Slovakia faces high municipal debt and low foreign investment

Slovakia is facing significant economic challenges regarding municipal debt and the ability to attract foreign investment. According to the latest i-Rating assessment by CRIF – Slovak Credit Bureau, 71% of assessed local governments maintain low-risk financial statuses. However, larger cities and regional capitals are lagging; Bratislava holds the highest debt ratio at 48.42%, while Prešov is the only regional capital to reach a high-risk C- rating.

On a national scale, Slovakia recorded one of its weakest years for private and venture capital since 2007. Data from Invest Europe shows that Slovak companies received only approximately 7 million euros in 2025, representing just 0.005% of the country's GDP—the lowest rate in Europe. This stands in stark contrast to the Czech Republic, which attracted roughly 275 million euros in the same period. Analysts suggest that Slovakia is losing both investment capital and qualified professionals to foreign markets.