ACCORDING to the latest report by the UN's population fund, the world will have 2.5 billion more inhabitants by the middle of this century. The only continent that will see a decrease in population is Europe, including Slovakia.
According to the report, Slovakia will lose around 800,000 people within 50 years, falling to around 4.6 million inhabitants from the current 5.4 million, the Hospodárske noviny daily wrote.
Slovakia is not a destination country for migrants from poorer states, and remains largely a transit country. In 2003 migrants made up only 0.54 percent of Slovakia's inhabitants.
Gradually, however, Slovakia should become more attractive to migrants. In 2005 a total of 5,276 foreigners moved to Slovakia, the highest number in a decade.