Slovakia’s economy continues to shine at a time when much of Western Europe finds itself in the midst of what appears to be a global recession.

Most economists now predict that the Slovak Republic’s GDP would stand at around €73 billion next year, and this prognosis is far more positive than what anyone would have dared to predict only a few years ago.

Especially encouraging for investors is the fact that the €73 billion GDP figure already takes into consideration to impact of the global recession and as such, even under the worst circumstances, Slovakia is clearly doing very well. In fact, it is all but certain that Slovakia will continue to have East/Central Europe’s healthiest economy.

But Slovakia’s politicians and the country’s National Bank are trying to demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility by providing the international community with realistic, rather than overinflated figures. As such, while Bratislava expected the country’s growth to surpass 6.5 percent next year, officials have now revised these figures and believe that the growth rate will stand closer to 4.9 percent.

The European Union also agrees with this prognosis and sees it as the most realistic.

There are also some signs that politicians in Slovakia might consider reviewing next year’s budget as well, so as to ensure that it better reflects the new economic realities.

Despite these revisions, Slovakia’s growth rate far exceeds that of nearly all Western European countries and a growing number of investors are realizing that this Central European country might just offer one of the safest places to invest their money.