Demographics of Bratislava

This page gives an overview to the demographics of Bratislava.

Population

According to the 2001 census, the city had 428,672 inhabitants (the estimate for 2005 is 425,459).^[1] The average population density was 1,157 inhabitants/km² (2,997/mi²).^[1] The most populous district is Bratislava V with 121,259 inhabitants, followed by Bratislava II with 108,139, Bratislava IV with 93,058, Bratislava III with 61,418 and Bratislava I with 44,798.^[2] The largest ethnic groups in 2001 were Slovaks with 391,767 inhabitants (91.37% of the city population), followed by Hungarians with 16,541 (3.84%) and Czechs with 7,972 (1.86%). Other ethnic groups are Germans (1200, 0.28%), Moravians (635, 0.15%), Croats (614, 0.14%), Ruthenes (461, 0.11%), Ukrainians (452, 0.11%), Roma (417, 0.08%), and Poles (339, 0.08%).^[1][2]

Historical population

Population of Bratislava[1][3][4]
Year	Population	Year	Population	Year	Population
1720	11,000	1880	48,000	1950	184,400
1786	31,700	1900	61,500	1961	241,800
1802	29,600	1910	78,200	1970	291,100
1820	34,400	1921	93,200	1980	380,300
1846	40,200	1930	123,800	1991	442,197
1869	46,500	1939	138,500	2001	428,672

Ethnic history

1930 census results of Bratislava
Ethnic group	Population
Slovaks	60,013
Germans	32,801
Hungarians	18,890
Jewish	4,747
Rusyns	199
Other	247

1910 census results of Bratislava
Ethnic group	Population
Germans	32,790
Hungarians	31,705
Slovaks	11,673
Croats	351
Serbs	24
Other	1,638
from these Jewish	8,207

From the city's origin until the 19th century, Germans were the dominant ethnic group.^[5] However, after the Compromise of 1867, an active Magyarization^{[citation needed]} policy took place, and by the end of World War I Bratislava was a German-Hungarian town, with Slovaks as the biggest minority.^[5] Interpretation of census results is complicated by the fact that before 1918, language was used as census criterion, and after 1918 ethnicity. As Bratislava since 1918 enlarged its territory several times, it is questionable whether in calculation should not be taken also former independent communities (Dúbravka, Lamač, Rača, etc.) which were mostly Slovak or only districts which officially belonged to the city in the time of a given census. Moreover, residents of mixed origin tended to adapt their "choice" to the political winners (Hungarian before 1918, Slovak after 1918) and what would be the most suitable or least dangerous identity.^[5] For example a representation of ethnic Hungarians in increased from 7.5% in 1850 to 40.53% in 1910. And a representation of Slovaks really "jumped" from 14.42% in 1910 to 33% in 1919. It means that many people were in practise bi- or trilingual and multicultural and many Slovaks used to present themselves because of a pressure of Magyarisation as ethnic Hungarians.

After the formation of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, Bratislava remained a multi-ethnic city, but with a different demographic trend. After active Slovakization the proportion of Slovaks and Czechs increased, while the proportion of Germans and Hungarians fell. Part of this was caused by emigration of (largely Hungarian) former government employees, and immigration of Czechs and Slovaks who took their places. In 1938, 59% of population were Slovaks or Czechs, while Germans represented 22% and Hungarians 13% of the city's population.^[6] The creation of the first Slovak Republic in 1939 brought other changes, most notably the expulsion of many Czechs and Jews.^[5] In 1945, most of the Germans were evacuated. After the restoration of Czechoslovakia, the Beneš decrees collectively punished ethnic German and Hungarian minorities by expropriation and deportation to Germany, Austria, and Hungary for their alleged collaborationism with Nazi Germany and Hungary against Czechoslovakia.^[7] The removal of Slovak citizenship of Hungarian and German ethnicities also forced the minorities to leave the city. Also, the population exchanges between Hungary and Slovakia decreesed the number of the Hungarians in the city. The city thereby lost its multicultural character.^[7] Since the 1950s, the Slovaks have been the dominant ethnicity in the town, making up around 90% of the city's population.^[5] By the mid 1970s, it surpassed Brno as the second-largest city of Czechoslovakia, but still only a third of the size of Prague, the capital.^{[citation needed]}

Development of the ethnic composition of Bratislava (within the borders of the city in the current year):
Year	Slovaks	Czechs	Germans	Hungarians	Jews
1850	18%	?	75%	7.5%	?
1880	8%	?	68%	8%	16%
1910	14.92%	?	41.92%	40.53%	?
1919	33%	?	36%	29%	?
1930	33%	23%	25%	16%	3.83%
1940	49%	?	20%	9.53%	8.78%
1961	95.15%	4.61%	0.52%	3.44%	0%
1970	92%	4.6%	0.5%	3.4%	0%
1991	93.39%	2.47%	0.29%	4.6%	0%
2001	91.39%	2%	0.28%	3.84%	0%

The most reliable sources are from the time before 1867 when ethnicity did not play an importan role, in conditions of democratic Czechoslovak sate in 1919-1938 and after 1960 when it again became less important. On ethnic composition of the city in time before 19th century there are no reliable sources. But in a top-class of the city in 18th century this composition could be as follows: 60% Germans, 20% Slovaks, 20% ethnic Hungarians.

Age

According to a 2005 estimate, the average age in the city was 38.7 years, distributed as follows: 51,783 inhabitants of pre-productive age (0–14), 12.1%; 281,403 of productive age (15–59), 65.6%; and 92,273 of post-productive age (55+ for females, 60+ for males), 21.5%.^[1]

Religion

The 2001 census recorded 243,048 Roman Catholics (56.7%), 125,729 Atheists (29.3%), 24,810 Augsburg Confessional Lutherans (6%), 3,163 Greek Catholics (0.7%), 1,918 Reformed Christians, 1,827 Jehovah's Witnesses, 1,616 Eastern Orthodox, 737 Methodist Protestants, 748 Jews, and 613 Baptists.^[1][8]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "Urban Bratislava". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. December 31, 2005. http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/prvav2.jsp?txtUroven=410190&lstObec=582000&Okruh=sodb. Retrieved April 25, 2007. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ ^{a b} "POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS 2001 - Tab. 3a". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2007-07-04. http://web.archive.org/web/20070704035034/http://www.statistics.sk/webdata/english/census2001/tab/tab3a.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-06. 
3. ^ SLOVAKIA: urban population
4. ^ Lacika, "Bratislava", p. 36
5. ^ ^{a b c d e} Peter Salner (2001). "Ethnic polarisation in an ethnically homogeneous town" (PDF). Czech Sociological Review 9 (2): 235–246. http://sreview.soc.cas.cz/upl/archiv/files/171_235SALNE.pdf. 
6. ^ Lacika, "Bratislava", p. 43
7. ^ ^{a b} "History - Post-war Bratislava". City of Bratislava. 2005. http://www.visit.bratislava.sk/en/vismo/dokumenty2.asp?id_org=700014&id=1015&p1=1579. Retrieved May 15, 2007. 
8. ^ "POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS 2001 - Tab. 4a". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2007-07-04. http://web.archive.org/web/20070704035128/http://www.statistics.sk/webdata/english/census2001/tab/tab4a.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-06.