Czech Republic — Country profile

Europe

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.

Economy

Budget: revenues:
$94.01 billion (2022 est.)
expenditures:
$106.07 billion (2022 est.)
note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Exports: Exports 2022:
$219.419 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023:
$236.103 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024:
$239.259 billion (2024 est.)
note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Imports: Imports 2022:
$216.042 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023:
$219.09 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024:
$216.741 billion (2024 est.)
note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Industries: motor vehicles, metallurgy, machinery and equipment, glass, armaments
Labor force: 5.541 million (2024 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
Public debt: Public debt 2016:
36.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
Remittances: Remittances 2022:
1.4% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023:
1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024:
1.2% of GDP (2024 est.)
note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Exchange rates: Currency:
koruny (CZK) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020:
23.21 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021:
21.678 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022:
23.357 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023:
22.198 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024:
23.217 (2024 est.)
Economic overview: high-income, diversified EU economy; manufacturing-oriented exporter led by automotive industry; moderate growth driven by household consumption and investments, despite negative contribution from net exports; tight labor market with low unemployment; gained energy independence from Russian oil in April 2025
Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022:
2.3% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023:
2.6% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024:
2.6% (2024 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
Exports - partners: Germany 29%, Slovakia 7%, Poland 6%, France 5%, UK 5% (2023)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners: Germany 22%, China 17%, Poland 8%, Slovakia 5%, Italy 4% (2023)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022:
$48,400 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023:
$47,500 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024:
$48,000 (2024 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022:
2.8% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023:
-0.1% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024:
1.1% (2024 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Agricultural products: wheat, sugar beets, milk, barley, rapeseed, potatoes, maize, triticale, pork, chicken (2023)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Exports - commodities: cars, vehicle parts/accessories, broadcasting equipment, computers, plastic products (2023)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports - commodities: broadcasting equipment, vehicle parts/accessories, cars, plastic products, computers (2023)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Current account balance: Current account balance 2022:
-$13.644 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023:
-$432.727 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024:
$6.047 billion (2024 est.)
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues: 12.6% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
GDP (official exchange rate): $345.037 billion (2024 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption:
44% (2023 est.)
government consumption:
19.7% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories:
0.7% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital:
27.3% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services:
69% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services:
-64% (2023 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Population below poverty line: 10.2% (2021 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Average household expenditures: on food:
15.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco:
7.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022:
15.1% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023:
10.7% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024:
2.4% (2024 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Industrial production growth rate: -1% (2024 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022:
$516.431 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023:
$516.145 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024:
$521.928 billion (2024 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male:
8.2% (2024 est.)
total:
8.4% (2024 est.)
female:
8.6% (2024 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022:
$139.981 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023:
$148.379 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024:
$146.281 billion (2024 est.)
note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry:
30.2% (2024 est.)
services:
59.5% (2024 est.)
agriculture:
1.5% (2024 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%:
3.8% (2022 est.)
highest 10%:
21.8% (2022 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022:
25.9 (2022 est.)
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Energy

Coal: exports:
2.128 million metric tons (2023 est.)
imports:
4.09 million metric tons (2023 est.)
production:
31.946 million metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption:
33.239 million metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves:
3.595 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production:
4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves:
15 million barrels (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption:
219,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
Electricity: exports:
22.648 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports:
13.465 billion kWh (2023 est.)
consumption:
63.628 billion kWh (2023 est.)
installed generating capacity:
21.802 million kW (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses:
3.012 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural gas: imports:
6.812 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
production:
163.333 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption:
6.499 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves:
3.964 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Nuclear energy: Number of operational nuclear reactors:
6 (2025)
Percent of total electricity production:
40% (2023 est.)
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:
3.96GW (2025 est.)
Electricity access: electrification - total population:
100% (2022 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023:
136.306 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources: wind:
0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar:
4.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
nuclear:
40.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
fossil fuels:
45.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity:
2.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste:
7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

More about Czech Republic

People and Society

Languages: Languages:
Czech (official) 88.4%, Slovak 1.5%, other 2.6%, unspecified 7.2% (2021 est.)
major-language sample(s):

World Factbook, nepostradatelný zdroj základních informací. (Czech)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
note: includes only persons with one mother tongue
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.)
Sex ratio: at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
total population:
0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female
Birth rate: 9.56 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 11.82 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median age: male:
42.7 years
total:
44.4 years (2025 est.)
female:
45.7 years
Population: male:
5,337,128
total:
10,838,703 (2025 est.)
female:
5,501,575
Nationality: noun:
Czech(s)
adjective:
Czech
Tobacco use: male:
30.8% (2025 est.)
total:
26.8% (2025 est.)
female:
23% (2025 est.)
Urbanization: urban population:
74.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization:
0.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years:
15.7% (male 871,303/female 826,896)
15-64 years:
63.8% (male 3,542,298/female 3,373,127)
65 years and over:
20.5% (2024 est.) (male 922,136/female 1,302,130)
Ethnic groups: Czech 57.3%, Moravian 3.4%, other 7.7%, unspecified 31.6% (2021 est.)
note: includes only persons with one ethnicity
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio:
56.5 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio:
24.3 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio:
3.1 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio:
32.2 (2025 est.)
Physician density: 4.35 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP):
9.5% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget):
16.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 6.6 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking water source: improved: rural:
rural: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total:
total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban:
urban: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural:
rural: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total:
total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban:
urban: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP):
4.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget):
10% national budget (2022 est.)
Infant mortality rate: male:
2.7 deaths/1,000 live births
total:
2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
female:
2.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Population growth rate: -0.02% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.84 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, but the northern and eastern regions tend to have larger urban concentrations
Life expectancy at birth: male:
75.6 years
female:
81.8 years
total population:
78.6 years (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 3 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved: rural:
rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total:
total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: urban:
urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural:
rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total:
total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban:
urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita: beer:
6.77 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine:
2.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total:
12.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits:
3.24 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols:
0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 1.323 million PRAGUE (capital) (2023)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 26% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 28.5 years (2020 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49): 53.7% (2021 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): male:
16 years (2022 est.)
total:
17 years (2022 est.)
female:
18 years (2022 est.)

Government

Flag: description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the left side
note: combines the white and red of Bohemia with blue from the arms of Moravia; identical to the flag of the former Czechoslovakia
Capital: name:
Prague
etymology:
the name may derive from the old Slavic word "praga" or "prah," meaning "threshold;" it could also be related to the same Slavic root word as the modern Czech "pražiti," a term for woodland cleared by burning
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
geographic coordinates:
50 05 N, 14 28 E
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
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
Constitution: history:
previous 1960; latest ratified 16 December 1992, effective 1 January 1993
amendment process:
passage requires at least three-fifths concurrence of members present in both houses of Parliament
Country name: etymology:
name derives from the Czechs, a West Slavic tribe who rose to prominence in the late 9th century A.D.; the tribal name is said to come from an ancestral chief
local long form:
Ceska republika
local short form:
Cesko
conventional long form:
Czech Republic
conventional short form:
Czechia
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
Legal system: new civil code enacted in 2014, replacing civil code of 1964 based on former Austro-Hungarian civil codes and socialist theory
Government type: parliamentary republic
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)
subordinate courts:
High Court; regional and district courts
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
Executive branch: cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
chief of state:
President Petr PAVEL (since 9 March 2023)
election results:

2023: Petr PAVEL elected in the second round; percent of vote in the first round - Petr PAVEL (independent) 35.4%, Andrej BABIS (ANO) 35%, Danuse NERUDOVA (Mayors and Independents) 13.9%, Pavel FISCHER (independent) 6.8%; percent of vote in the second round - Petr PAVEL 58.3%, Andrej BABIS 41.6%

2018: Milos ZEMAN reelected president in the second round; percent of vote - Milos ZEMAN (SPO) 51.4%, Jiri DRAHOS (independent) 48.6%
head of government:
Prime Minister Andrej BABIS (since 9 December 2025)
most recent election date:
13-14 January 2023, with a second round on 27-28 January 2023
election/appointment process:
president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (limited to 2 consecutive terms); prime minister appointed by the president for a 4-year term
expected date of next election:
by January 2028
National holiday: Czechoslovak Founding Day, 28 October (1918)
National color(s): white, red, blue
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites:
17 (16 cultural, 1 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales:
Historic Prague (c); Historic Telč (c); Historic Český Krumlov (c); Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape (c); Historic Kutná Hora (c); Holy Trinity Column, Olomouc (c); Karlovy Vary Spa (c); Zatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops; Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops (n)
Political parties: Action of Dissatisfied Citizens or ANO (Akce nespokojených občanů)
Christian and Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party or KDU-ČSL
Civic Democratic Party or ODS
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia or KSČM
Czech Pirate Party or Piráti
ForMOST or ProMOST
Freedom and Direct Democracy or SPD
Independents or NEZ
Mayors and Independents or STAN
Mayors for the Liberec Region or SLK
Přísaha
Senator 21 or SEN 21
Social Democracy SOCDEM
Svobodni
Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 or TOP 09
Tábor 2020 or T2020
United Democrats - Association of Independents or SD-SN
Legislative branch: legislature name:
Parliament (Parlament)
legislative structure:
bicameral
National anthem(s): title:
"Kde domov muj?" (Where is My Home?)
history:
adopted 1993; the anthem was originally written as incidental music for the play "Fidlovacka" (1834), but it soon became popular as an unofficial anthem of the Czech nation; its first verse served as the official Czechoslovak anthem beginning in 1918, and the second verse (Slovak) was dropped after Czechoslovakia was dissolved in 1993
lyrics/music:
Josef Kajetan TYL/Frantisek Jan SKROUP
National symbol(s): silver (or white) double-tailed rampant lion
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)
Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name:
Chamber of Deputies (Poslanecka Snemovna)
term in office:
4 years
number of seats:
200 (all directly elected)
electoral system:
proportional representation
scope of elections:
full renewal
most recent election date:
10/3/2025 to 10/4/2025
expected date of next election:
October 2029
percentage of women in chamber:
33.5%
parties elected and seats per party:
ANO (80); SPOLU (52); Mayors and independents (STAN) (22); Czech Pirate Party (18); Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) (15); Motoristé sobě (AUTO) (13)
Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name:
Senate (Senat)
term in office:
6 years
number of seats:
81 (all directly elected)
electoral system:
plurality/majority
scope of elections:
partial renewal
most recent election date:
9/20/2024 to 9/28/2024
expected date of next election:
September 2026
percentage of women in chamber:
21.3%
parties elected and seats per party:
Civic Democratic Party (ODS) (8); Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU - CSL) (7); TOP 09 (3); ANO 2011 (3); Independents (2); Other (4)
Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX:
[1] (202) 966-8540
chancery:
3900 Spring of Freedom Street NW, Washington, DC 20008-3803
telephone:
[1] (202) 274-9100
chief of mission:
Ambassador Miloslav STAŠEK (since 16 September 2022)
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
email address and website:

washington@embassy.mzv.cz

https://www.mzv.cz/washington/
Diplomatic representation from the US: FAX:
[420] 257-022-809
embassy:
Trziste 15, 118 01 Praha 1 - Mala Strana
telephone:
[420] 257-022-000
mailing address:
5630 Prague Place, Washington DC 20521-5630
chief of mission:
Ambassador Nicholas MERRICK (since 23 October 2025)
email address and website:

ACSPrg@state.gov

https://cz.usembassy.gov/
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, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Communications

Internet users: percent of population:
86% (2023 est.)
Broadcast media: 22 national TV stations, with 17 privately owned; publicly operated Czech Television has 5 national channels; over 350 TV channels, many through cable, satellite, and IPTV subscription services; 63 radio broadcasters operate over 80 radio stations, including 7 multiregional radio stations or networks; publicly owned broadcaster Czech Radio operates 4 national, 14 regional, and 4 Internet stations; both Czech Radio and Czech Television are partly financed through a license fee (2019)
Internet country code: .cz
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions:
1.16 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
11 (2024 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions:
13.6 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
127 (2024 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total:
4.1 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
38 (2023 est.)

Transportation

Airports: 252 (2025)
Railways: total:
9,548 km (2020) 3,242 km electrified
Heliports: 107 (2025)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: OK

Geography

Area: land:
77,247 sq km
water:
1,620 sq km
total :
78,867 sq km
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
Land use: other:
16% (2023 est.)
forest:
38.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land:
45.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land:
arable land: 32.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops:
permanent crops: 0.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture:
permanent pasture: 12.5% (2023 est.)
Location: Central Europe, between Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Elevation: lowest point:
Labe (Elbe) River 115 m
highest point:
Snezka 1,602 m
mean elevation:
433 m
Irrigated land: 220 sq km (2022)
Map references: Europe
Land boundaries: total:
2,046 km
border countries:
Austria 402 km; Germany 704 km; Poland 699 km; Slovakia 241 km
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Natural hazards: flooding
Geography - note: note 1: landlocked; strategically located on 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 freshwater cave at 519 m (1,703 ft); its survey is not complete, and it may be up to 800-1,200 m (2,625-3,937 ft) deep
Natural resources: hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber, arable land
Area - comparative: about two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than South Carolina
Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 15 30 E
Population distribution: a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, but the northern and eastern regions tend to have larger urban concentrations
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage:
(Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
Major rivers (by length in 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

Environment

Climate: temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
Geoparks: global geoparks and regional networks:
Bohemian Paradise (2023)
total global geoparks and regional networks:
1
Land use: other:
16% (2023 est.)
forest:
38.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land:
45.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land:
arable land: 32.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops:
permanent crops: 0.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture:
permanent pasture: 12.5% (2023 est.)
Urbanization: urban population:
74.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization:
0.2% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually:
5.335 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled:
37.3% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues: air and water pollution (including acid rain) in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava; pollution from industry, mining, and agriculture
Total water withdrawal: municipal:
626 million cubic meters (2022)
industrial:
776 million cubic meters (2022)
agricultural:
44 million cubic meters (2022)
Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions:
79.901 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas:
12.527 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke:
41.667 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids:
25.707 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 15 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 13.15 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International environmental 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

Military and Security

Military - note: the Czech military is 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, rapid response forces, and operations in Kosovo; it also exercises regularly with NATO partners and 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 separate special forces directorate; 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 (2025)
Military deployments: up to 130 Lithuania (NATO); 130 Slovakia (NATO) (2024)
Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2021:
1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022:
1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023:
1.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024:
2.1% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2025:
2% of GDP (2025 est.)
Military and security forces: Czech Armed Forces: Land Forces, Air Force, Special Forces (2025)
Military service age and obligation: 18-28 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; conscription abolished 2004 (2025)
note: as of 2023, women comprised nearly 14% of the military's full-time personnel
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the Czech military has a mix of domestically produced, Soviet-era, and more recently acquired modern weapons and equipment from such suppliers as France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and the US; its domestic defense industry produces such items as armored combat vehicles and light attack aircraft (2025)
note 1: in 2019, Czechia announced a modernization plan to acquire more Western equipment that was compliant with NATO standards, including armored vehicles, fighter aircraft, and helicopters

note 2: during the Cold War, Czechoslovakia was a major producer of armored personnel carriers, military trucks, tanks, and trainer aircraft
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 28,000 active-duty military personnel (2025)

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs:
5 (2024 est.)
refugees:
392,198 (2024 est.)
stateless persons:
588 (2024 est.)

Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain).

Czech Republic — Country profile

Economy

Energy

More about Czech Republic

Zu Ihren Favoriten hinzufügen