From 15 February - 31 March 2021 the population and housing Census for Slovakia is taking place. For the first time, among the possible options to select for their religion, participants may choose Islam. 

The census will be conducted electronically, and under the "religion" item there will be 21 pre-defined religious communities in Slovakia to choose from: 18 registered and three unregistered (Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism). In previous census editions, Muslims had to select the "others" option for their religion as Islam was not listed at all.

Islam is not currently a registered religion in Slovakia, as the total number of believers does not meet with a criterion defined by legislation on religion registration (which stipulates 50 000 active believers for registration eligibility). This legislation has been criticised by many, and considered not only as too strict, but also as discriminatory and constituting an obstacle to the basic right of religious freedom.

Better data on religious communities gathered through this census may help to address policies or measures towards better enhancement of the right of religious freedom in Slovakia. 

Find further information here.