Czech Republic: Economic and Political Overview
In this page: Economic Outline | Political Outline | COVID-19 Country Response
For the latest updates on the key economic responses from governments to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, please consult the IMF's policy tracking platform Policy Responses to COVID-19.
Covid-19 weighed on the fundamentals of the Czech economy that had supported growth: domestic demand, tax, revenues and exports. In 2021, the pace of growth was not sufficient to return fully to the pre-pandemic level, which was only achieved by mid-2022. Over the year, the country’s GDP recorded a moderate growth of 1.9% driven by an uptick in investment activity, with the spillover effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and high energy prices hampering growth. Private consumption is expected to contract in 2023, reflecting a decline in households’ purchasing power. Due to weaker foreign demand and the tightening of financial conditions, the IMF forecasts a GDP growth of 1.5% this year, followed by a better performance in 2024 (+3.9%).
The Czech economy had already shown signs of slowing before the outbreak of Covid-19 amid lower growth in Germany and trade uncertainties, as its industry-based economy, which relies on imports, was strongly affected by supply chain disruptions and high energy prices. In 2022, government revenues increased due to high inflation; however, expenditures were also on the rise owing to the automatic indexation of pensions with inflation and the support packages to mitigate the impact of energy prices (with total net costs estimated at 1% of GDP by the EU Commission), hence the total government budget deficit was estimated at 4.3% of GDP by the IMF. The budget deficit is forecast to decrease to 3.4% of GDP in 2023 and 2.9% in 2024 as revenues will be boosted by a windfall tax on the largest energy companies and banks as well as a levy on revenues above a certain price ceiling for electricity producers. The public debt-to-GDP ratio is still low compared to other EU Member States: it was estimated at 41.5% in 2022 and should remain stable over the forecast horizon. For 2022 as a whole, headline inflation was estimated at 16.3%, reflecting the higher cost of domestic production and imports. The IMF expects the cap on retail gas prices to mitigate inflation in 2023 (8.6%) before it returns to levels closer to the Central Bank’s target in 2024 (2.5%).
Czechia has a tight labour market and a low share of temporary contracts, with one of the lowest ratios of unemployment in Europe, at 2.5% in 2022 (from 2.8% one year earlier). Market conditions may get tighter as Ukrainian refugees join the labour market, but the unemployment rate is expected to remain low this year and the next (2.3% - IMF). The IMF estimated the country’s GDP per capita (PPP) at USD 48,919 in 2022, slightly below the EU average, although nominal wage growth lagged behind inflation last year, reducing real disposable income.
| Main Indicators | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (billions USD) | 245.98 | 281.78 | 295.62 | 314.72 | 337.76 |
| GDP (Constant Prices, Annual % Change) | -5.5 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 3.9 |
| GDP per Capita (USD) | 23,001 | 26,849 | 28,095 | 29,856 | 32,011 |
| General Government Balance (in % of GDP) | -5.5 | -6.3 | -4.3 | -3.4 | -2.9 |
| General Government Gross Debt (in % of GDP) | 37.6 | 42.0 | 41.5 | 41.2 | 41.4 |
| Inflation Rate (%) | 3.2 | 3.8 | 16.3 | 8.6 | 2.5 |
| Unemployment Rate (% of the Labour Force) | 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Current Account (billions USD) | 4.90 | -2.62 | -12.70 | -6.92 | -3.26 |
| Current Account (in % of GDP) | 2.0 | -0.9 | -4.3 | -2.2 | -1.0 |
Source: IMF – World Economic Outlook Database, Latest available data
The agricultural sector went through a serious crisis in the 1990s and remains highly subsidised. Nowadays, it accounts for 1.8% of the country's GDP and employed 3% of the labour force (World Bank, latest data available). The country has an agricultural area of 3.5 million ha and a forest area of 2.65 million ha (FAO). The main agricultural products are sugar beet, potatoes, wheat, barley and poultry. Organic farming in the country is characterized mainly by the extensive breeding of cattle, goats and sheep in less favourable agricultural areas. In 2022, the EU Commission approved a EUR 20.2 million scheme to support Czech agricultural producers in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which consists mainly of a reduction of the principal of operating loans granted to primary agricultural producers. According to the latest figures from the Czech Statistical Office, cereals production increased by 26.8% year-on-year in 2022 reaching CZK 58.1 billion, while the net value output rose by 5.6%.
Industry accounts for 30.3% of GDP and employs 37% of the labour force. Growth in performance has been accompanied by an increase in the productivity of the labour force. The automotive sector is by far the largest industry, with companies like Skoda (owned by Volkswagen). Since 2005, foreign investors such as Toyota and PSA have also started producing cars in the Czech Republic. The Czech automotive industry now employs more than 150,000 people and accounts for more than 20% of both Czech manufacturing output and Czech exports. The Czech electronics and electrical engineering sector accounts for more than 14% of total manufacturing output, which makes it the second-largest sector in the economy (over 17,000 companies employ more than 180,000 workers in the sector). Overall, the manufacturing industry contributes 21% of GDP.
Services account for 58.8% of GDP and employ nearly 60% of the active population. The tourism sector recorded a pace of sustained growth in recent years, which was partially hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the sector started its recovery in 2022: according to data from the Czech Statistical Office, the country hosted 2.8 million visitors in the first quarter of the year, a sharp rise compared with the mere 280,000 visitors recorded in all of the previous year. In 2021, there were 46 licensed banks operating in the Czech Republic: four large banks, five medium-sized banks, nine small banks, 23 branches of foreign banks and five building societies. 37 entities were controlled by foreign owners, of which 12 were banks and 25 were branches. At the end of the year, the total value of the banking sector's assets increased by about 7%, to EUR 340 billion, representing about 141% of the country’s GDP.
| Breakdown of Economic Activity By Sector | Agriculture | Industry | Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment By Sector (in % of Total Employment) | 2.7 | 37.3 | 60.1 |
| Value Added (in % of GDP) | 1.8 | 30.3 | 58.8 |
| Value Added (Annual % Change) | -14.8 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
Source: World Bank, Latest available data.
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The Economic freedom index measure ten components of economic freedom, grouped into four broad categories or pillars of economic freedom: Rule of Law (property rights, freedom from corruption); Limited Government (fiscal freedom, government spending); Regulatory Efficiency (business freedom, labour freedom, monetary freedom); and Open Markets (trade freedom, investment freedom, financial freedom). Each of the freedoms within these four broad categories is individually scored on a scale of 0 to 100. A country’s overall economic freedom score is a simple average of its scores on the 10 individual freedoms.
Economic freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Index of Economic Freedom, Heritage Foundation
The business rankings model measures the quality or attractiveness of the business environment in the 82 countries covered by The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Country Forecast reports. It examines ten separate criteria or categories, covering the political environment, the macroeconomic environment, market opportunities, policy towards free enterprise and competition, policy towards foreign investment, foreign trade and exchange controls, taxes, financing, the labour market and infrastructure.
Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit - Business Environment Rankings 2020-2024
See the country risk analysis provided by Coface.
Parties need to secure 5% of the vote in order to obtain parliamentary representation. The country's main political parties are:
The world rankings, published annually, measures violations of press freedom worldwide. It reflects the degree of freedom enjoyed by journalists, the media and digital citizens of each country and the means used by states to respect and uphold this freedom. Finally, a note and a position are assigned to each country. To compile this index, Reporters Without Borders (RWB) prepared a questionnaire incorporating the main criteria (44 in total) to assess the situation of press freedom in a given country. This questionnaire was sent to partner organisations,150 RWB correspondents, journalists, researchers, jurists and human rights activists. It includes every kind of direct attacks against journalists and digital citizens (murders, imprisonment, assault, threats, etc.) or against the media (censorship, confiscation, searches and harassment etc.).
The Indicator of Political Freedom provides an annual evaluation of the state of freedom in a country as experienced by individuals. The survey measures freedom according to two broad categories: political rights and civil liberties. The ratings process is based on a checklist of 10 political rights questions (on Electoral Process, Political Pluralism and Participation, Functioning of Government) and 15 civil liberties questions (on Freedom of Expression, Belief, Associational and Organizational Rights, Rule of Law, Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights). Scores are awarded to each of these questions on a scale of 0 to 4, where a score of 0 represents the smallest degree and 4 the greatest degree of rights or liberties present. The total score awarded to the political rights and civil liberties checklist determines the political rights and civil liberties rating. Each rating of 1 through 7, with 1 representing the highest and 7 the lowest level of freedom, corresponds to a range of total scores.
Political freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Freedom in the World Report, Freedom House
To find out about the latest status of the COVID-19 pandemic evolution and the most up-to-date statistics on the COVID-19 disease in Czech Republic, please visit the dedicated portal of the Czech Ministry of Health (in Czech).
For the international outlook you can consult the latest situation reports published by the World Health Organisation as well as the global daily statistics on the coronavirus pandemic evolution including data on confirmed cases and deaths by country.
Latest information on the public health situation, relevant advice and COVID-19 safety measures are available on the portal of the Czech Ministry of Health dedicated to COVID-19. Furthermore, the Ministry of Interior provides an overview of the measures adopted against the epidemic.
The COVID-19 situation, including the spread of new variants, evolves rapidly and differs from country to country. All travelers need to pay close attention to the conditions at their destination before traveling. Regularly updated information for all countries with regards to Covid-19 related travel restrictions in place including entry regulations, flight bans, test requirements and quarantine is available on TravelDoc Infopage.
It is also highly recommended to consult COVID-19 Travel Regulations Map provided and updated on the daily basis by IATA.
The US government website of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention provides COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Destination.
The UK Foreign travel advice also provides travelling abroad advice for all countries, including the latest information on coronavirus, safety and security, entry requirements and travel warnings.
For the information on all the measures applicable to movement of goods during the period of sanitary emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak (including eventual restrictions on imports and exports, if applicable), please consult the official portal BusinessInfo.cz (both in Czech) and the website of the Czech Customs Administration. Further details are available on the "Customs measures" section of KPMG's website.
The “Guidelines for border management measures to protect health and ensure the availability of goods and essential services” issued by the European Commission can be consulted here.
For a general overview of trade restrictions due to COVID-19 pandemic, please consult the section dedicated to Czech Republic on the International Trade Centre's COVID-19 Temporary Trade Measures webpage.
For information on the economic recovery scheme put in place by the government of Czech Republic to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic refer to the handbook summary in English here and to the website of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. An overview of the measures in English is available on KPMG's website.
The information on the EU’s economic response to COVID-19 and the actions to minimise the fallout on the EU member states’ economies of the COVID-19 outbreak is available on the websites of the European Commission and the European Council.
For the general overview of the key economic policy responses to the COVID-19 outbreak (fiscal, monetary and macroeconomic) taken by the Czech government to limit the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, please consult the section dedicated to Czech Republic in the IMF’s Policy Tracker platform.
For the information on the local business support scheme established by the Czech government to help businesses to deal with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic on their activity, please consult the website of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the official governmental portal BusinessInfo.cz (in Czech). Further information can be found on the website of the Czech Chamber of Commerce (in Czech).
For a general overview of international SME support policy responses to the COVID-19 outbreak refer to the OECD's SME Covid-19 Policy Responses document.
You can also consult the World Bank's Map of SME-Support Measures in Response to COVID-19.
To find out about the support plan for exporters put in place by the Czech government, including exemption from customs duties and VAT on imports of goods related to COVID, please visit the website of the Czech Customs Administration (in Czech). Further information can be consulted on the official portal BusinessInfo.cz (both in Czech).
The European Commission adopted a Temporary Framework for State aid measures to support the economy in the COVID-19 outbreak, which enables short-term export credit insurance to be provided by the State where needed.
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