Slovak Republic

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Slovak Republic
Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2023)
  • In the Slovak Republic, adults aged 16-65 scored, on average, 254 points in literacy ( below the OECD average), 261 points in numeracy ( close to the OECD average), and 247 points in adaptive problem solving ( below the OECD average).
  • In literacy, 24% of adults ( OECD average: 26%) scored at Level 1 or below, meaning they have low literacy proficiency. At the other end of the spectrum, 3% of adults ( OECD average: 12%) scored at Levels 4 or 5 in literacy and are high performers. These adults can comprehend and evaluate long, dense texts across several pages, grasp complex or hidden meanings, and use prior knowledge to understand texts and complete.
  • In numeracy, 22% of adults ( OECD average: 25%) scored at or below Level 1 proficiency. At Level 1, they can do basic maths with whole numbers or money, understand decimals, and find single pieces of information in tables or charts, but may struggle with tasks needing multiple steps (e.g. solving a proportion). Those below Level 1 can add and subtract small numbers. Adults at Levels 4 or 5 are top performers ( 7% in the Slovak Republic, 14% on average across OECD countries and economies). They can calculate and understand rates and ratios, interpret complex graphs, and critically evaluate statistical claims.
  • In adaptive problem solving, 27% of adults ( OECD average: 29%) scored at or below Level 1 proficiency. Adults at Level 1 can solve simple problems with few variables and little irrelevant information, which do not change as they make progress towards the solution. They struggle with multi-step problems, or those needing monitoring of multiple variables. Some 1% of adults ( OECD average: 5%) scored at Level 4. They have a deeper understanding of problems, and can adapt to unexpected changes, even if they require a major re-evaluation of the problem.
  • When considering all three domains jointly, 14% of adults in the Slovak Republic ( OECD average: 18%) scored at the two lowest levels of these proficiency scales.
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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Graduation by gender

    In Slovak Republic, the share of female first-time bachelor's graduates is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (62.3 %, rank 5/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Slovak Republic, the share of new entrants in health and welfare master's programmes is relatively large, compared to other countries with available data. (18.6 %, rank 10/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    (1 %, rank 8/46 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Literacy

    The percentage of adults scoring high (at Level 2 or 3) in Iiteracy is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (3 %, rank 28/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Numeracy

    The percentage of adults scoring high (at Level 2 or 3) in numeracy is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (7.1 %, rank 23/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Adaptive problem solving

    The percentage of adults scoring high (at Level 4) in adaptive problem solving in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) is low compared to other participating countries. (0.9 %, rank 26/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Skills differences between age groups

    The mean score in adaptive problem solving for 16-24 year-olds is low compared to other participating countries. (249 PIAAC Score, rank 24/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean score in adaptive problem solving for 55-65 year-olds is high compared to other participating countries. (242 PIAAC Score, rank 10/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean literacy score for young adults (16-24 year-olds) is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (254 PIAAC Score, rank 26/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean literacy score for young people aged between 25 and 34 is low compared to other countries participating in PIAAC. (252 PIAAC Score, rank 27/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Skills differences by level of education

    The mean score in adaptive problem solving for adults with below upper secondary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (227 PIAAC Score, rank 4/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean score in adaptive problem solving for adults with tertiary education is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (257 PIAAC Score, rank 24/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean literacy score for adults without upper secondary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (218 PIAAC Score, rank 8/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean literacy score for adults with tertiary education is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (269 PIAAC Score, rank 26/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean numeracy score for adults without upper secondary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (219 PIAAC Score, rank 10/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Skills by parents' educational attainment

    The mean score in adaptive problem solving for adults whose parents did not attain upper secondary education is high compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (236 PIAAC Score, rank 8/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean score in adaptive problem solving for adults with at least one parent who attained tertiary education is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (258 PIAAC Score, rank 23/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The mean literacy score with at least one parent with tertiary education is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (269 PIAAC Score, rank 26/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Adults' skills

    The change in mean literacy score in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) from 2012 to 2023 is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (-19 PIAAC Score, rank 23/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The change in mean numeracy score in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) from 2012 to 2023 is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (-15 PIAAC Score, rank 23/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The change in mean literacy score, adjusted for demographic changes, in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) from 2012 to 2023 is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (-19 PIAAC Score, rank 20/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The change in mean numeracy score, adjusted for demographic changes, in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) from 2012 to 2023 is low compared to other countries participating in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). (-15 PIAAC Score, rank 20/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of women among teaching staff in pre-primary education is one of the largest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (99.6 %, rank 2/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in lower secondary education is one of the largest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (78.6 %, rank 6/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in upper secondary education is one of the largest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (71.4 %, rank 6/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (79 %, rank 5/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers under 30 in lower secondary education is especially high in Slovak Republic. (74.8 %, rank 3/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in lower secondary education is especially high in Slovak Republic. (79.4 %, rank 7/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, the share of teachers' aides among contact staff in pre-primary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.2 Ratio, rank 19/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of male teachers in pre-primary education is especially low in Slovak Republic. (0.4 %, rank 39/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with minimum qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (29433 USD Equivalent, rank 41/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Compared to 2015, the change in statutory salaries for primary education teachers with 15 years of experience and the most prevalent qualifications in Slovak Republic was relatively large. (115 Index, rank 10/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Compared to 2015, the change in statutory salaries for lower secondary education teachers with 15 years of experience and the most prevalent qualifications in Slovak Republic was relatively large. (115 Index, rank 9/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, average actual salaries for pre-primary teachers aged 25-64 rank among the lowest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (33863 USD Equivalent, rank 26/30 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, average actual salaries for primary teachers aged 25-64 rank among the lowest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (42060 USD Equivalent, rank 30/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, average actual salaries for lower secondary teachers aged 25-64 rank among the lowest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (42060 USD Equivalent, rank 30/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, average actual salaries for upper secondary teachers aged 25-64 rank among the lowest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (44864 USD Equivalent, rank 29/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (29433 USD Equivalent, rank 41/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, an upper secondary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (29433 USD Equivalent, rank 41/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a pre-primary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24118 USD Equivalent, rank 35/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a primary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (29433 USD Equivalent, rank 42/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Actual salaries for all academic staff in public institutions placed Slovak Republic among the countries with the lowest values. (48413 USD Equivalent, rank 16/16 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries progression

    The salary progression from the start to the top of the salary scale for a lower secondary school teacher is among the smallest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.29 Ratio, rank 36/43 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Starting salaries for lower secondary teachers with minimum qualifications are especially low. (25560 USD Equivalent, rank 42/47 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Salaries of lower secondary teachers with minimum qualifications after 10 years of experience are especially low. (28740 USD Equivalent, rank 41/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    It takes lower secondary teachers longer to progress through the salary scale in Slovak Republic compared to other OECD and partner countries. (40 Years, rank 1/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In lower secondary education, the salary ratio of teachers with maximum qualifications at the top of the salary scale to those with minimum training and starting salaries is comparatively low. (1.29 Ratio, rank 37/44 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level is especially high. (16 Ratio, rank 9/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, the number of students per teacher in public lower secondary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16 Ratio, rank 8/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level in private institutions is especially high in Slovak Republic. (15.4 Ratio, rank 10/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, the number of students per teacher in all public secondary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.2 Ratio, rank 10/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, the number of students per teacher in private institutions at the short-cycle tertiary level is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (9.3 Ratio, rank 17/18 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, the number of students per teacher in government-dependent private institutions at the short-cycle tertiary level is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (9.3 Ratio, rank 11/11 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    In Slovak Republic, the intended instruction time for lower secondary students (in hours per year) is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (828 Hours, rank 29/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The total compulsory instruction time for primary students in Slovak Republic is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2722 Hours, rank 36/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, the total intended instruction time for primary students (in hours per year) is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2722 Hours, rank 29/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The total compulsory instruction time for lower secondary students in Slovak Republic is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4139 Hours, rank 5/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, total intended instruction time for lower secondary students is among the longest compared to other countries with available data. (4139 Hours, rank 6/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Slovak Republic, the intended instruction time for primary students, in hours per year, is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (680 Hours, rank 26/34 , 2024) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                            
      In the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, literacy is defined as "accessing, understanding, evaluating, and reflecting on written texts in order to achieve one's goals, to develop one's knowledge and potential, and to participate in society" (Rouet et al., 2021). Proficiency in literacy is crucial for adults across their personal, social and professional spheres, given the prevalence of written communication in various aspects of life. Throughout the day, adults engage in a diverse range of reading activities, spanning from delving into extensive pieces of continuous text to swiftly scanning pages for pertinent information. Examples include reading emails, leaflets, timetables and instruction manuals.
    Visualisations
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      In the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, numeracy encompasses "accessing, using, and reasoning critically with mathematical content, information and ideas represented in multiple ways in order to engage in and manage the mathematical demands of a range of situations in adult life" (Tout et al., 2021). The skills and knowledge needed for work and civic participation, and in more personal spheres of life, have changed. Individuals are presented with ever-increasing amounts of information of a quantitative or mathematical nature through online or technology-based resources, which have to be located, selected or filtered, interpreted, and at times questioned and doubted, and analysed for their relevance to the responses needed.
    Visualisations
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      The first cycle of the Survey of Adult Skills measured problem solving in technology-rich environments. This is defined as the ability to use digital technology, communication tools and networks to acquire and evaluate information, communicate with others and perform practical tasks. The survey assessed adults' ability to solve problems by establishing appropriate goals and plans, and accessing and using information through computers and computer networks.

      In the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, problem solving in technology-rich environments was replaced by adaptive problem solving (APS). This involves "the capacity to achieve one’s goals in a dynamic situation in which a method for solution is not immediately available. It requires engaging in cognitive and metacognitive processes to define the problem, search for information, and apply a solution in a variety of information environments and contexts" (Greiff et al., 2021).

      APS has three important features. First, it emphasises individuals’ capacity to flexibly and dynamically adapt their problem-solving strategies to a dynamically changing environment. Second, it tests their ability to identify and select among a range of available physical, social and digital resources. Third, individuals need to monitor and reflect on their progress in solving problems, through metacognitive processes.
    Visualisations
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    Key
    Diagram of funding flows - Slovak Republic

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    Key
    Country Reviews for Slovak Republic

    Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website for each publication.
    All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html

    Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. However, OECD averages from Education at a Glance coming from the OECD database are the averages for the indicator reference year appearing in the Education GPS and may differ from averages in the book where averages can include data from multiple reference years, based on countries' data availability.

    To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026 in the Northern Hemisphere.

    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages. Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and Sources Methodologies and Technical Notes of EAG 2025 for more details about the data collections.

    For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.