REGIONAL DISPARITIES IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC / Regionálne disparity v Slovenskej republike

Slovakia is characterized by large economic disparities between the regions. Nowadays there is a change in living standards and the way in the quality of human life. This difference is even more marked between the regions of the West and the East of Slovakia. The causes of the heterogeneous development of regions go from historical, demographic and natural specificities. These regional disparities grow deeper in time, what signify the result of the development of these factors in the past. It is necessary and more urgent to resolve the regional problems. The main reasons were the growing disparities between the regions, the need for the treatment strategies for regional development and the need to obtain the external resources. The aim of the contribution is based on the available evidence to assess the status of the Slovak regions based on the selected statistical indicators and to compare the economic performance of Slovak regions.