisine, the most preferred foreign dishes are Italian.
Drinking Habits
Data from the health ministry show that on average one man in five and one woman in 10 in
Slovakia consumes more than 75 ml of alcohol a day. The incidence of high alcohol
consumption among youth has increased in recent years. More than a quarter of teenagers
aged 15-16 said that they got drunk in the past 30 days, according to a 2012 survey by the
European School Survey on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD).
Drinking habits have changed significantly in recent years as increasingly Slovaks cut down
on their visits to the pub and drink at home. The chief reason is to cut down on expenditure.
Generally, spending on alcoholic drinks has declined in recent years, reaching some 174 per
capita in 2013. Record high spending was recorded in 2011 when consumers spent 183 per
capita on alcoholic drinks. An average Slovak spent some 65 on soft drinks in 2013 and nearly
three times more on alcohol.
Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in Slovakia. However, the highest expenditure on
beverages is accounted for by spirits with 68 in 2013. Nevertheless, the spending on spirits
has gone down progressively in the past decade from a record high of 80 in 2000. Spending on
wine has remained stable for many years, between 46 and 49 per capita.
There are no rules on opening hours of pubs and bars in Slovakia, but particularly in large
cities, complaints against noise and mayhem because of the late opening hours of drinking
establishment are mounting. In Kosice, for example, authorities have tried for several years to
impose mandatory closure of pubs and discos at 10pm and of discount drinks outlets at 7pm.
There is no ban on smoking in drinking establishments. Smoking has been banned since the
summer of 2013 in shopping centres and restaurants or pubs that cook food. Owners of pubs
that serve only drinks can choose to ban smoking in their premises.
Generally, consumption of non-alcoholic drinks has dropped in the past few years.
Nevertheless, Slovaks are heavy coffee drinkers. Surveys have reported that almost three
quarters of people drink coffee regularly and nearly two thirds of those drink one to two cups a
day.
Local groceries and the promotion of domestic produce
Since 2010 state authorities in Slovakia have heavily promoted the consumption of locally
produced foodstuffs. This has been prompted by the decline in local production. The Agriculture
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Ministry claimed in early 2014 that during the previous five years, the number of local food
producers in Slovakia dropped by almost 80. The ministry argued that local products are pushed
back on shelves behind imported goods. As a result, in February 2014 new regulations took
effect obliging all retailers that sell foodstuffs with a turnover of over 10 million to send twice a
year, a statement on the share of local foods in the companys total sales to the ministry. The
law also requires them to publish their five largest supplying countries both on their website and
at the entrance to their shops.
The retailer with the highest share of local foods in their total offering in 2014 was Coop
Jednota. In contrast, Germanys Lidl had the lowest share. Foods where the local share in the
total is highest include bacon, sour cream, water (including mineral water) and sausages,
according to 2013 data from the Food Chamber of Slovakia (PKS). The move is said by local
analysts to be part of the governments attempt to shake the dominance of the large foreign
grocery chains in Slovakia. Repeated checks on their shops lead on a regular basis to
numerous fines. Consumers are increasingly moving towards buying local as they consider that
locally produced foods are healthier.
Consumers prefer their coffee at home
Coffee drinking is very high among Slovaks and for many, especially in large cities, a
socialising opportunity as it brings together groups of friends and colleagues. However, only a
small percentage of the population drink coffee in cafs. Mostly people meet to have coffee at
their workplace or when visiting friends.
These habits have prevented modern caf chains from expanding much in Slovakia. Many of
them operate in shopping centres where they manage to bring a relatively high number of
customers. However, caf operators have often encountered financial problems. In April 2014,
for example, the locally owned caf chain Coffee & Co folded after 13 years. The company had
a total of 16 cafes in Slovakia. Cafs find it difficult to survive, mostly because consumers tend
to spend less money but more time sitting and talking.
Table 4
Eating and Drinking Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
EUR per capita, at constant prices
Food consumer
expenditure
- Bread and cereals
consumer expenditure
- Meat consumer
expenditure
- Fish and seafood
- Milk, cheese and eggs
- Oils and fats
- Fruit consumer
expenditure
- Vegetables consumer
expenditure
- Sugar and confectionery
Coffee, tea and cocoa
Mineral waters, soft
drinks,
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
1,169
1,088
1,204
1,206
1,226
1,233
213
200
245
242
243
249
334
308
314
323
329
332
36
36
39
39
38
40
223
200
217
223
228
230
71
64
67
66
67
67
74
65
75
71
72
69
74
76
99
91
94
99
100
102
106
107
109
103
44
40
47
50
49
49
56
55
65
63
65
68
26
fruit and vegetable

juices
Alcoholic drinks
- Beer consumer
expenditure
- Spirits consumer
expenditure
- Wine consumer
expenditure
Catering consumer
expenditure
Availability of fruit
and vegetables (kg per
capita per year)
Source:
Chart 4
Source:
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176
175
183
178
174
179
48
56
62
61
60
65
80
70
72
70
68
67
48
49
48
47
46
48
381
401
375
366
362
365
147.9
137.4
174.2
174.7
174.5
174.7
Real Growth in Consumer Expenditure Compared with Real Growth in

Consumer Expenditure on Food and Alcoholic Drinks 2000-2016
GROOMING AND FASHION

Perceptions of Beauty
For women, age is a sensitive issue, more than in many other countries, according to a 2014
survey by Dove. For some 88% of Slovak women, the question how old are you? is a
nightmare. References to age spur negative feelings among 64% of women and only around
11% of women are happy with their age.
According to the same survey only 4% of women are satisfied with how they look. For 73% of
women, being self-confident depends significantly on how conscious they are of their beauty.
Approximately 59% of them feel huge pressure from society to improve their appearance. For
an overwhelming 80% of the women who responded to the Dove survey, every person has
27
something beautiful, but none of them could describe what is beautiful about themselves. Some
73% said that it was important to take care of their appearance by, for example, caring for their
body and skin. Half of the respondents said that they rely on professional services at a salon.
Female Grooming
One of the first priorities for women is skin cleanliness and body hygiene and women use
extensive toiletry products to achieve this goal. Almost 45% of women use beauty salons seven
to 12 times a year, according to a 2011 study by Vinea. Approximately 86% of women said that
taking care of their nails is important. More than one fifth of women have their nails manicured in
beauty salons more than once a month. The average spending on manicures stands at 600 a
year. Mostly women from the Bratislava area and western Slovakia are avid users of beauty
salons that offer manicure services. Women also pay particular attention to their hair.
Summers are hot and in recent years there has been an increase in the average temperature.
In the 2013 summer (June to August), the average temperature in Slovakia was 21.6 Celsius,
which was the highest average temperature since 1871, according to data from the Slovak
hydro-meteorological Office in Hurbanovo. This resulted in consumers investing in sun
protection products which used to be reserved for when taking summer holidays in other
countries.
Slovak women are not shy when it comes to showing off their bodies. Customer surveys from
the online clothing store Fashion Days found that 74% of women have no problem wearing
bikinis.
Male Grooming
The interest in grooming beyond washing and shaving among Slovak men tends to be low.
However, the interest in grooming services amongst younger men is growing. Increasingly,
salons are offering more services for men, such as a manicure and waxing. Much of this interest
is driven by female partners. However, as Slovakia has the highest long-term unemployment
rate among young people in the EU (19.1% vs. 7.5% EU average in 2012), the younger
generation have little spending power when it comes to quality toiletry products.
There is an affluent group of Slovaks who frequent salons on a regular basis. Cosmetician
Simona Hegyiova of the Babor Beauty Spa says that men use a broad range of services
including cleansing and deep cleansing, exfoliation and mask treatments. Men are interested in
products that are gentle on the skin and that contain soothing elements after shaving and keep
their skin hydrated.
Fashion Trends
Slovaks have become more fashion-conscious in recent years. The Modarevue.com portal
reports that for over 40% of Slovaks it is important to dress according to the latest fashion
trends. Teenagers more than any other age group are interested in fashion trends followed by
people aged 20-29. When it comes to specific items, Slovaks put most emphasis on shoes
when trying to keep up with the latest fashion trends.
Slovaks usually dress formally in their workplaces or wear uniforms depending on the nature
of the work. Some 29% of Slovaks said that they dress freely at work and 34% said that there
are rules in place at their workplace, but nobody respects them, according to a survey by the
online fashion portal Fashion Days that canvassed people aged 18-55 working in marketing,
finance, government, education, IT and healthcare. Only 9% of them said that they had a dress
code in their workplace.
The Fashion Days survey found that 43% of Slovaks wanted to wear non-boring clothing at
work. Some 34% of them said that they dressed for work according to seasons. Only 5% of
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them do not like colourful clothing and usually go for a combination of black, white and grey.
More often those in office jobs tend to dress informally on Fridays.
Generally, a larger part of Slovaks are looking for cheap clothing, which explains the
popularity of discounter fashion retailers. The retail chain KiK, specialising in sales of discounted
clothing, has been expanding aggressively in the past several years in Slovakia with the goal of
building a chain of over 100 stores.
Accessories are for Slovaks one of the most popular presents. A study by Deloitte in 2013
found that accessories are the Christmas presents that 21% of Slovaks buy, followed by
jewellery and watches, with 19%. Clothing and shoes were the third most popular gift category,
preferred by 39% of the respondents in the study.
Analysts from the realtor CBRE reported in 2013 that demand from retailers positioned in the
mid-price segment has declined in Bratislava and regionally. Consumers tending to opt for
cheaper lines tough economic times.
Branded clothing in demand
For those that can afford it fashion-conscious Slovaks are spending more time and money on
purchases of branded clothing on the internet. The largest discount fashion portal by sales
revenues in Slovakia, Zlavomat.sk, reported a surge in sales revenues of 55% in the first half of
2013 compared to the same period in the year before. The best-selling items on Zlavomat.sk
are womens handbags, trendy tops and t-shirts.
People go for branded products online mostly because the internet offers them the possibility
to compare products and choose their preferred style and colour. At the same time, for many
Slovaks, the internet is the only affordable option for branded clothing. The best-selling brands
on Zlavomat.sk include Giorgio di Mare, Angels never die, Elite Goby, Desigual and Fever.
Table 5
Grooming and Fashion Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Personal care consumer

expenditure
Colour cosmetics retail
sales
Fragrances retail sales
Hair care retail sales
Oral care retail sales
Men's grooming retail
sales
Skin care retail sales
Sun care retail sales
Clothing consumer
expenditure
- Clothing materials
- Garments consumer
expenditure
- Other clothing
- Clothing cleaning,
repair and hire
Footwear consumer
expenditure
Source:
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
173.0
216.6
324.8
329.0
321.5
339.6
10.8
11.7
12.8
12.6
12.6
12.7
12.1
13.7
5.0
5.3
12.7
14.5
5.4
6.4
14.5
17.2
6.9
7.5
14.5
17.2
8.0
7.5
14.7
17.2
8.1
7.5
14.7
16.6
8.1
7.6
14.9
0.5
215.3
17.3
0.6
191.2
19.6
0.8
207.1
19.7
0.8
201.1
20.2
0.9
197.9
21.9
0.9
193.5
7.8
3.2
0.8
0.8
0.8
0.7
197.8
180.6
197.6
191.9
189.1
184.9
7.2
5.2
5.9
5.8
5.6
5.4
2.5
2.1
2.7
2.6
2.4
2.5
88.0
86.1
94.1
91.8
88.9
92.9
29
Chart 5
Source:

Consumer Expenditure on Clothing, Footwear and Personal Care 2000-2016
HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Attitudes To Health and Well-being
The Slovak healthcare system has undergone major transformations in the past decade.
Much of its current state has been shaped by a reform from 2002 to 2006 that introduced the
approach of managed competition. The spending on healthcare per capita remains low, being
around half the EU 15 average, according to a 2011 study by the World Health Organisation
(WHO). Much of this was accounted for by pharmaceuticals, which represented 28% of total
expenditure, 12 percentage points higher compared to the OECD average.
The system is funded mostly through public sources, which accounted for almost 71% of total
healthcare spending in 2013. However, the share of public health expenditure has constantly
decreased in recent years as more Slovaks are turning to private facilities. Since 2011,
however, the share of private funding in total healthcare expenditure has stagnated to an
average of 30%.
All Slovaks are entitled to statutory health insurance unless they reside in another country.
The pool of funding for this health insurance is created by payments from the active population.
Private health insurance is available but there is low demand. In 2012 the Prime Minister Robert
Fico opined that Slovakia should have a single health insurer which would cover the entire
population, a suggestion that the Association of Health Insurers (ZZP) found populist and
unfeasible. However, Fico launched this project and the government is working on the plan for
the creation of a system where a sole state-controlled insurer would operate in the market. Two
private insurers, Dovera and Union ZP, currently offer private health insurance.
Out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare has gone up, and was approaching 30% in 2012
from only under 12% in 2002, according to data from the Health Policy Institute in Bratislava.
This is the result of rising co-payments for drugs, higher spending on over-the-counter (OTC)
drugs and soaring spending in private healthcare facilities.
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Prices of medicines are high and for many unaffordable. A 2014 survey by the Association for
a Healthier Heart found that for 75% of the respondents, aged 40-79, it is very difficult to pay for
medicines. According to pharmaceutical producer Pfizer 62% of Slovaks bought medicines as a
Christmas present (including vitamins, dietary supplements and smoke-quitting kits).
Slovaks do not tend to self-medicate, but prefer to go to the doctor when they feel unwell.
Slovakia is among the countries with the highest number of visits to the doctor. On average,
Slovaks go to the doctor 11 times a year, much above the OECD average of six to seven times,
according to a 2014 study. The number of hospitalisations in Slovakia, at 184 per 1,000
inhabitants is higher than the OECD average of 156. On the other hand, Slovaks also buy OTC
drugs relatively often to store them for emergency situations. Some 49% of the respondents in a
2013 survey carried out by Centrum Holdings and the Pharmaceutical Faculty at the Comenius
University in Bratislava said that they regularly take the offer of non-prescription drugs in
pharmacies. Roughly 20% of them say that they purchase such drugs at their own initiative
without following advice from professionals or others. Data from the Slovak Health University
indicates that Slovaks have large amounts of drugs stocked at home. Some 70% of Slovak
households have medicines or dietary supplements at home. The record was a household with
38 types of drugs and supplements kept at home.
Many Slovaks often purchase and use vitamins and dietary supplements in a move to
improve their health. Surveys cited by Pluska.sk show that people visiting pharmacies buy
dietary supplements and vitamins three times more often than medicines.
Obesity
Obesity has become a serious problem in Slovakia. The proportion of the obese population
grew from 14.2% in 2000 to 19% in 2013 and is still growing. Of great concern is the rate of
obesity among children. Data from the Slovak Heart Foundation in 2014 indicates that 10% of
Slovak children are obese and many of them have cholesterol-related problems. Over half of
children aged 11-12 have increased levels of cholesterol, according to the same source.
The factors that have led to such high levels of obesity are bad diet and lack of exercise.
Children overeat, consume twice the amount of sugary drinks that they used to drink and do
little exercise. Many are used to spending most of their time at school and in front of the
television or computer.
A number of private players and government entities have stepped up their efforts to fight
soaring obesity levels during the past few years. The UK retailer group Tesco for example has
organised the Tesco Run for Life running race since 2009, which attracted almost 60,000 people
during 2009 and 2014. Experts advised the government to initiate education on healthy diet and
the importance of exercise for a healthy life from the early stages of school.
Attitudes To Smoking
The number of adult smokers in Slovakia has shown a steady decline. The percentage of the
population smoking was 38% in 2000, 32.3% in 2005 and 31.8% in 2013. Men are more likely to
smoke than women (46.1% compared to18.6% in 2013).
Although the share of smokers in the total population is low compared to countries, for
example, in the Balkans, smoking contributes to worsening health. Slovakia has one of the
highest incidences of deaths from cardiovascular diseases in Europe, with some 30,000 people
dying every year, according to the Slovak Statistical Office.
A bigger problem is the high prevalence of smoking among younger people. A study by
ESPAD in 2012 found that roughly 39% of the respondents aged 15-16 smoked in the past 30
days. A study by UIPS in 2012 showed that the most common age for children and youth to start
smoking, 26.5% of them, is at the age of 12, followed by 13-year-olds at 22.9%.
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Attempts to quit smoking have increased lately. Already 75% of Slovaks do not tolerate
smoking in their flats (even if some of them are smokers). Most of the people who quit smoking
do so for family reasons. The second most cited reason is the high price of cigarettes followed
by bans on smoking in specific places such as at work. Tobacco expenditure reached 201.4
per capita in 2013, up from 142.9 in 2000. Growth in tobacco expenditure has slowed down
since 2011.
Private healthcare unaffordable
The Slovak private healthcare market began to grow in the early 2000s, but it is far from being
developed to its full potential. The main reason for the slow development of this sector is low
income among Slovaks which makes private healthcare services unaffordable. Although the
number of Slovaks using the private healthcare system has grown in the past five years, it is still
insufficient for the industry to sustain itself.
On top of that, private healthcare facilities face the problem with insurers, particularly the state
insurance company. As a result, private healthcare facilities are mostly focused on offering
niche services to their clients that differ from what they receive in the state healthcare system.
Dietary supplements
A quarter of Slovaks regularly buy dietary supplements and vitamins, according to a 2013
survey by Centrum Holdings and the Pharmaceutical Faculty at the Comenius University in
Bratislava.
One of the best-selling vitamins in Slovakia is vitamin C. Professor Jozef Glasa of the Slovak
Health University says that the opinion that the more you consume vitamin C the better it is for
your health is widespread in Slovakia. Many consumers appreciate the perceived benefits of
milk thistle and other natural remedies.
Table 6
Health and Wellness Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Total health
expenditure (USD per
capita)
Share of total health
expenditure in GDP (%
of total GDP)
- Public health
expenditure's share of
total health expenditure
(% of total health
expenditure)
- Private health
expenditure's share of
total health expenditure
(% of total health
expenditure)
Healthy life expectancy
at birth: total
population (years)
at birth: males (years)
at birth: females (years)
Average supply of food
calories per day
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
293.2
803.6
1,413.6
1,376.0
1,349.3
5.5
7.0
8.0
8.1
7.6
89.4
74.4
70.9
69.7
70.7
10.6
25.6
29.1
30.3
29.3
63.9
67.0
67.5
67.7
68.0
68.6
61.3
63.6
64.8
65.0
65.3
66.0
66.4
70.2
70.0
70.2
70.5
71.0
2,797.0
2,843.0
2,897.5
2,903.7
2,909.2
2,925.8
32
(calories per capita)

Average supply of
protein per day (grams
per capita)
Average supply of fat
per day (grams per
capita)
Obese population (BMI
30 kg/sq m or more) (%
of population aged 15+)
Overweight population
(BMI 25-30 kg/sq m or
more) (% of population
aged 15+)
Tobacco consumer
expenditure (EUR per
capita, at constant
prices)
Smoking prevalence
among adult population
(% of total adult
population)
Smoking prevalence
among adult male
population
(% of male adult
population)
Smoking prevalence
among adult female
population
(% of female adult
population)
Source:
Chart 6
Source:
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71.8
73.9
73.3
73.5
73.6
74.2
97.4
101.5
107.5
107.5
107.3
107.3
14.2
16.0
18.3
18.6
19.0
20.0
34.4
34.9
35.3
35.4
35.4
35.4
142.9
170.6
198.3
197.8
201.4
212.3
38.0
32.3
31.9
31.9
31.8
31.5
52.9
49.1
46.2
46.2
46.1
45.7
24.3
17.0
18.6
18.6
18.6
18.3
Real Growth in Public and Private Expenditure on Health Compared with

Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth 2000-2013
33
SHOPPING HABITS
Main Household Shop
Slovaks prefer to do their main shopping of basic goods including foodstuffs and non-food
household goods in big-format stores such as hypermarkets as this saves them time. Nine out
of 10 households spend a longer time on shopping but buy large quantities of basic goods as
this saves their time in the long term, according to a survey by Home Credit in 2014. Most
shoppers82%, pay by card for their main household shopping.
On average, the value of a main household shopping cart is 72. Usually, middle-aged people
and households with children spend more. Roughly one third of people spend between 61 and
100 on the main household shop, a quarter of them an average of 45 and only 12% spend
more than 100. Most the households who go on large shopping trips prepare themselves and
are trying to seize as many discount or sales opportunities as possible. More than 75% of them
say that they choose goods depending on whether they are discounted, according to the Home
Credit survey.
People go on large shopping trips most often once a week, in other cases several times a
month. Particularly younger people of up to 29 years of age say that usually they also buy
products that they do not need during these shopping trips. Older people usually do the main
household shop with lists of products that they intend to purchase.
Most of the shoppers who go on a main household shopping trip take the opportunity to also
visit other stores and thus the trip can last up to three hours or more. This is the reason why
shoppers go on these trips at the weekend. Couples go on large shopping trips on a regular
basis and consumers without children or from small towns go less frequently, according to the
same survey.
The preference for modern retailers is high among Slovaks. Over 86% of the expenditure on
groceries in Slovakia was accounted for by modern, non-traditional retailers in 2013, which was
a slight decline compared to the previous year. However, this was not the result of the declining
popularity of modern grocery stores, but a consequence of the declining spending on groceries
in general. Spending in traditional groceries has declined from 886.1 per household in 2005 to
385.2 per household in 2013 (in real terms). Spending in modern grocery stores went from
2.019 in 2005 to 2,412 in 2013 (in real terms), as the popularity of shopping in supermarkets
and hypermarkets took off.
The economic downturn has had a significant effect on Slovak households, prompting many
of them to seek lower prices. For many years, hypermarkets have been the most popular store
format among Slovaks, mainly due to their broad range of products and competitive prices, local
newswire TASR reported in 2014. In recent years small shops have become increasingly
popular particularly among young, active people who choose to shop in these stores because of
the proximity to their workplace or home.
Purchasing basic goods, such as foods or beverages, online is not a common habit among
households. However, large retailers are making inroads in online commerce. The UK grocery
retailer Tesco launched a drive-in service in mid-2013 allowing customers to purchase groceries
online and pick them up in a special drive-in area near the shop. This allows customers to save
the time they would spend in stores looking for the goods they want.
The key criterion in buying food for some 97% of consumers is price, according to 2013 data
from Postova Banka. This trend has been accentuated in the recent years of economic
depression and high unemployment. In 2014 some 17% of average monthly expenditure was
spent on foodstuffs, more than 2 percentage points more than the EU average. A 2013 YouGov
study showed that Slovaks fear the increase in prices of basic needs and goods most. For
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several years an increasing number of people, particularly those living close to the Slovak
borders, have chosen to buy food in neighbouring countries where they are cheaper than in
Slovakia. In 2012 some 20% of Slovaks did so regularly, according to estimates from Postova
Banka. For foodstuffs, Slovaks go mostly to Poland and the Czech Republic. The higher prices
of food in Slovakia are the result of the VAT rate of 20%.
Locally, Slovaks also go to the shops that offer the lowest prices, their preferences being
large chains, particularly hypermarkets and discounters. In the first quarter of 2014 the
agriculture ministry in Slovakia estimated that roughly 87% of all foods are sold via retail chains.
Recent years have experienced a growth in the consumption of fresh produce. The Slovak
agriculture ministry has been actively promoting local produce for almost five years. It obliges
modern grocery chains to publish at the entrance of their stores and on their websites the share
of domestic produce in the total amount of goods sold in the respective stores. In 2013 almost
two thirds of Slovaks purchased local produce, according to data from the agriculture ministry.
Almost half of the products purchased regularly by Slovaks are fresh foods. Dairy products
account for the highest share, almost a third, of the fresh foods bought, according to the
newswire TASR.
Growing success has been experienced as well by local farm shops. One of the pioneering
grocery retailers selling produce grown by Slovak farmers is the Stary Otec company, which has
several shops in Bratislava. All of its products come from local farms. Although these stores are
a little pricier, an increasing number of customers shop at them as they want to consume
healthy products. Scandals in other European countries related to meat products contaminated
with other products have shaken the confidence of many customers who are becoming
interested in local, organic produce, according to Josef Pirosko, a representative of Stary Otec.
The main problem faced by these retailers is that they have to comply with complicated
requirements that force them to push up the prices of their products. Farm shops usually appear
in large cities where they can appeal to higher income customers.
Shopping for Big-ticket Items

Large appliances are the main reason why Slovaks take consumer loans. Some 22% of the
respondents in a 2014 survey by the company Kruk said that they took a loan to buy large
appliances. Under 10% borrow money to purchase a car. Over 56% of the respondents in the
survey said that they owed more than 360 in consumer loans.
A survey by CSOB bank in 2014 found that 35% of Slovaks wanted to rebuild their homes and
buy modern appliances. The most targeted big-ticket items on the priority list are furniture
(52%), followed by white goods such as washing machines, refrigerators and dishwashers
(20%). However, the highest number of people indicated in a 2013 survey by Cetelem that they
wanted to save for furniture items.
Only a small group of consumers are focused on investing in a car. In the first quarter of 2014,
the share of people who intended to buy a car increased by 2 percentage points year on year to
8%. The remaining 92% have no plans to purchase a car in the following 12 months, according
to the Slovak Statistical Office.
When choosing large appliances, Slovaks are increasingly looking for low-consumption
products. A 2013 survey by Focus found that 73% of people generally look for low-energy
electrical appliances. Also, the purchase of large appliances online have grown, according to a
survey by InterStore group in 2012.
Unlike five years or so ago, Slovak consumers are now doing more research and seek more
information before purchasing goods, particularly expensive products. A 2013 survey by NMS
Market and Heureka.sk found that 34% of Slovaks check independent comparison websites,
which gather in one place detailed information about products and reviews from users.
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Approximately 22% of the respondents said that they made purchases of goods in trusted
internet stores only.
Consumers have been renewing their home entertainment equipment mostly as result of the
switchover to digital broadcasting carried out in Slovakia by the state. As of 2011, the analogue
signal received through terrestrial antennas was switched off and replaced by digital
transmission. Terrestrial antenna is the reception mode for almost 37% of the households. To
be able to continue watching television, all of those households had to either purchase a
converting device for their existing television sets or buy a new television set able to capture the
digital signal. The information campaigns run in the country prior to the analogue switch-off
prompted many Slovaks to invest in new devices and they continue to upgrade their television
sets when they can afford to.
Personal Shopping
The number of Slovaks who regularly visit shopping centres when it comes to personal
shopping has grown. Of those who shop in bricks-and-mortar stores, 30% go mainly to shopping
malls, according to a 2013 survey by MasterCard. They are attracted mainly by the wide offering
and the frequent discount campaigns. Some 50% of Slovaks combined visits to shopping malls
with visits to independent stores.
Men like to go shopping for personal items with their partner whereas women prefer to go
shopping alone. Some 50% of men like to be with their other half when doing personal
shopping. In contrast, only 30% of women want to have their partner with them in shopping
malls, according to the same survey. Shopping with friends is popular mostly among younger
people, aged 15-19. Half of the people in this age group like to do so as a leisure activity.
Clothing and footwear are consistently the items most frequently purchased online in
Slovakia, according to Mediaresearch. Some 46% of the respondents in the survey said that
they bought clothing and shoes on the internet. The second most frequently acquired goods
online, some 32% of the respondents said, were books. Mobile phones and mobile gadgets
came next with 28%, followed by health and personal care products with 25%.
When it comes to clothing and footwear, women make purchases of these products more
often than men. Approximately 57% of women in the Mediaresearch study said that they bought
clothing and footwear, 23 percentage points more than men.
Shopping Online
On average, up to three quarters of Slovak internet users go online regularly, some 61%
browse every day and half of them say that they cannot imagine a day without online
connection, according to a 2014 survey by Interactive Institute for Market Research (IIBR).
Slovaks mostly connect to the internet at home (98%) and on computer (97%). However, the
use of smartphones and other mobile devices is on the rise. Some 58% of Slovaks access the
internet on their smartphones and another 33% via tablets, according to IIBR. Shopping is not
the most time-consuming activity online among Slovaks. They mostly spend time online
searching for information (87%) and communicating with friends and family (79%).
Nevertheless, Slovaks are increasingly using the internet for shopping. The majority of
customers online are young people. A proportion of 56% of the respondents in the
Mediaresearch survey who purchase clothing and shoes, are in the age bracket 25-34, followed
by the group aged 15-24 with 52%.
Time is becoming a major factor pushing Slovaks to shop online. In 2012 some 17% of the
people who shopped online did so to save time. This figure was 27% in 2014, according to a
study by NMS Market Research and Heureka.sk. However, lower prices are the key driver of
online shopping in Slovakia. It was stated as the main reason by 47% of the respondents in the
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survey. Some 11% of people buy online because they find a broad range of products and offers.
Clothing and footwear are the most frequently purchased goods on the internet, according to
Mediaresearch. They are followed by books, mobile phones and devices, computers and
notebooks, and beauty and self-care products.
Slovaks are fanatical discount hunters and the internet offers them infinite opportunities.
Besides loyalty cards from numerous service providers and retailers including petrol stations,
shopping chains and stores, people are actively visiting discount portals.
Credit cards are the most popular means used in purchasing goods on the internet. Curiously,
older people pay by card more often than younger ones, according to MasterCard. There is still
a group, yet not significant, of conservative consumers who choose to pay in cash upon delivery
for goods purchased online.
It is not only people with lower incomes who hunt for discounts on the internet. Some three
quarters of better-off Slovaks with monthly incomes of over 1,000 search for discounts.
Analysts from Home Credit explain that this is the result of the popularity of discounts in the
country and has nothing to do with the financial muscle of various groups of people. For many,
discounts have become a passion.
Food shopping abroad
Shopping tourism has been an entrenched habit among Slovaks for many years now. The key
reason for turning to foreign markets is price. Particularly people living close to the border areas
habitually splurge in shops in neighbouring Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland. Many of them
do their main household shopping abroad regularly.
Most Slovaks going to shop abroad also come back with a full tank as petrol is also cheaper
across the border, according to experts from Postova Banka. On top of that, an increasing
number of Slovaks also purchase clothing items and consumer electronics abroad. Often,
families going to shop abroad also take their neighbours as they share the cost of the trip.
One emerging shopping destination is Austria where Slovaks go because on top of relatively
lower prices, they can find a higher quality of goods and a wide range of products. The town of
Hainburg, for example, receives big crowds of shoppers from Slovakia every weekend.
Private labels growth
As Slovaks search more intensively for cheaper goods, particularly basic ones such as food,
private label products have carved a healthy niche in the foodstuff retail market. In 2013 some
90% of Slovaks said that they purchased private label products, the TASR news agency
reported. Mostly people from smaller towns and households with lower incomes regularly buy
products in this category.
Representatives of the retail group Tesco explained that not only is price is playing a major
role in the decision to purchase private labels, but also the fact that these products are
guaranteed by both the producer and the retailer that puts its name on the product. Many
customers trust their favourite grocery retail chains and that also plays a role in their decision to
buy private label products.
Tesco is one of the largest chains selling private labels. The private label Tesco Value, for
example, sold over 104 million items in 2013. The most popular private label products in Tesco
are dairy, fruit and vegetables, cleaning products and cooking ingredients.
Table 7
Shopping Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
EUR per household, at constant prices
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
37
Grocery retailers
- Modern grocery
retailers
-- Convenience stores
-- Discounters
-- Forecourt retailers
-- Hypermarkets
-- Supermarkets
Traditional grocery
retailers
-- Food/drink/tobacco
specialists
-- Independent small
grocers
-- Other grocery
retailers
Apparel and footwear
specialist retailers
Electronics and
appliance specialist
retailers
Health and beauty
Home and garden
Leisure and personal
goods specialist
retailers
Mixed retailers
Other non-grocery
retailers
Internet retailing
Source:
Chart 7
Source:
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2,777.9
1,267.8
2,904.8
2,018.7
2,902.3
2,445.2
2,836.6
2,420.5
2,797.2
2,412.0
2,649.4
2,341.7
748.9
62.8
38.4
108.9
308.7
1,510.1
722.2
154.8
45.9
603.5
492.4
886.1
594.5
316.9
48.3
734.5
751.0
457.2
591.1
316.6
45.4
730.7
736.7
416.1
595.0
303.3
43.6
718.1
751.9
385.2
556.8
304.6
41.9
710.8
727.8
307.6
512.4
396.5
312.0
287.4
266.5
208.6
901.1
383.0
63.9
53.3
47.8
41.5
96.6
106.6
81.4
75.4
70.9
57.5
351.0
420.7
455.3
448.0
445.3
444.3
169.5
145.3
169.6
166.2
164.2
167.3
289.1
429.0
603.6
592.9
589.8
593.6
263.7
375.6
426.4
420.0
421.0
429.2
517.0
472.3
398.1
386.1
378.4
373.5
398.7
214.3
288.5
144.5
220.8
102.7
214.3
100.2
211.5
99.6
211.4
98.4
19.2
72.6
187.5
211.5
237.7
324.8
Index of Retail Sales through Discounters, Hypermarkets, Supermarkets and

Internet Retailing 2000-2016
38
LEISURE AND RECREATION

Staying in
Television remains the most popular leisure activity among Slovaks. Watching television is
one of the main activities at home. Almost nine out of 10 Slovaks watched television every
day in 2013, according to a study by Median SK. At the same time, a rather large proportion
of Slovaks listen to radio, 69%, according to the survey. Television takes up most of the time
spent at home by Slovaks, by far. They spend an average of two hours and 47 minutes a day
in front of the television screen, according to data from the Association of Publishers in
Slovakia.
Generally, people say that they work a lot and thus do not have sufficient time for their
families. A 2014 survey by Eurofond shows that almost a third of Slovaks cannot fulfil their
family duties because they spend too much time at work or work overtime hours. This is the
case for people with both high and low incomes. Some 55% of Slovaks on the lowest income
said that they have to spend too much time working to be able to support their families.
Employees work on average 152.7 hours a month, according to a 2013 survey by Trexima
Bratislava. In Bratislava people work almost two hours a month more than the average Slovak.
Women work on average three hours less than men primarily because they do more chores at
home.
Readership of periodicals has been in decline lately, but this has been counterbalanced by
the increased time spent on reading on the internet. Women tend to read more periodicals than
men. They are more regular readers of magazines whereas men prefer daily newspapers,
according to the Association of Publishers in Slovakia. Often, magazines are sources of
inspiration for purchasing products such as cosmetics and fashion or home decoration products.
On the other hand, the internet is used by Slovaks chiefly for tips on computers and technology,
consumer electronics and travel.
The internet overtook print media in terms of usage with an average of 8 hours and 27
minutes a week against 6 hours and 34 minutes, according to the Association of Publishers in
Slovakia in 2013. Young people in particular spend more time on the internet, at least four hours
a day. A survey by Gemius in 2014 shows that most of the time spent online in Slovakia is on
dating sites with almost 3.5 hours a month, followed by local portals with 2.5 hours and news
websites, email portals and websites for mothers and women with one hour each. Most people
in Slovakia connect to the internet from home (98%), according to a 2014 Google survey. Most
of them, 79%, said that they use the internet to communicate with family or friends. Men in
particular, almost 85% of them, have developed a habit to browse the internet in the morning
while drinking their coffee.
Interest in gardening has been on the rise recently. Data from Heureka.sk shows that
spending on gardening tools has increased in recent years. Besides work, particularly when the
weather permits, Slovaks prefer to stay at home and relax in the garden.
Slovaks are generally fond of their kitchen, which is an important part of their lives as they
often eat in it. The average Slovak kitchen has an area of 10 m. Households invest in
kitchenware and furniture as this space is for them a multipurpose area where the entire family
gathers, according to a survey run by furniture retail group IKEA in 2012-2013. Some 40% of the
respondents in the IKEA survey said that they not only cook in the kitchen, but also iron there.
Some 50% of the households use the kitchen as a storage space. In 20% of cases, guests are
brought into the kitchen. A third of Slovaks even work there. For example, they use the kitchen
table as a desk for their computers. Given the importance of this space, households invest in
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modern kitchenware as well as in decoration. The most popular colours for kitchens are vanilla
and white. Also, L-shaped seating furniture is a very popular item for kitchens.
Slovaks still devote much of their free time to reading books. For three quarters of Slovaks,
books are an important part of their lives, more so for women than for men and particularly for
people with a university education, according to a report from TASR newswire. However, people
read much less than they used to mostly because they do not have sufficient time, according to
data from Eurobarometer in 2014. Some 37% of the Slovaks in this survey said that they had
read at least five books in the past 12 months.
The popularity of social networking has grown massively in recent years. Data from 2014 from
Postova Banka show that almost half of Slovaks are estimated to be part of a social network,
mostly Facebook. Even in the 55-74 age group, some 12% of people spend time on social
networks.
Going Out
Slovaks do not eat out frequently mostly because they try to save money, but also because
they find that cooking and eating at home is healthier. Particularly during weekends, people
like to spend time at home cooking and trying new recipes, many of which are found online.
Most Slovak households cannot afford to go out because expenditure on households takes up
much of their income. For 76% of households, the highest share of their income goes into
household expenditure such as rent, water, gas, electricity and other items, according to data
from Provident Financial. Moreover, people between 30 and 40 years of age are under the
burden of mortgage payments and loans. In general, spending on cigarettes, alcohol, hobbies,
cafs and restaurants accounts for only 5% of total household income. People aged up to 44,
with higher income and education living in western Slovakia, earmark more of their income for
hobbies and entertainment, an average of 20% of their income.
People spend the highest amount of money on entertainment during summertime. On
average Slovaks spend 144 a month on entertainment during the summer months, which is
more than double compared to the average for the other months of the year, TASR news
agency reported. At the same time, the number of people who on a regular basis do not spend
any money on entertainment goes down during summertime. A total of 8% of people do not
spend any money on entertainment during summer, down from 13% during the rest of the year.
Some 39% of people spend more than 100 a month on entertainment.
The expenditure on swimming pool entry and trips increases significantly during the summer.
At the same time, spending in cafs, restaurants and bars is also on the rise during the hot
months. Although people like to spend more time out in summer, expenditure on cinema tickets
remains stable throughout the entire year.
Although Slovaks increasingly tend to watch sports on their television at home, the highest
share in entertainment-related expenditure, 26%, is represented by tickets to sports events,
mostly due to the high prices of these events. Spending on going out with friends in cafs, bars
and restaurants comes second with 14%, followed by 11% on spending on short trips. The most
popular attractions among Slovaks are swimming facilities, cultural events and music festivals.
In recent years the popularity of swimming has been declining, which some explain by seasonal
factors such as bad weather.
Some 63% of Slovaks go to theatre at least once a year and one in five does it four times a
year, according to a 2014 survey by Postova Banka. Drama and musicals are the most popular
shows, attracting approximately 78% of the respondents in the poll. Two thirds of people are
willing to pay 15 for a theatre ticket and people who go regularly to theatre plays are likely to
spend between 60 and 100 a year. Most people prefer to go to the theatre with company and
only 3% do so on their own.
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Sport and Fitness

Slovaks do not do much sport. A 2014 survey by Eurobarometer found that only 6% of
Slovaks do sport on a regular basis. This was a minor growth of 1 percentage point compared
to 2009. Some 25% of Slovaks do sports occasionally, which was a decline of 10 percentage
points against 2009. Some 41% of people do not do any sports at all, which was 6 percentage
points more than in 2009. In a 2013 survey by Centrum Holdings and the Pharmaceutical
Faculty at the Comenius University in Bratislava, some 36% of respondents said that they
sleep more to maintain their health rather than do sports activities.
Paradoxically, although not very active, Slovaks have a good opinion about doing sports.
Some 70% of the respondents in a 2012 survey by Focus for the consumer goods manufacturer
Procter & Gamble (P&G) said that regular sports help people to stay in a healthy condition and
some 46% value good physical health.
Among those who practice sports or like to exercise, the most preferred activity is walking.
Some 47% of the respondents in the Focus study do so regularly. Some 20% of them said that
they cycled often and 13% visited gyms and fitness clubs. Children follow suit: 68% like walking
and 47% like cycling trips.
On the other hand, Slovaks follow sports events regularly. But they prefer to watch sports at
home. One of the most popular sports is ice-hockey, which over 80% of Slovaks like to watch at
home, the TASR news agency reported in 2014. Some 45% of Slovaks said in a 2012 survey by
the education ministry in Slovakia that their favourite sport was ice-hockey, followed by football
(38%). However, sports experts in Slovakia say that, in fact, Slovaks watch more football than
ice-hockey, but they tend to name ice-hockey as their favourite sport mainly because Slovakia
has traditionally achieved much better results internationally in ice-hockey than in football. There
is a big gap between the number of participants in the two sports: ice-hockey had some 8,300
registered players in 2012 whereas football had over 427,000.
International matches can attract healthy audiences, but the disappointing performance of
Slovak teams and the poor competitiveness of local championships have led to a decrease in
the viewership of sports programmes on television, according to Denis Schvarz of the media
news and analysis website, Medialine.sk. Most international sports competitions such as icehockey, football world cups or the Olympic Games manage to command large audiences,
according to the advertising agency Unimedia.
Holidays
Slovaks are passionate holiday takers, but the economic crisis has forced many to cut down
on holidays as well. Still, many prefer to go on holidays and make savings elsewhere. A 2013
study by Home Credit found that 60% of Slovaks went on holiday. But half of those said that
they had to lower the budget allocated for holidays. In 2014 some 70% of Slovaks went on
holidays, according to Postova Banka. The budget for summer holidays stands at 600 per
person. That is the average monthly income in Slovakia. Only a tenth of Slovaks spend more
than 1,000 per person on summer holidays.
An increasing trend among Slovaks is to give up the services of travel agents and go on
holiday independently as a way to save money. Three quarters of people have done so in recent
years. Some 80% of the respondents in the Home Credit survey said that they had to use their
own savings to be able to go on holidays. Generally, they go to cheaper destinations, shorten
their leave and book discount accommodation.
Slovaks are cautious travellers. Approximately 80% of people going on holiday always buy
travel insurance, according to a 2012 survey by the financial group ING. This is well above the
EU average of 55%. On the other hand, Slovaks are more spontaneous than the average
traveller in the EU: 52% of Slovak holidaymakers go on last-minute holidays, which is 10
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41
percentage points more than the average European. Despite the cuts on travel budgets that
Slovaks have been forced to make in recent years, they are not sticking to a prearranged
budget. Only 43% write down a budget before a holiday.
Many Slovaks spend holidays abroad. Approximately 61% of the Slovaks who go on holiday
go abroad. The most popular holiday destination for Slovaks is Croatia, with 40% of
holidaymakers preferences, followed by Italy with 15% and Bulgaria with 11%. Instability
outside Europe has lessened the appetite for holidays in far-flung destinations. The majority of
Slovaks these days want to stay in Europe mostly because of security reasons. Three out of 10
Slovaks say that they took more than one holiday in 2014. Generally, Slovaks prefer the
seaside. Some 51% of Slovaks go on holidays with their family and another 33% with their
partner only. A very small percentage, around 2%, goes on holiday alone.
Increasingly, Slovaks also go on holidays in the winter. Although most families prefer to stay
at home for Christmas, once the celebrations are finished, many of them take a winter break,
Austria being a preferred destination. Data from the Austrian Tourism Centre in 2012 showed a
total of 500,000 accommodation nights accounted for by Slovak tourists. Of those, 320,000 were
registered during the winter break. Most of the Slovaks who go skiing in Austria, some 28% of
them, choose the Salzburg area. Second is the Tirol region with 22.5% of the preferences. On
average, In winter vacationers spend an average of 3.5 nights in Austria and choose expensive,
upscale accommodation. Some 26% of them stay in four- and five-star hotels. Another quarter
of them go for three-star hotels and only 12% choose lower-quality hotel accommodation. Some
25% of Slovaks go on winter holidays with their family or friends.
Public Holidays, Celebrations and Gift-giving

Slovakia has 15 public holidays a year, which is high compared to other European countries.
According to the law, weekends are not work days in Slovakia. However, the tendency among
many working people is to work at the weekends. Some do on a regular basis because of the
nature of their job, while others work more because they want to bolster their career or earn
more. A quarter of Slovaks in 2013 worked on Saturday, according to data from Eurostat. This is
lower than the European average. However, when it comes to work on Sundays, Slovaks are
leading the pack with almost 20%, along with the Irish and Dutch. That is 5 percentage points
more than the EU average.
There is no difference between men and women working weekends: an equal amount of men
and women work at the end of the week. However, more men than women tend to work on
Sundays, some 20% against 18%, according to Eurostat. At the same time, almost 16% of
Slovaks take work home for evenings or even night-time. Only a quarter of Slovaks spend their
evenings with family or friends over a meal or watching a movie.
On public holidays people do what they usually do in their free time. Some of them stay at
home and others devote the time to their pastimes. Although more recently consumers use
these free days to shop in foreign countries. On 29 August 2013, for example, the day when
Slovaks celebrate the 1944 National Uprising, the media reported huge traffic to Austria as
thousands of people from Slovakia went shopping there. Other than official ceremonies, people
do not spontaneously go out to celebrate like in other countries such as the USA.
Gift-giving is common among Slovaks, particularly at Christmas. The spending spree in
December is also driven by advertising and retailers campaigns, which often start two months in
advance. The highest number of people, some 28%, earmarked between 121 and 200 for
Christmas presents in 2013, according to a survey by NMS Market Research and Heureka.sk.
There is also a small group, up to 5% of people, who said that they intended to spend over 800
on Christmas presents in 2013. Other than Christmas, birthdays are central in Slovak society
and celebrated regularly. People traditionally give gifts on birthdays as well. At the same time,
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for many people, name days are very important. Some celebrate name days in the same way as
birthdays.
A number of holidays have been imported in the past decades to Slovakia from other
countries. One of them is Valentines Day on 14 February when many young couples go out to
celebrate. Men spend on average 24 on gifts on Valentines Day, including flowers, greeting
cards and gifts, often chocolates or sweets. Some spend up to 28 if they buy perfumes or
cosmetics, according to information from Home Credit gathered in 2013. On most occasions,
such as Christmas, birthdays or Valentines Day, people buy greeting cards as a rule.
Swimming apathy
Slovaks used to be regular swimming pool goers, but in recent years the availability of
swimming pool facilities in Slovakia has declined. In autumn 2014 there were no seasonal
swimming pools in operation in 12 major towns in Slovakia, including Kosice, Banska Bystrica
and Brezno. Experts from the Office for Public Health (UVZSR) say that the drop in visitor
numbers to swimming pool facilities could be a seasonal phenomenon shaped by external
factors such as the weather. The number of visitors at swimming pool facilities was low in the
summer of 2014. A sand swimming facility in Ziar nad Hronom, for example, in 2014 attracted
some 9,000 visitors during the summer, a steep drop from over 34,000 in the previous year.
UVZSRs experts warn that to stay in business, swimming facilities have to reform their
operations and add indoor pools.
Television on demand
Television consumption habits are changing dramatically in Slovakia, mostly as a result of
new technologies which allow people to watch what, where and when they want. A 2013 survey
by the mobile operator Orange found that some 60% of Slovaks make use of the archives of
content on their digital television to watch programmes at times other than in the slots scheduled
by broadcasters. This not only offers flexibility but also saves time as viewers can skip
advertising breaks.
Consumption of on-demand content is more popular with men (65%) than women (35%) and
with people aged 30-39 (38% of who watch programmes from their library). As many as 50% of
the respondents to Oranges survey record programmes on a regular basis, several times a
week. These trends have had a major effect on the operations and packages offered by cable
and telecom companies, which now sell libraries of programmes and shows from almost all local
television stations.
At the same time, significant growth is being experienced of the consumption of television on
mobile platforms. Almost 90% of the respondents in the Orange study indicated that they were
interested in watching television programmes on mobile phones, smartphones and iPads.
Research cited by ITNews.sk in September 2014 shows that Slovaks own an average of 4.3
digital devices such as mobile and smartphones, tablets and notebooks. Two thirds of the
population have a smartphone and another third own tablets.
Table 8
Leisure and Recreation Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Ownership of household
durables by type
- Colour TV set (% of
households)
- Cable TV (% of
households)
- Satellite TV system
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
92.8
97.9
99.8
99.8
99.8
99.8
32.2
41.3
45.0
44.1
44.6
45.9
29.9
13.6
37.3
43.0
44.7
46.9
43
(% of households)
- Internet-enabled
computer (% of
households)
- Mobile telephone (%
of households)
- Video games console
(% of households)
Consumer expenditure on
leisure and recreation
(EUR per
capita, at constant
prices)
- Audiovisual,
photographic
and information
processing
equipment
- Other major durables
for recreation and
culture
- Other recreational
items and equipment,
gardens and pets
- Recreational and
cultural services
- Newspapers, magazines,
books and stationery
- Package holidays
Domestic tourism
receipts and expenditure
- Accommodation
- Entertainment
- Excursions
- Food
- Shopping
- Travel within the
country
- Other domestic
tourist expenditure
Outgoing tourism
receipts and expenditure
- Accommodation
- Entertainment
- Excursions
- Food
- Shopping
- Travel within the
country
country
- Other outgoing
Departures by mode of
transport
- Air ('000)
- Land ('000)
- Rail ('000)
- Sea ('000)
Demand factors
- Annual leave
entitlement (days)
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1.6
23.8
70.8
75.4
79.9
86.4
12.3
80.0
92.8
94.7
95.3
96.8
7.3
8.2
8.7
8.7
8.7
8.8
77.9
100.9
122.5
119.7
116.1
126.0
1.4
1.7
2.7
2.5
2.3
2.5
64.1
64.0
96.0
92.0
93.2
103.7
158.0
198.2
242.6
251.7
257.5
265.7
84.4
120.5
167.6
161.2
158.5
171.8
72.3
83.7
89.9
89.1
90.2
93.6
26.5
3.5
1.6
5.7
8.3
7.7
27.1
4.1
2.9
5.7
7.8
7.4
29.8
4.4
2.4
5.3
7.1
6.3
30.3
4.8
2.5
5.4
7.4
6.6
32.0
5.1
2.6
5.9
7.6
7.1
33.8
6.0
3.0
6.8
8.2
8.7
0.2
0.2
1.1
1.1
1.2
1.2
13.2
4.6
4.6
13.2
15.5
10.5
13.2
7.2
7.6
13.2
13.2
12.5
14.8
8.0
8.5
13.7
12.6
12.0
14.9
8.4
8.6
14.0
12.8
12.6
15.1
8.7
9.0
14.5
13.0
13.2
16.3
9.2
10.1
17.0
14.5
14.8
0.7
1.3
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.4
705.3
1,469.2
176.0
-
753.1
1,435.6
173.5
-
895.9
1,689.8
212.6
2.2
896.1
1,760.8
215.7
2.3
909.6
1,829.8
220.9
2.7
1,023.3
1,984.0
233.1
2.9
36
35
35
35
44
Source:
Chart 8
Source:
Percentage of Households in Possession of Cable TV; Satellite TV System;

Internet Enabled Computer; Mobile Telephone; Video Games Console 20002016
GETTING AROUND
Private Transport
Slovaks have traditionally owned a bike, car ownership has increased steadily in recent years.
Overall, some two thirds of Slovak households in 2013 had a car and a bike. Motorcycles are
not popular, with only some 5% of people owning one, a proportion that has not changed
significantly for many years. Road travel is the most common means of transport with 3,310
km per head travelled in 2013. Road travel dwarfs transportation by train: some 442 km were
travelled in trains in 2013.
The use of taxis has gone down in recent years as they become too expensive for the
average Slovak. Also, as a result of new regulations implemented in 2012 many private drivers
have been discouraged from operating as a taxi.
The usage of private cars has generally gone down in recent years. This is the result of a
combination of the soaring price of petrol and the deteriorating economy. An increasing trend,
particularly among Slovaks living close to border areas, is shopping for petrol in neighbouring
countries where it is cheaper. The economic decline, coupled with shrinking purchasing power,
has pushed up the popularity of smaller and more practical cars that consume less petrol. The
most popular car brand among Slovaks is the Skoda Fabia made by the Czech carmaker Skoda
Auto, according to a 2014 survey by the used car dealer AAA Auto.
Public Transport
Public transports companies and state authorities have made efforts in recent years to
convince Slovaks to give up cars and use public transport. This is a response to growing traffic,
congestion problems and pollution. In Bratislava, the municipal public transport operator
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introduced free rides for drivers in September 2013. People with a driving licence issued in an
EU country can ride public transport free of charge during daytime hours (although it is not valid
at night).
Public transport operators are also encouraging people to cycle more instead of using private
cars. The number of regular cyclists in Bratislava, for example, doubled between 2013 and
2014, according to information from the Bratislava city authorities. But in spite of this growth,
cycling is the daily means of transport for only 4% of people in Bratislava under the age of 35.
Some 10% of all people in Bratislava cycle at least once a week.
A study by the United Nations Development Programme in 2014 found that more people are
willing to cycle if more cycle paths are built in the city. Responding to this demand, local
authorities want to improve the existing cycle path infrastructure in the city. Bratislava has a
cycle path network of almost 100 km. The Bratislava city authorities had plans to invest almost
410,000 in building new cycle paths in 2014. One of the priority routes is linking the Slovak
National Theatre in downtown Bratislava to the Apollo Bridge.
The Bratislava city authorities also plan to launch a bike-sharing network in the city during the
second half of 2014. The city has earmarked a budget of 610,000 for this project, which aims
to equip the city with 40 stations which will offer some 230 bicycles.
Cycling is catching up fast with people not only in Bratislava, but elsewhere in Slovakia. Most
of the main cities in Slovakia are investing in building new cycle paths. Cycle paths in touristic
regions such as the Tatras mountains are also undergoing refurbishment and extension. A total
of 400 km of cycle paths have been renovated since autumn 2013.
In the countryside or smaller towns, the bus has traditionally been the most used means of
transportation for the vast majority of people. In September 2014, in a move to support train
transport services, the government announced its intention to introduce free railway transport for
students and pensioners before the end of the year. As of 2015, the government also wants to
give workers discounts for train transport services. The Association of Bus Transporters (ZAD)
protested, arguing that this move would lead to the cancellation of many bus routes and
probably to a loss of some 33,000 jobs in the industry. The bus transport industry is a major
employer for people in the regions. ZAD estimated that some 85% of travel in the regions is
accounted for by bus transport. Overall, some 190 million bus journeys are made in Slovakia
each year. Rail services are used by some 45 million passengers a year, according to
information from ZAD.
Commuting
Only some 7% of people spend more than an hour commuting to work, Mojplat.sk reported.
Around 70% of commuters travel for less than half an hour to get to work. People who work far
from home are entitled to a state subsidy of a maximum of 135 a month, depending on the
distance to work and other factors.
A growing number of Slovaks choose to cycle to work, according to data from the Ministry of
Transport, Construction and Regional Development, which in May 2014, in a move to motivate
people to become more active, launched a cycling competition between cities. More than 1,500
people cycled almost 200,000 km during the month of May 2014. The town of Martin won the
competition.
Many schoolchildren have a short commute to school as families usually send them to a local
district school. The state pays for children who have to travel a longer distance to their schools.
In 2013 the education ministry in Slovakia spent roughly 7.5m on reimbursement of travel costs
for pupils in primary schools and special schools. The largest tranche of the spending, almost
1.5m, was given to families in Presov county. The lowest amount was spent in Bratislava, a
mere 192,000. Most of public transport companies, operating both buses and trains, offer
travel permits which are cheaper than single-trip tickets.
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46
Air Travel
Air travel in Slovakia is used by a relatively high number of people as it has become more
affordable in recent years. Slovaks mostly fly to reach holiday destinations. The six Slovak
airports in 2013 had 1.66m passengers, which was a decline of 3% year on year, according to
data from the transport ministry. Scheduled airlines accounted for the highest proportion of
the passengers carried, almost two thirds. The number of people carried by international
charter flights grew by almost 1% in 2013 to over 586,000.
Domestic air travel is not popular mainly because the country is small and allows people to
reach places much more comfortably by train or car, but also because it is too expensive for
airlines to sustain domestic routes. In 2013 Slovakia had only one domestic route, BratislavaKosice, which witnessed a slump of over 33% in the number of passengers carried to almost
37,000.
Most of the air transport business in Slovakia is accounted for by Bratislava international
airport, which served over 82% of all air passengers in the country in 2013. Second came
Kosice airport with some 237,000 passengers. All other airports, including Poprad, Piestany and
Zilina, served under 25,000 passengers a year. Bratislava airport is small and offers flights to a
limited number of destinations. In the spring-summer season of 2014, it had some 19 regular
flights, all within Europe. It also offers almost 20 charter flights during the summer holidays.
The boom in low-cost airlines has spurred interest among more people to fly to foreign
destinations. The launch in 2013 by the low-cost airline Wizz Air of Hungary of a regular flight to
Londons Luton airport was a milestone for Kosice airport, attracting some 50,000 passengers in
the first nine months of operation. Poprad airport started operating a flight to Luton in 2014.
However, in spite of the growing interest in flying and travelling, Slovaks cannot afford to keep
up with the growing costs of travelling by air. In December 2013 the low-cost carrier Danube
Wings closed because of lowering demand.
A growing group of travellers from Slovakia increasingly use more developed airports in the
vicinity, particularly when they go on long-haul flights. One of the most popular is Vienna
international airport followed by Budapest and Prague. By car, Vienna airport is reachable from
Bratislava within 40-45 minutes. The most popular far-flung destinations among Slovaks are a
number of places in Asia such as Bangkok, Colombo, Beijing and Bali, according to data from
the flight ticket portal Pelikan.sk. In the past four to five years, the popularity of weekend trips to
European destinations has grown.
Bicycle shopping
The bicycle is becoming a major attraction in Slovakia as increasingly people use it to go to
work or school or to take a family trip. This has pushed up demand for bicycles in the country in
recent years. In 2012 a total of 300,000 new bicycles were sold in Slovakia, according to data
from the European Cycle Association. That is roughly six bicycles per 100 people, which is
higher than the largest owner of bicycles in Europe, Germany, where around five bicycles per
100 people were purchased.
Slovakia is also the fifth largest bicycle producer per capita in the EU after Latvia, Bulgaria,
Portugal and the Netherlands, according to 2013 data from the European Cycle Association. On
average, Slovakia produces some 57 bicycles per capita a year. Consumers now have more
choice of higher-end bikes due to the surge in demand, as the number of models on offer has
increased significantly in recent years.
Locally produced cars most popular
The Czech car producer Skoda remains the most popular brand in Slovakia, followed by
Volkswagen and Ford, according to a 2014 survey carried out by the used car dealer AAA Auto.
Passport
47
Passport
In recent years consumers have tended to purchase smaller cars with lower fuel consumption,
which is the result of the economic difficulties many households have been experiencing for
several years. Skoda Fabia, a smaller, more practical car than the larger Octavia from the same
carmaker, is the most popular car among Slovaks, both among men and women. The exception
is the category of men aged 29-45, who continue to favour the Octavia.
When it comes to other car brands, more popular among men are Fords Mondeo and Focus
models and the Passat and Golf from Volkswagen. Women more often go for French cars such
as Peugeot, Citroen and Renault.
The majority of Slovaks seek used cars. The average price of a used car in Slovakia
increased in 2014 to 5,330. Mens average spending on used cars is 5,400, which is 350
more than what women spend on average.
Table 9
Transport Data: 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
Consumer expenditure on
transport services
- Consumer expenditure
on rail travel
on buses, coaches and
taxis
on air travel
on other travel
Possession of bicycle
(% of households)
Possession of motorcycle
(% of households)
Possession of passenger
car (% of households)
Km travelled by road
(km per capita)
Km travelled by rail
(km per capita)
Km travelled by air (km
per capita)
Passenger cars in use
('000)
Passengers carried by
rail (mn)
Scheduled airlines:
Passengers carried ('000)
Source:
Chart 9
2000
2005
2011
2012
2013
2016
464.2
526.3
552.8
577.8
590.4
614.8
11.8
21.4
25.8
30.9
32.6
37.5
72.7
105.1
128.8
148.4
153.1
169.2
0.4
6.3
4.7
5.7
6.1
7.3
1.6
1.8
1.3
1.4
1.4
1.3
68.4
65.4
66.9
66.2
66.2
66.9
5.7
5.6
5.4
5.3
5.3
5.2
51.3
46.0
59.0
60.9
62.1
64.9
1,813.5
2,135.5
2,978.8
3,159.8
3,310.3
533.6
403.4
447.1
442.6
442.7
20.1
176.8
5.7
7.3
6.3
1,247
1,304
1,749
1,821
1,894
67
49
46
44
43
57
712
35
45
55

Consumer Expenditure on Transport Services and Purchase of Cars,
Motorcycles and other Vehicles 2000-2016
48
Source:
Passport
49

Consumer Lifestyles in Slovakia

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CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

LIST OF CONTENTS AND TABLES

Consumer Segmentation and Population Data 2000, 2005, 2011,

Housing and Households ........................................................................................................... 14

Money and Savings .................................................................................................................... 20

Eating and Drinking .................................................................................................................... 24

Grooming and Fashion ............................................................................................................... 27

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

Real Growth in Consumer Expenditure Compared with Real Growth

Health and Wellness .................................................................................................................. 30

Shopping Habits ......................................................................................................................... 34

Shopping Data 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ................................. 37

Leisure and Recreation .............................................................................................................. 39

Getting Around ........................................................................................................................... 45

Transport Data: 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 ................................ 48

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

Many Consumers Still Going on Holiday Despite Economic Worries

More Consumers Consumers Turning To Online Shopping

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

Obesity Rate Climbing

Spending Patterns of Older Consumers Exhibit Significant Impact

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

Growth in sales of toys online

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

Babies/infants (aged 02) ('000)

National statistics, Euromonitor International

Population Aged 15-64 Compared with Old-Age Dependency Ratio 20002020

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

HOUSING AND HOUSEHOLDS

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

Increased demand for low energy appliances

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

National statistics, Euromonitor International

Number of Households by Disposable Income Bracket 2005, 2010, 2016

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

MONEY AND SAVINGS

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

Loans and Mortgages

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

National statistics, Euromonitor International

Consumer Lending Compared with Savings and Savings Ratio 2000-2016

EATING AND DRINKING

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

EUR per capita, at constant prices

CONSUMER LIFESTYLES IN SLOVAKIA

fruit and vegetable

National statistics, Euromonitor International

Real Growth in Consumer Expenditure Compared with Real Growth in