The long-term growth of the number of population in the SR started to slow down already in 1980s of the 20th century and this tendency is currently deepening even more. Mainly the development of natality, which at the end of 1980s had reached in terms of its crude rate approximately 15 ‰, contributed to the fall of the natural population increase under the conditions of a stagnated mortality (about 10 ‰). Due to the mentioned development the natural increase was until 1989 falling, the crude rate of natural increase fell to the level of 5 ‰. The shortage of population by external migration reached before 1990 160 people annually at the average. The disposals were high also due to the migration to the Czech Republic, 3.5 thousand people annually at the average (in those times the internal migration was in question). The total increase of population fell from 44.5 thousand people in 1980 down to 23.4 thousand people in 1989, what meant in terms of the crude rate a decrease from 7.9 ‰ down to 4.4 ‰.
At the turning point of 80s and 90s a break point in the development of demographic characteristics occurred. The number of births was rapidly decreasing and the net reproductive rate fell below the replacement level. Given the number of deaths closely above the level of 50 thousand people per year, the natural increase of population sharply decreased. In 2000 it did not reach even one tenth from the value of 1990. The year 2001 was historically the first year when in Slovakia the natural decrease of population occurred. The natural decrease of population retained till 2003. This period of time (2001-2003) was exceptional because the natural decrease of population had been never recorded during the whole post-war demographic development in Slovakia. In 2004 and 2005 the natural increase achieved positive values again; however in 2005 the value of natural increase was only a half of value in 2004.
According to the official statistical data the SR since its inception has recorded gains from migration. The migration losses were reported only at the beginning of 90s, from the migration with the Czech Republic, mainly at the split of the common state. In case of the fall of the natural increase, the share of the net migration in the total growth increased. While in 1995 the migration increase had reached only 32 % from the value of the natural increase and represented roughly only one fourth of the total increase, in 2005 the migration increase was 3.5 times higher than natural increase and from the value of total increase represented 78 %. During 2001 - 2005 the migration increase was higher than the natural increase, thanks to which the total increase of population in the SR was retained.
The values of increases and their changes are however currently low, so, we can speak about the stagnation of population increases at the levels closely to zero. We suppose that this situation will retain for several years.
As of 1 January 2006, there were 5 389.2 thousand people living in the SR. During the last decade the number of population of the SR increased only by 21 thousand inhabitants, i. e. by 2.1 thousand annually. The annual population increases had been gradually decreasing until 2001, afterwards a slight increase occurred. In the situation of a weak migration increase, their level to a full extent reflects the changes in the reproductive behavior of Slovak population - firstly the postponement of births towards the older age and their realization later in the new millennium.
