Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Business activity strengthened across Slovakia’s main monitored sectors in July 2026, although the improvement remained uneven, with construction returning to growth while industrial turnover was virtually unchanged from a year earlier. Industry recorded a real year-on-year turnover increase of just 0.1%, marking a second consecutive month of growth. However, only six of the 16 monitored industrial branches increased turnover, indicating continued weakness beneath the headline figure.
Transport equipment manufacturing provided one of the strongest contributions, with turnover increasing 13.9% year-on-year, its best performance in 16 months. Machinery and equipment manufacturing rose 16.3%, food production increased 6.4%, and water supply and waste management recorded growth of 8.3%. Other parts of manufacturing remained under considerable pressure, with computer-product manufacturing falling 41.5%, basic metals declining 4.9% and other manufacturing down 14.3%. Electricity and gas supply also recorded a year-on-year decline for the second time during 2026.
Construction provided a more positive signal after contracting in June. Turnover returned to year-on-year growth in July and recorded the strongest month-on-month improvement of any of the five sectors monitored by the Statistical Office, increasing 4.6% after seasonal adjustment. Activity also strengthened in transportation and storage, where turnover increased year-on-year by up to 5%, an important development for Slovakia’s industrial and logistics markets given the sector’s role in occupier demand and manufacturing supply chains.
Information and communication recorded the strongest annual increase among the five broad sectors, with turnover up 16.5%, its highest growth rate so far this year, while selected market services increased 7%. All five monitored sectors also improved compared with June after seasonal adjustment. Selected market services grew 2.5% and information and communication advanced 2%, while industry and transportation and storage recorded smaller increases of 0.3%.
The first seven months of 2026 show a similar divide between industry and other parts of the economy. Information and communication turnover increased 11.6% year-on-year, transportation and storage grew 4.8%, construction advanced 4.7%, and selected market services increased 4.1%. Industry was the only one of the five monitored sectors to record a decline over the January-to-July period, with turnover down 2% compared with the same period of 2025.
The July figures therefore provide a cautiously stronger signal for sectors closely connected with Slovakia’s commercial property market. Construction has returned to growth, transportation and storage continue to expand, and service-sector activity remains positive. The industrial picture is considerably less convincing, with overall growth dependent on strong performances from a relatively small number of manufacturing branches.
Source: SOSR
