Where the figures come from
The figures were taken from the statistical yearbooks of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, the statistical yearbooks of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic and the statistical yearbooks of the Corps of Prison and Court Guard.
Recorded offences against offences solved
In 2024 the police recorded 44,914 offences, of which 25,203 offences were solved, which represents a percentage share of clear up at the level of 56 %. Compared with earlier years there is a fall in the absolute number of recorded and of solved cases, but the clear up rate holds at a stable level close to that of 2023. The trend suggests that although the overall number of offences is falling, the effectiveness of clearing them up is holding without marked deterioration.
| Year | Recorded | Solved | Percentage share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 61,392 | 37,201 | 61 % |
| 2019 | 58,829 | 36,445 | 62 % |
| 2020 | 54,244 | 32,709 | 60 % |
| 2021 | 50,915 | 30,281 | 59 % |
| 2022 | 54,586 | 31,274 | 57 % |
| 2023 | 54,059 | 30,079 | 56 % |
| 2024 | 44,914 | 25,203 | 56 % |
A closer look at the individual years confirms that the recent period brings a modest fall in crime, with the spread between the number of recorded and of solved cases staying relatively stable. The percentage share of clear up has, however, been falling steadily since 2019, from 62 % to 56 %. The comparison of the figures for 2018 to 2024 therefore clearly documents that the effectiveness of detecting and clearing up offences in Slovakia is gradually declining, even though the number of offences itself has a downward tendency. How the clear up rate develops matters for holding public confidence in the judicial and security authorities.
| Recorded | Solved | |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 61,392 | 37,201 |
| 2019 | 58,829 | 36,445 |
| 2020 | 54,244 | 32,709 |
| 2021 | 50,915 | 30,281 |
| 2022 | 54,586 | 31,274 |
| 2023 | 54,059 | 30,079 |
| 2024 | 44,914 | 25,203 |
Sentencing policy
The year 2024 brought significant movement in the sanctions handed down in Slovakia, as the overview of the statistical figures in the table below shows. A total of 27,591 sentences of various kinds were imposed in that year, differing not only in their character but in their share of the overall picture.
The most frequently imposed sentence was the suspended custodial sentence (PO) without an accompanying restriction or obligation, which made up as much as 32.29 % of all sentences, that is 8,910 cases. The figure points to a preference among the courts for dealing with less serious cases through milder sanctions that allow the convicted person to lead a life at liberty.
The second most frequent sentence in 2024 was the unsuspended custodial sentence (NEPO), with 4,129 cases, which represents 14.97 % of the total number of sentences imposed. The share suggests that despite the growing emphasis on alternative forms of punishment, the unsuspended custodial sentence remains an important part of the sanctioning system, particularly for more serious offences.
Sentences with probation supervision and with an accompanying restriction or obligation together made up roughly 14.18 % of all sentences (2,032 with restrictions, i.e. 7.36 %, and 1,881 with probation supervision, i.e. 6.82 %). These forms of sentence emphasise supervision and the rehabilitation of the convicted person without isolating them from society.
The fine also mattered, imposed in 2,235 cases (8.10 %). This kind of sanction offers a way of penalising offenders economically, which suits less serious offences in particular, or cases where a custodial sentence serves no purpose.
Other sentences such as community service (1,282 cases, 4.65 %) and house arrest (57 cases, 0.21 %) appear less often, but their significance lies above all in offering routes to rehabilitation and to socially useful work for the convicted.
The category other covers 7,065 cases (25.61 %), which points to the variety of further sentences and sanctions that are not broken out explicitly in the table, yet make up a substantial part of the sanctioning system as a whole.
| Type of sentence | Sentences imposed on convicted persons | % |
|---|---|---|
| NEPO | 4,129 | 14.97 |
| PO without an accompanying restriction or obligation | 8,910 | 32.29 |
| PO with an accompanying restriction or obligation | 2,032 | 7.36 |
| PO with probation supervision | 1,881 | 6.82 |
| House arrest | 57 | 0.21 |
| Community service | 1,282 | 4.65 |
| Fine | 2,235 | 8.10 |
| Other | 7,065 | 25.61 |
| Total | 27,591 | 100 |
| Count | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| NEPO | 4,129 | 14.97 % |
| PO without an accompanying restriction or obligation | 8,910 | 32.29 % |
| PO with an accompanying restriction or obligation | 2,032 | 7.36 % |
| PO with probation supervision | 1,881 | 6.82 % |
| House arrest | 57 | 0.21 % |
| Community service | 1,282 | 4.65 % |
| Fine | 2,235 | 8.10 % |
| Other | 7,065 | 25.61 % |
Looking at the percentage share of the individual kinds of sentence, a trend towards diversifying the sanctioning system is apparent, with the emphasis falling not only on repression but on prevention, rehabilitation and alternative forms of punishment. On the statistical figures it can be stated that in 2024 unsuspended custodial sentences made up 14.97 % of all sentences imposed, while suspended sentences in all their forms made up 46.47 %. A single year of figures, however, cannot show whether this is a trend.
Taken together these figures give a comprehensive view of the structure of the sentences imposed in 2024 and suggest that Slovak criminal law is moving towards a more humane and more modern approach to punishing offenders.
The prison population from 2018 to 2024
In 2018 the number of convicted prisoners was 8,715 and of remand prisoners 1,579, that is 10,294 people in all. A year later, in 2019, the figures rose slightly: convicted prisoners reached 8,924 and remand prisoners 1,631, which gives a total of 10,555. The year 2020 was marked by a modest fall: 8,862 convicted and 1,657 on remand, 10,519 together. In 2021 the downward trend continued: 8,674 convicted and 1,430 on remand, 10,104 in all.
From 2022 a sharper fall can be observed. The number of convicted prisoners dropped to 8,492 and of remand prisoners to 1,447, 9,939 in all. This downward trend continued in 2023, when 8,305 convicted and 1,419 remand prisoners were recorded, giving a total of 9,724. The sharpest fall, however, came in 2024, when the number of convicted prisoners dropped as low as 7,107 and of remand prisoners to 1,062, which together represents only 8,169 people.
A look at these figures shows that over the period observed there was a gradual but sustained fall in the number of convicted and of remand prisoners. Where the totals stayed above 10,000 people between 2018 and 2021, the threshold has not been crossed since 2022. The largest year on year fall can be observed between 2023 and 2024, where the number of convicted prisoners dropped by more than 1,000 people and the number on remand by 357. This trend may follow from several factors, among them legislative change, better crime prevention, demographic movement or shifts in the social and economic environment.
| Year | Convicted (at 31 Dec) | On remand (at 31 Dec) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 8,715 | 1,579 | 10,294 |
| 2019 | 8,924 | 1,631 | 10,555 |
| 2020 | 8,862 | 1,657 | 10,519 |
| 2021 | 8,674 | 1,430 | 10,104 |
| 2022 | 8,492 | 1,447 | 9,939 |
| 2023 | 8,305 | 1,419 | 9,724 |
| 2024 | 7,107 | 1,062 | 8,169 |
Taking the overall view of these figures, it can be stated that the Slovak criminal justice system has in recent years seen a gradual fall in the number of convicted and of remand prisoners. The fall is sharpest in the last two years, which may signal positive change in society or in the system of criminal prosecution. It can be added in closing that following these trends further will matter for planning and refining measures in justice and internal security, and that it is worth analysing the wider circumstances that contributed to the change.
| Convicted | On remand | |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 8,715 | 1,579 |
| 2019 | 8,924 | 1,631 |
| 2020 | 8,862 | 1,657 |
| 2021 | 8,674 | 1,430 |
| 2022 | 8,492 | 1,447 |
| 2023 | 8,305 | 1,419 |
| 2024 | 7,107 | 1,062 |