Main challenges to social inclusion

According to the Social Inclusion Report for 2025, high youth unemployment is one of the central challenges, significantly affecting the quality of life, social inclusion, and societal participation of young people. Migration and brain drain are ongoing issues, as young people, discouraged by limited opportunities and a lack of systemic support, continue to leave the country. This trend poses a long-term threat to the economic and social development of BiH. Low birth rate and high mortality rates are worsening the demographic outlook. Legal frameworks on youth exist but lack consistent implementation across the country, weakening youth inclusion. Education is not inclusive, and the educational system lacks alignment with the labour market and does not sufficiently support marginalized youth, including Roma, returnee children, and youth with disabilities.

According to the Report, the employment rate for BiH in 2023 was 41.5%, showing a slight increase compared to the previous year, when it stood at 40.2%. According to data from the Labour Force Survey for 2022, the activity rate was 47.6%, representing a slight decline compared to the previous year, when the rate was 48.2%. A gender gap is evident in the activity rate, as 59.6% of working-age men were active, compared to only 36.1% of women. In 2023, the unemployment rate was 13.2%, marking a decrease of 2.2 percentage points compared to the previous year. At the same time, registered unemployment also recorded a decline. On average, in 2023, 348,918 individuals were registered as unemployed, which is 15,000 fewer than the previous year.

BiH does not use the EU SILC (Survey on Income and Living Conditions) but relies on the Household Budget Survey for tracking social exclusion.

The Labour Force Survey conducted by the BiH Agency for Statistics in 2023 indicated that the unemployment rate for youth aged 15–24 stood at 30.1%, highlighting their disadvantaged position in the labour market. 

In March 2020, because of the pandemic, schools throughout BiH were closed, and institutions in charge of education in BiH launched e-learning. Available data according to UNDP National Human Development Report for 2020 - Social Inclusion in BiH show that 99% of children and young people attending primary, secondary and tertiary education had access to e-learning platforms. Meanwhile, children and young people outside the education system and without adequate access to information and communication technologies and the Internet were deprived of e-learning opportunities. In terms of social exclusion, the Roma are the category of the population most affected by this problem, which has been confirmed by numerous studies. Roma children are disproportionately affected, and they represent at least 6% of children that do not have access to Informative Communication System and the Internet.

According to the UNDP Report, persons with disabilities are the most vulnerable, excluded and marginalized group in BiH. The difficulties and obstacles that this population faces daily vary from the realization of basic living needs to the right to movement, education and work. This is the population that has had the hardest time withstanding the consequences of the pandemic in terms of access to the education system.

Social inclusion of children from vulnerable categories in secondary education is a challenge for BiH. A survey of multiple indicators conducted by UNICEF in 2010 and 2011 (MICS) found that 92% of high school children attend high school in both FBiH and RS. There was an increase in the number of enrollments of children from rural areas in secondary school, but there was a decrease in the number of enrollments in the transition from primary to secondary school. The research cites the following as reasons: Lack of motivation, lack of parental support, the need for work, moving to another country and lack of transportation are among the most important reasons for dropping out of education according to the UNDP National Human Development Report for 2020.

According to the Social Exclusion Index, 49.4% of the population in BiH are socially excluded on some grounds, which means that BiH ranks third of the neighboring countries for which an assessment has been conducted.

Definitions and concepts

At the level of the state, there is no harmonized definition of social inclusion. Social inclusion is closely linked to access to education, employment, health care, and social protection. The chain of inclusion begins with access to education, seen as the foundation for labour market integration and independent living.

The concept of social inclusion is understood in line with EU and Council of Europe definitions: enabling individuals at risk of poverty or exclusion to fully participate in social, economic, and cultural life, enjoying acceptable living standards.

Existing legislation covering the field of social inclusion essentially starts with the definition of the Council of Europe, which covers three key terms:

Council of Europe: Social exclusion is a ‘process whereby certain individuals are pushed to the edge of society and prevented from participating in social relations and developments to the full extent of their capacity, by virtue of their poverty, or lack of basic competencies and lifelong learning opportunities, or as a result of discrimination. Individuals and/or population groups are thus distanced from job, income and education and training opportunities and hindered from joining and participating in social and community networks and activities. Excluded individuals and/or groups have little and inadequate access to institutions, authorities and decision-making processes’ (Council of EU, 2004: 8).

Social inclusion is a process which ensures that those at risk of poverty and social exclusion gain the opportunities and resources necessary to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life and to enjoy a standard of living and well-being that is considered normal in the society in which they live. Social inclusion ensures greater citizen participation in decision-making which affects their lives and access to their fundamental rights’ (Council of EU, 2004: 8).

Poor individuals or families are those whose resources (assets, monetary income and services from public and private sources) are so inadequate as to preclude them from having a minimum acceptable way of life in the Member State in which they live (Council of EU, 1975).