Youth Policy in Austria

Youth policy-making falls under the responsibility of the national government. At the federal level, the Department for Family and Youth at the Federal Chancellery (Bundeskanzleramt, Sektion für Familie und Jugend) is primarily responsible for youth policy, with particular emphasis on the upbringing of young people outside the school sector. Since December 2021, the youth policy agendas have been the responsibility of the newly created State Secretariat for Youth (Staatssekräterin für Jugend), which is located in the Federal Chancellery.

Youth promotion and youth work outside the school sector is primarily the responsibility of the federal states. The Provincial Youth Departments (Landesjugendreferate) located in the provincial governments have the task of implementing the youth policy measures of the province in youth work outside the school sector.

Additionally, it has to be mentioned that Austria is strongly depending on private associations and NGOs, that have not been initiated by the state, but are at least partially funded by the federal government or the federal states governments.

The Austrian Federal Ministries Act (Bundesministeriengesetz) determines what ministry is responsible for youth-related issues. Even though a former ministry might be mentioned in youth-related laws, issued in previous legislative periods, the institution determined in the recent Austrian Federal Ministries Act is actually responsible.

Youth related Data

As of early 2021, the percentage of adolescents in the total population amounts to 17,2%, the largest fraction of which corresponding to 25 - 29 year olds. 

Similar to the data from the years before, the percentage of males within the youth population is slightly higher than the female percentage.

In absolute numbers, 1,537,444 young people aged 15-29 lived in Austria in 2021. The ratio of young immigrants in all immigrants from non-EU countries amounts to 14,1% (data from 2020).