OECD Economic Surveys: Slovak Republic June 2017.

Table of contents
Basic statistics of Slovak Republic, 2016
Executive summary
	The Slovak economy has been growing strongly
		Growth is strong, but will weaken because of population ageing
	Inclusiveness needs to be improved
		Roma employment and health status
	Enhancing public-sector efficiency to raise living standards for all
		Students’ education outcomes are weak and deteriorating
Assessment and recommendations
	Figure 1. Slovakia is performing strongly
	Figure 2. Poverty and inequality are low but some other well-being dimensions lag behind
	Figure 3. Slovakia’s GDP per capita is catching up, but its population is ageing
	Maintaining solid growth in living standards over the longer term will be challenging
		The Slovak economy continues to expand in the short term
			Figure 4. The biggest share of Slovakia’s exports is vehicles and most exports go to EU countries
			Table 1. Macroeconomic indicators and projections
			Box 1. Slovakia’s high reliance on the automotive industry
			Figure 5. The car industry in the Slovak republic
			Figure 6. Evolution of macro-financial vulnerabilities
			Table 2. Possible shocks to the Slovak economy
			Figure 7. Financial and housing credit development
			Table 3. Housing loans
		Longer-term perspectives pose challenges
			Figure 8. Foreign trade exposure
			Figure 9. Convergence will be hampered by population ageing
			Figure 10. The Roma are much younger
			Figure 11. The number of emigrants from Slovakia has increased significantly
		Preserving healthy public finances
			Box 2. A steady implementation of the 2012 pension reform is crucial
			Figure 12. Structural reforms and fiscal measures can ensure sustainability
			Table 4. Past OECD recommendations on fiscal policy
		A more efficient public sector
			Figure 13. Efficiency of VAT collection
			Table 5. Past OECD recommendations on taxation
			Figure 14. Taxes in the Slovak Republic
			Figure 15. Composition of general government spending
			Figure 16. Public investment spending
			Figure 17. Effectiveness of public administration
			Table 6. Past OECD recommendations on raising the efficiency of public spending
			Figure 18. Perception of the effectiveness of judicial system
			Table 7. Past OECD recommendations on improving the judicial system and fighting corruption
		Further enhancing the business environment in the non-tradable sectors
			Figure 19. The business environment
			Table 8. Past OECD recommendations on product market reforms
	Improving labour market performance
		Figure 20. Mothers with young children tend to withdraw from the labour market
		Encouraging women to join the labour market
			Figure 21. Mothers with small children face incentives to work
		Reducing long-term unemployment
			Figure 22. Long-term unemployment is high
			Figure 23. Low spending in active labour market policies
			Table 9. Past OECD recommendations on the labour market
		Enhancing Roma integration
			Figure 24. Roma’s employment is low
		Promoting a deeper rental housing market to improve workers’ mobility and reduce regional imbalances
			Figure 25. Regional economic inequalities
			Figure 26. Regional mobility and housing indicators
			Table 10. Past OECD recommendations on the housing sector
		Enhancing skills to better meet labour market demand and foster inclusive productivity
			Figure 27. Adult skills in literacy and problem solving
			Figure 28. Teachers are amongst the lowest paid in the OECD
			Table 11. Past OECD recommendations on education
			Figure 29. Roma student performance is weak
			Figure 30. A low proportion of young adults have high-level literacy skills
			Figure 31. Slovak researchers produce many publications, but their average quality is poor
			Figure 32. Qualification and education mismatches among young tertiary educated graduates are high
			Figure 33. Many Slovak students study abroad and only few foreigners study in the Slovak Republic
	Improving well-being and sustainable development
		A more efficient health-care system would enhance well-being
			Figure 34. Health-care spending and outcomes
			Figure 35. Health inequalities and perceived mismanagement
			Figure 36. Potential efficiency gains in health care
			Figure 37. Hospital care
			Figure 38. Primary care indicators
			Figure 39. Pharmaceutical and other medical goods and service spending
			Figure 40. Long-term care
		Improving environmental outcomes
			Figure 41. Green growth indicators: Slovak Republic
			Figure 42. Deaths from ambient air pollution
			Table 12. Past OECD recommendations on the environment
	Bibliography
Annex.
Progress in structural reform
Thematic chapters
	Chapter 1.
Enhancing advanced skills to better meet labour market demand
		Better skilled workers will be needed
			Figure 1.1. Risk of job loss due to automation
			The education system does not presently prepare young people for changes in the labour market
				Figure 1.2. Adult skills in literacy and problem solving
			This leads to labour shortages and high structural unemployment
				Figure 1.3. Companies are increasingly having problems to find skilled and educated workers
		Improving skills formation at secondary schools
			Figure 1.4. Schools and labour market outcomes are weak
			Upgrading the quality of teaching
				Figure 1.5. Teachers are amongst the lowest paid in the OECD
				Figure 1.6. Higher salaries are important to raise the attractiveness of the teaching profession
			Vocational schools should provide a mix of general and practical skills
				Figure 1.7. Share of vocational programme enrolment rates in upper secondary education
				Box 1.1. VET reform
				Figure 1.8. Slovak VET students’ skills are unsatisfactory
			Selectivity is harming skills formation
				Figure 1.9. Impact of socio-economic status1 on students’ learning outcomes
				Figure 1.10. Major risks for socio-economically disadvantaged children becoming low-performing students
				Figure 1.11. Roma have poor school attendance resulting in weak skills
		Boosting skills in tertiary education
			Improving the quality of tertiary education institutions
				Figure 1.12. Tertiary education has expanded
				Figure 1.13. A low proportion of young adults have high-level literacy skills
				Figure 1.14. Slovak researchers produce many publications, but they could be improved in terms of quality
				Box 1.2. Tertiary education funding – main features
			The tertiary education system should be more linked to the labour market
				Figure 1.15. Tertiary education system lacks vocational bachelor programs
				Box 1.3. Skills mismatch and worker characteristics
				Figure 1.16. Qualification and education mismatches among young tertiary educated graduates are high
				Figure 1.17. Mismatched workers suffer wage penalties, despite similar skills to well-matched workers
				Figure 1.18. The skills assessment system is underdeveloped
		Securing the skills of the workforce over time
			Attracting skilled workers, including returning migrants
				Figure 1.19. The stock of emigrants has increased significantly
				Figure 1.20. The impact of brain drain on the competitiveness1 is substantial
				Figure 1.21. Many Slovak students study abroad and only few foreigners study in the Slovak Republic
				Figure 1.22. The Blue Card treshold is more restrictive in the Slovak Republic than in other selected OECD countries
			Strengthening lifelong learning is necessary to secure the supply of skills over time
				Figure 1.23. The relative unemployment rate of individuals with lower secondary versus tertiary education
				Figure 1.24. Participation in life-long learning across Europe by educational attainment
				Recommendations to enhance advanced skills
		Bibliography
	Chapter 2.
Improving the efficiency and outcomes of the Slovak health-care system
		The health-care system needs to become more effective
			Health outcomes are poor, and progress is slow
				Figure 2.1. Slovak life expectancy at birth is comparatively low even adjusted for per capita incomes
				Figure 2.2. Slovak life expectancy outcomes are relatively poor
				Table 2.1. Health outcome performance
			Large health inequalities exist between the Roma and non-Roma population
				Figure 2.3. Selected health indicators of the Roma and non-Roma population
				Figure 2.4. Regional disparities of infant mortality in OECD countries
				Figure 2.5. Health inequalities by socioeconomic status
			The operation of the health-care system is a source of deep discontent
				Figure 2.6. Satisfaction with the healthcare system
				Figure 2.7. Household out-of-pocket expenditure on health care
				Figure 2.8. Perception of corruption in the public healthcare sector
				Figure 2.9. Average waiting days for elective surgery
			Health spending has increased sharply since 2000
				Figure 2.10. Growth of health-care spending
				Figure 2.11. Expenditure on health
			There seems to be significant room for improving the efficiency of the health-care system
				Figure 2.12. Potential efficiency gains in health care
			A more effective health-care system would have economic and fiscal benefits and promote well-being
				Table 2.2. Projected increases in public health and long term care spending by main source, 2010-60
		Improving the health-care system will require reforms in several areas
			Increasing the coherence of the organisation of the system
				Box 2.1. The Slovak health-care system
				Figure 2.13. Health administrative spending by type of healthcare system
			Modernising hospital management and services
				Figure 2.14. Hospital care supply
				Figure 2.15. Nurses related indicators
			Improving the efficiency and quality of primary health care
				Figure 2.16. Mortality from selected diseases
				Figure 2.17. Primary care indicators
				Figure 2.18. Physician density and activity
				Figure 2.19. Age structure of physicians
				Figure 2.20. Emigration rates of doctors
			Pursuing efforts to bring down pharmaceutical expenditure and other ancillary health-care spending
				Figure 2.21. Pharmaceutical expenditure
				Figure 2.22. Other medical goods and ancillary health services
			Developing a long-term care strategy
				Figure 2.23. Long-term care
			Promoting healthier lifestyles
				Figure 2.24. Life style indicators
				Figure 2.25. Selected indicators of Roma versus non-Roma living conditions
				Recommendations to improve the health-care system
		Bibliography
		Appendix 1.A1
			Health outcome performance