Slovakia is the largest producer of passenger cars per capita – Country – Economy
Slovakia is the largest producer of passenger cars per capita. According to UniCredit Bank analyst Ľubomír Koršňák, they are produced annually by almost 200 per thousand inhabitants.
They recently announced a new investment by Volvo in the fifth car plant in the country, according to analysts, the production of cars in Slovakia will increase even more. The maximum production capacity of domestic factories should significantly exceed 1.5 million cars per year after 2026, i.e. 275 cars per thousand inhabitants.
The Tour de France is one of the most watched sports events in the world. However, cycling is not only an elite sport, but its recreational form is also gaining more and more popularity, or cycling as a form of regular transport. Its popularity grew even more worldwide during the pandemic. However, according to the analyst, it cannot be said that Slovakia would be a superpower even in the production of bicycles. Unlike cars, according to Koršňák, Slovakia is not among the world or even European leaders in the production of bicycles.
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Foreign trade data show that in the last two decades, domestic production was able to at least cover the domestic demand for bicycles, or it was even slightly higher. Declining production and strong interest in cycling, however, make Slovakia import more and more bicycles. Compared to 2019, the import of bicycles in Slovakia increased by almost two thirds, but their exports from Slovakia decreased by almost a fifth. With the production of 19 bicycles per thousand inhabitants in 2019, Slovakia ranked slightly below the European average.
Bicycles in Slovakia are mainly imported from neighboring countries, such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Austria. Imports from the neighboring Czech Republic are particularly dominant. Bikes made in Europe usually stay in Europe. The largest markets from the point of view of foreign trade are Germany, France and the Netherlands.