Introduction
Background
At the close of World War I, the Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia, a parliamentarian democracy. During the interwar years, having rejected a federal system, the new country's predominantly Czech leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the increasingly strident demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Slovaks, the Sudeten Germans, and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). On the eve of World War II, Nazi Germany occupied the territory that today comprises Czechia, and Slovakia became an independent state allied with Germany. After the war, a reunited but truncated Czechoslovakia (less Ruthenia) fell within the Soviet sphere of influence when the pro-Soviet Communist party staged a coup in February 1948. In 1968, an invasion by fellow Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize communist rule and create "socialism with a human face," ushering in a period of repression known as "normalization." The peaceful "Velvet Revolution" swept the Communist Party from power at the end of 1989 and inaugurated a return to democratic rule and a market economy. On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a nonviolent "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004. The country formally added the short-form name Czechia in 2016, while also continuing to use the full form name, the Czech Republic.
Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.
Geography
Location
Central Europe, between Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria
Geographic coordinates
49 45 N, 15 30 E
Map references
Europe
Area - comparative
about two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries
total: 2,046 km
border countries (4): Austria 402 km; Germany 704 km; Poland 699 km; Slovakia 241 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Terrain
Bohemia in the west consists of rolling plains, hills, and plateaus surrounded by low mountains; Moravia in the east consists of very hilly country
Elevation
highest point: Snezka 1,602 m
lowest point: Labe (Elbe) River 115 m
mean elevation: 433 m
Natural resources
hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber, arable land
Land use
agricultural land: 54.8% (2018 est.)
arable land: 41% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 12.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 34.4% (2018 est.)
other: 10.8% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
220 sq km (2020)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Dunaj (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km; Labe (Elbe) river source (shared with Germany [m]) - 1,252 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, but the northern and eastern regions tend to have larger urban concentrations
Natural hazards
flooding
Geography - note
note 1: landlocked; strategically located astride some of oldest and most significant land routes in Europe; Moravian Gate is a traditional military corridor between the North European Plain and the Danube in central Europe
note 2: the Hranice Abyss in Czechia is the world's deepest surveyed underwater cave at 404 m (1,325 ft); its survey is not complete and it could end up being some 800-1,200 m deep
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Czech(s)
adjective: Czech
Ethnic groups
Czech 57.3%, Moravian 3.4%, other 7.7%, unspecified 31.6% (2021 est.)
note: includes only persons with one ethnicity
Languages
Czech (official) 88.4%, Slovak 1.5%, other 2.6%, unspecified 7.2%
note: includes only persons with one mother tongue (2021 est.)
major-language sample(s):
World Fackbook, nepostradatelný zdroj základních informací. (Czech)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Roman Catholic 7%, other believers belonging to a church or religious society 6% (includes Evangelical United Brethren Church and Czechoslovak Hussite Church), believers unaffiliated with a religious society 9.1%, none 47.8%, unspecified 30.1% (2021 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 14.68% (male 808,583/female 763,540)
15-64 years: 64.18% (male 3,514,664/female 3,356,764)
65 years and over: 21.13% (2023 est.) (male 954,139/female 1,308,552)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 57.4
youth dependency ratio: 25.2
elderly dependency ratio: 32.2
potential support ratio: 3.1 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 43.9 years (2023 est.)
male: 42.5 years
female: 45.4 years
comparison ranking: total 32
Population distribution
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, but the northern and eastern regions tend to have larger urban concentrations
Urbanization
urban population: 74.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.323 million PRAGUE (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
28.5 years (2020 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 2.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 214
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 78.3 years (2023 est.)
male: 75.1 years
female: 81.6 years
comparison ranking: total population 75
Gross reproduction rate
0.85 (2023 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 99.9% of population
rural: 99.8% of population
total: 99.9% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population
rural: 0.2% of population
total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
9.2% of GDP (2020)
Physicians density
4.15 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density
6.6 beds/1,000 population (2018)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 12.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 6.77 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 2.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 3.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total 3
Tobacco use
total: 30.7% (2020 est.)
male: 35% (2020 est.)
female: 26.4% (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 29
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
48.4% (2023 est.)
Literacy
definition: NA
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2011)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 16 years
male: 16 years
female: 17 years (2020)
Environment
Environment - current issues
air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests; land pollution caused by industry, mining, and agriculture
Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Climate
temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Land use
agricultural land: 54.8% (2018 est.)
arable land: 41% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 12.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 34.4% (2018 est.)
other: 10.8% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 74.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 14.34 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 102.22 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 13.11 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 3.337 million tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 850,935 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 25.5% (2015 est.)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Dunaj (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km; Labe (Elbe) river source (shared with Germany [m]) - 1,252 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 630 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 700 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 40 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
13.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Czech Republic
conventional short form: Czechia
local long form: Ceska republika
local short form: Cesko
etymology: name derives from the Czechs, a West Slavic tribe who rose to prominence in the late 9th century A.D.; the country officially adopted the English short-form name of Czechia on 1 July 2016
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Prague
geographic coordinates: 50 05 N, 14 28 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
etymology: the name may derive from an old Slavic root "praga" or "prah", meaning "ford", and refer to the city's origin at a crossing point of the Vltava (Moldau) River
Administrative divisions
13 regions (kraje, singular - kraj) and 1 capital city* (hlavni mesto); Jihocesky (South Bohemia), Jihomoravsky (South Moravia), Karlovarsky (Karlovy Vary), Kralovehradecky (Hradec Kralove), Liberecky (Liberec), Moravskoslezsky (Moravia-Silesia), Olomoucky (Olomouc), Pardubicky (Pardubice), Plzensky (Pilsen), Praha (Prague)*, Stredocesky (Central Bohemia), Ustecky (Usti), Vysocina (Highlands), Zlinsky (Zlin)
Independence
1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia); note - although 1 January is the day the Czech Republic came into being, the Czechs commemorate 28 October 1918, the day the former Czechoslovakia declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as their independence day
National holiday
Czechoslovak Founding Day, 28 October (1918)
Constitution
history: previous 1960; latest ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993
amendments: passage requires at least three-fifths concurrence of members present in both houses of Parliament; amended several times, last in 2021
Legal system
new civil code enacted in 2014, replacing civil code of 1964 - based on former Austro-Hungarian civil codes and socialist theory - and reintroducing former Czech legal terminology
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Czechia
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Petr PAVEL (since 9 March 2023)
head of government: Prime Minister Petr FIALA (since 17 December 2021); First Deputy Prime Minister Vit RAKUSAN (since 17 December 2021), Deputy Prime Ministers Marian JURECKA, Ivan BARTOS, Vlastimil VALEK (all since 17 December 2021)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (limited to 2 consecutive terms); elections last held on 27-28 January 2023 the second round and 13-14 January 2023 for the 1st round; prime minister appointed by the president for a 4-year term
election results:
2023; 2nd Round Petr PAVEL 58.3%, Andrej BABIS 41.6%; 1st Round Petr PAVEL 35.4%, Andrej BABIS 35%, Danuse NERUDOVA 13.9%, Pavel FISCHER 6.8%
2018: Milos ZEMAN reelected president in the second round; percent of vote - Milos ZEMAN (SPO) 51.4%, Jiri DRAHOS (independent) 48.6%
Legislative branch
description: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of:
Senate or Senat (81 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years)
Chamber of Deputies or Poslanecka Snemovna (200 seats; members directly elected in 14 multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote with a 5% threshold required to fill a seat; members serve 4-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held in 2 rounds on 23-24 September and 30 September and 1 October 2022 (next to be held in October 2024)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 8-9 October 2021 (next to be held by October 2025)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party NA; - seats by party - ODS 23, STAN 15, KDU-CSL 12, TOP 09 6, ANO 5, SEN 21 4, other 15, independent 1
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party – SPOLU 27.8%, ANO 27.1%, Pirates and STAN 15.6%, SPD 9.6%, other 19.9%; seats by party - ANO 72, SPOLU 71, Pirates and STAN 37, SPD 20
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court (organized into Civil Law and Commercial Division, and Criminal Division each with a court chief justice, vice justice, and several judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 15 justices); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 36 judges, including the court president and vice president, and organized into 6-, 7-, and 9-member chambers)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges proposed by the Chamber of Deputies and appointed by the president; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate; judges appointed for 10-year, renewable terms; Supreme Administrative Court judges selected by the president of the Court; unlimited terms
subordinate courts: High Court; regional and district courts
Political parties and leaders
Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-CSL [Marian JURECKA]
Civic Democratic Party or ODS [Petr FIALA]
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSCM [Katerina KONECNA]
Czech Social Democratic Party or CSSD [Michal SMARDA]
Freedom and Direct Democracy or SPD [Tomio OKAMURA]
Mayors and Independents or STAN [Vit RAKUSAN]
Mayors for the Liberec Region [Martin PUTA]
Action of Dissatisfied Citizens or ANO (Akce nespokojených občanů) [Andrej BABIS]
Party of Free Citizens Svobodni [Libor VONDRACEK]
Pirate Party or Pirates [Ivan BARTOS]
Senator 21 [Vaclav LASKA]
Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 or TOP 09 [Marketa PEKAROVA ADAMOVA]
International organization participation
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Miloslav STASEK (since 16 September 2022)
chancery: 3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008-3803
telephone: [1] (202) 274-9100
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8540
email address and website:
washington@embassy.mzv.cz
https://www.mzv.cz/washington/
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Bijan SABET (since 15 February 2023)
embassy: Trziste 15, 118 01 Praha 1 - Mala Strana
mailing address: 5630 Prague Place, Washington DC 20521-5630
telephone: [420] 257-022-000
FAX: [420] 257-022-809
email address and website:
ACSPrg@state.gov
https://cz.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
note: combines the white and red colors of Bohemia with blue from the arms of Moravia; is identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia
National symbol(s)
silver (or white), double-tailed, rampant lion; national colors: white, red, blue
National anthem
name: "Kde domov muj?" (Where is My Home?)
lyrics/music: Josef Kajetan TYL/Frantisek Jan SKROUP
note: adopted 1993; the anthem was originally written as incidental music to the play "Fidlovacka" (1834), it soon became very popular as an unofficial anthem of the Czech nation; its first verse served as the official Czechoslovak anthem beginning in 1918, while the second verse (Slovak) was dropped after the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 17 (all cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Historic Prague; Historic Telč; Historic Český Krumlov; Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape; Historic Kutná Hora; Holy Trinity Column, Olomouc; Karlovy Vary Spa; Zatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops
Economy
Economic overview
high income, diversified EU economy; advanced services and automotive exporter; mostly intra-EU trader; low unemployment; usually maintains a positive trade balance; large investments in systems innovation and information technologies
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$428.016 billion (2021 est.)
$413.365 billion (2020 est.)
$437.437 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 46
Real GDP per capita
$40,700 (2021 est.)
$38,600 (2020 est.)
$41,000 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
comparison ranking: 48
GDP (official exchange rate)
$250.631 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.84% (2021 est.)
3.16% (2020 est.)
2.85% (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 99
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: AA- (2018)
Moody's rating: Aa3 (2019)
Standard & Poors rating: AA- (2011)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 2.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 36.9% (2017 est.)
services: 60.8% (2017 est.)
comparison rankings: services 116; industry 41; agriculture 169
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 47.4% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 19.2% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 24.7% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 1.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 79.9% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -72.3% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
wheat, sugar beet, milk, barley, rapeseed, potatoes, maize, pork, triticale, poultry
Industries
motor vehicles, metallurgy, machinery and equipment, glass, armaments
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 7.6% (2021 est.)
male: 6.9%
female: 8.7%
comparison ranking: total 172
Population below poverty line
10.1% (2018 est.)
Average household expenditures
on food: 16.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 8% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 21.7% (2015 est.)
Budget
revenues: $103.838 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $103.167 billion (2019 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$2.282 billion (2021 est.)
$4.967 billion (2020 est.)
$898.074 million (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 163
Exports
$204.785 billion (2021 est.)
$172.837 billion (2020 est.)
$186.545 billion (2019 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
comparison ranking: 34
Exports - partners
Germany 31%, Slovakia 7%, Poland 6%, France 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
cars and vehicle parts, computers, broadcasting equipment, office machinery and parts, insulated wiring (2021)
Imports
$196.243 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$156.129 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$171.429 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
comparison ranking: 34
Imports - partners
Germany 27%, China 12%, Poland 9%, Slovakia 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
broadcasting equipment, cars and vehicle parts, office machinery/parts, computers, packaged medicines (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$173.618 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$166.126 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$149.856 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 20
Exchange rates
koruny (CZK) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
21.678 (2021 est.)
23.21 (2020 est.)
22.932 (2019 est.)
21.73 (2018 est.)
23.376 (2017 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 22.485 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 60.814 billion kWh (2020 est.)
exports: 23.521 billion kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 13.368 billion kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 4.117 billion kWh (2020 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 54; imports 18; exports 9; consumption 45; installed generating capacity 42
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 47% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 37.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 4.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Nuclear energy
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 6 (2023)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 0
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 3.93GW (2023)
Percent of total electricity production: 36.7% (2021)
Percent of total energy produced: 38.3% (2021)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 0
Coal
production: 33.806 million metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 37.212 million metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 1.885 million metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 3.795 million metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 2.927 billion metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 6,300 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 219,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 400 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 150,200 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 15 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 189.185 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
consumption: 8,815,133,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2020 est.)
imports: 7,590,318,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 3.964 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
99.533 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 57.268 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 25.526 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 16.739 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 43
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 1,294,806 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 65
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 13,129,905 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 76
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: the telecom market has attracted investment from among the key regional telcos; telcos in the Czech Republic have become multi-service providers, offering a full range of fixed and mobile services; this has enabled the reach of their 5G networks; this process has also been assisted by them closing down 3G networks and reforming spectrum for 5G and LTE use (2023)
domestic: roughly 12 fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants and mobile telephone usage of 125 per 100 inhabitants (2021)
international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2 Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar) (2019)
Broadcast media
22 TV stations operate nationally, with 17 of them in private hands; publicly operated Czech Television has 5 national channels; throughout the country, there are some 350 TV channels in operation, many through cable, satellite, and IPTV subscription services; 63 radio broadcasters are registered, operating over 80 radio stations, including 7 multiregional radio stations or networks; publicly operated broadcaster Czech Radio operates 4 national, 14 regional, and 4 Internet stations; both Czech Radio and Czech Television are partially financed through a license fee (2019)
Internet users
total: 9.13 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 83% (20201 est.)
comparison ranking: total 64
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 3,845,426 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 39
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 48
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 5,727,200 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 25.23 million (2018) mt-km
Airports - with paved runways
41
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
87
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Heliports
1 (2021)
Pipelines
7,160 km gas, 675 km oil, 94 km refined products (2016)
Roadways
total: 55,744 km (2019) (includes urban and category I, II, III roads)
paved: 55,744 km (2019) (includes 1,252 km of expressways)
comparison ranking: total 81
Waterways
664 km (2010) (principally on Elbe, Vltava, Oder, and other navigable rivers, lakes, and canals)
comparison ranking: 84
Ports and terminals
river port(s): Prague (Vltava)
Decin, Usti nad Labem (Elbe)
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Czech Armed Forces: Land Forces, Air Forces, Cyber Forces, Special Forces (2023)
Military expenditures
1.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.4% of GDP (2021)
1.3% of GDP (2020)
1.2% of GDP (2019)
comparison ranking: 92
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 27,000 active personnel (21,000 Army; 6,000 Air Force) (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Czech military has a mix of Soviet-era and more modern equipment, mostly of Western European origin from such suppliers as Austria, Germany, and Spain; Czechia has a considerable domestic defense industry; during the Cold War, Czechoslovakia was a major producer of tanks, armored personnel carriers, military trucks, and trainer aircraft (2023)
note: in 2019, Czechia announced a modernization plan to acquire more Western equipment that was compliant with NATO standards, including aircraft and armored vehicles
Military service age and obligation
18-28 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2004 (2023)
note: as of 2020, women comprised about 13% of the military's full-time personnel
Military deployments
up to 130 Lithuania (NATO); 130 Slovakia (NATO) (2023)
note: in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries have sent additional troops and equipment to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in eastern Europe
Military - note
the Czech military is a professional force responsible for national and territorial defense, assisting civil authorities during natural disasters or other emergencies, boosting border security alongside the police, participating in international peacekeeping operations, and supporting its collective security commitments to the EU and NATO, both of which Czechia considers pillars of its national security strategy; Czechia is a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, contributes to UN peacekeeping operations, and actively participates in EU military and security missions under the EU Common Security and Defense Policy; the Czech military has been an active member of NATO since the country joined in 2009 and participates in a variety of NATO’s collective defense missions, including contributing to the Enhanced Forward Presence in Eastern Europe, Baltic Air Policing operations, and NATO’s rapid response forces; it also participates in NATO operations in Kosovo and exercises regularly with NATO partners; the Czech military also maintains close bilateral ties to a number of militaries, particularly partner members of the Visegrad Group (Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) and Germany
the military has commands for its land, air, cyber/information operations, and territorial forces, as well as a joint operations command and a special forces directorate; the principal combat forces under the Land Force Command include two mechanized brigades, an airborne regiment, and regiments of artillery, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare forces; the Air Force Command is responsible for securing Czech airspace and has about 30 Czech- and Swedish-made light multirole combat fighter aircraft organized in two squadrons, as well as small squadron of Soviet-era attack helicopters; the Territorial Command is responsible for the active reserves and regional military commands that align with each of Czechia’s 13 regions and the capital, Prague (2023)
Transnational Issues
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 370,815 (Ukraine) (as of 26 November 2023)
stateless persons: 1,625 (2022)
Illicit drugs
main country of origin of methamphetamine in European markets; manufacture of methamphetamine continues to be mostly based on pseudoephedrine from Poland or Turkey