Regional Differences

Demographic development, similarly as other areas of social reproduction, is regionally differentiated. It is influenced by several factors - from historical, through natural, cultural up to socio-economic factors. The basis of regional differences in the population development is, however, linked to its age structure, which creates the background for reproduction processes as well as for the migration of population. Changes in the reproductive behaviour of population, which appear in the fall of nuptiality, the remarkable decrease of fertility and abortion, the moderate decrease of mortality but also in growth of divorce and ageing of population, and which are typical for the period under observation, have also its territorial dimension. Essentially they spread from southwest to northeast and are consequently reflected also into the development of regions with a different intensity.

From the demographic standpoint, the Slovak Republic can be divided roughly into two noticeable regions - north and east with the progressive development and south and east with the regressive development.

In essence, two distinct types of reproductive and migration population behaviour are in question. The attitude to a new model of reproductive behaviour is mostly evident in the province of Bratislava, a bit less in other provinces of West Slovakia and the regions of Prešov and Žilina act as the most conservative ones. This situation is reflected also in the age structure of population, as well as in all components of the reproduction process. For the provinces of Prešov and Žilina a progressive age structure is typical, with higher share of population at pre-productive age (above 20%) and a lower share of population aged 60 and over. They are flagged also by a higher fertility, lower mean age at first marriage and first birth and by a more negative attitude to abortion and divorce. A similar situation, with some exceptions (e.g. high abortion) is in the province of Košice.

On the contrary, in the province of Bratislava, the share of population at post-productive age is higher than at the pre-productive age and a similar development is obvious also in the province of Nitra. The ageing of population is here the most intensive one. In other regions this process is less intensive. For all these regions the following factors are typical: a deeper decrease of total fertility rate, higher mean age at first marriage and at first birth, and despite a certain decrease also higher abortion. A high divorce rate is typical mainly for the provinces of Bratislava and Banská Bystrica.

The increases of population in East and North Slovakia are during the entire time period ensured still by a relatively high natality. Two thirds of population increases of the SR in this time period fall on the province of Prešov. High increases are related also to the provinces of Košice and Žilina. In contrast, in the western part of Slovakia - in the province of Trnava, the source of increases is migration. In provinces in the southwest and south of Slovakia - in Bratislava, Nitra and Banská Bystrica, the situation is similar as in the province of Trnava; however, the losses from natural changes cannot be sufficiently compensated from migration. A specific position has the province of Trenčín with losses in both components - from natural changes as well as from migration.

To assess the demographic development in districts is complicated due to their high heterogeneity in terms of their size and population number. The largest district according to its area is the district of Levice (1553 km2), the smallest is the district of Kysucké Nové Mesto (174 km2). According to the population number, the most numerous is the district of Nitra, in which in 2001 lived 163,6 thousand inhabitants. The least numerous is the district of Medzilaborce, in which only 12,6 thousand people lived in 2001, i.e. 13 times lesser than in the district of Nitra.

Although in general for the demographic development in districts the same tendencies are valid as for provinces, the regional differences at the level of districts are bigger. It seems that new territorial and administrative arrangement by splitting some of original districts into lower units has revealed the "source areas" for the increase of the number of population or the areas with the degressive development. A remarkable decrease of fertility in the observed time period did not appear with the same intensity in all districts. Therefore, the districts with progressive development, high intensity of fertility (even 60-70% above the average of the SR) remained in northern and northeast parts of Slovakia - Námestovo, Sabinov, Kežmarok and Stará Ľubovňa. In contrast, the below-average values of total fertility rate were recorded in "small" districts of Myjava, Banská Štiavnica and Partizánske, in districts of Bratislava and its hinterland, and in some other districts of West and Middle Slovakia. Even in 10 districts of Slovakia the total fertility rate fell below the value of one child per woman during her reproductive time period.

Neither the territorial distribution of nuptiality has changed significantly. The highest nuptiality is still related to districts of North and East Slovakia. The divorce rate, on the contrary, has increased even in 60 districts of Slovakia (without the districts of Bratislava and Košice). The decreasing tendencies appear also in abortion, most significantly in Bratislava and its hinterland. In contrast, it is the highest in East Slovakia and in the south of Middle Slovakia. In mortality area a decreasing trend is persisting in the majority of districts. The ageing of population has deepened. Even in 10 districts and in the city of Bratislava the share of population at post-productive age has been higher than the share of population at pre-productive age. Mainly the districts of West Slovakia are in question.

Significant changes are typical also for internal migration of population. Its intensity has decreased and new immigration and emigration spatial areas have been formed. The cities of Bratislava and Košice, which in 1980s had withdrawn the population mainly from their hinterland, became emigratory ones in 1990s. They are loosing population for the benefit of their hinterland. Migration increases are thus recorded in districts in the neighbourhood of Bratislava and Košice - Malacky, Pezinok, Senec, Galanta, Dunajská Streda or Košice-okolie. Also small districts of Turčianske Teplice and Banská Štiavnica are profitable.

Among the districts, smallest districts are remarkably segregated - Medzilaborce and Sobrance in the East Slovakia and districts of Turčianske Teplice and Poltár in Middle Slovakia together with the district of Myjava in West Slovakia. Those are districts with old age structure (with the population ageing in progress), high mortality, low fertility and thus also with the natural decrease of population. Except for Turčianske Teplice, these districts are recording losses from migration and all of them are marked by a total decrease of population.

A specific position in terms of several indicators has the capital of the SR - Bratislava, in which the change of reproductive behaviour has appeared in a most significant way. Total fertility is very low and the mean age of woman at first birth is even 27 years. Bratislava belongs among the areas with the highest divorce rate in the SR and becomes a remarkable emigration territory, which offers a noticeable demographic potential for its hinterland.