Housing

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are no top-level public housing schemes specifically targeting young people. However, housing access for vulnerable populations, including youth, is partially addressed through internationally funded programs.

• Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees - Bosnia and Herzegovina Project within the Regional Housing Program

As part of efforts to find lasting and sustainable solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons in the country and the region, Bosnia and Herzegovina has established close cooperation with the governments of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro.

Given the large number of displaced people in the region who remained because of the armed conflicts of the 1990s and with a view to resolving the refugee population throughout the region, Bosnia and Herzegovina is fully committed to the successful implementation of the Joint Program. A lasting solution for refugees and displaced people should contribute to a crucial act of deepening good unneighborly relations and stability in the region.

• The Regional Housing Program (RHP), co-funded by the European Union and coordinated by the CEB, UNHCR, and OSCE, provided over 2,700 durable housing units in Bosnia and Herzegovina for internally displaced persons, many of whom were youth from post-war communities. While not youth-specific, this program contributed significantly to housing stability for vulnerable groups.
• The Brčko District Government has adopted the Proposal of the Decision on the adoption of the Program of subsidizing part of the interest for the purchase of the first real estate for solving the housing problem on the Brčko District territory. The right to use the interest subsidy may be exercised by natural persons who have a residence in Brčko District territory and who used the loan to purchase the first real estate to solve the housing problem in the Brčko District territory.

The Ministry of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Physical Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection of Sarajevo Canton announces - Public call to subsidize youth housing

• The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Government approved BAM 15 million from the Budget for a favorable credit housing line intended for young people. The funds will be used to provide a credit line for young people to address housing issues and have been granted to Union Bank on a credit basis with a maturity period of 25 years and a fixed interest rate of 0.1 percent annually.

Pursuant to Article 54, paragraph 1 of the Law on Youth Organization (Republika Srpska Official Gazette, No. 98/04, 119/08 and 1/12), Article 82, paragraph 2 of the Law on Republic Administration (Republika Srpska Official Gazette, No. 118/08, 11/09, 74/10, 86/10 and 24/12), and in accordance with the Republika Srpska Youth Policy 2010 - 2015 (Republika Srpska Official Gazette, No. 105/09), the Republika Srpska Minister of Family, Youth and Sports adopted:

• Rulebook on Subsidizing Interest Rates on Housing Loans for Young People and Young Married Couples (Republika Srpska)

This rulebook, issued by the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports of Republika Srpska, sets out the criteria and procedures for allocating budget funds to subsidize interest rates on housing loans. The subsidies are targeted at young people (typically under 35 at the time of taking the loan) and young married couples who have obtained housing loans from commercial banks (via credit lines of the Investment-Development Bank of Republika Srpska) or directly from the bank.

The program aims to make home ownership more affordable for young residents of Republika Srpska by covering part of the interest costs, encouraging family formation, higher birth rates, and retaining young people in the entity. It has been in operation since 2008, with annual public calls for applications.

• The UNHCR Housing Support program also supported the reconstruction of residential units for returnees and displaced youth, although funding has shifted to the Regional Housing Program in recent years.

Currently, there is no nationwide housing scheme designed specifically for young people at risk of exclusion, nor a system of youth foyers, supported housing, or affordable rental access tied to youth employment or education programs.

Social services

Access to social services for young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina is primarily governed at the entity and local levels, with various strategies targeting socially excluded groups.

Public Institution Centre for Social Work Sarajevo - The professional goal of every employee of the Centre is to achieve the best possible quality of work, quality and successful provision of services and protection to its users and thus address social needs. Providing forms and services of family law and social protection, regulating many material benefits, the Centre also provides many intangible services. In the field of intangible services, the procedures were very complex and presupposed specialized services of social, psychological, pedagogical and legal work. During its professional work and provision of services, assistance and protection to its users, the Centre uses a multidisciplinary and multimethod approach that includes individual work, group social work and work with the family, and if necessary, psychotherapeutic work.

UNICEF - Social protection

The main challenges for social services are decentralization, accountability, standards and funding. Despite the relatively high expenditures of the PDP on social protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina, funding is not well targeted, and there is scope for improving efficiency in child protection and poverty prevention and alleviation programs. In addition, the potential for cash transfers cannot be realized due to limited coverage of the poor. Also, transfer values are too low to make a real difference in the lives of users.

Social Inclusion Strategy of Brčko District 2021-2027

The rights and obligations of young people, youth organization, youth care, institutional participation of young people in decision-making and other issues of interest to the life, position and activities of young people in Brčko District are regulated by the 2017 Youth Law. This is especially important bearing in mind that the Law regulates the promotion of individual and social development of young people and the prevention of their possible neglect; implementing policies that address negative trends for young people; maintaining and creating positive living conditions for young people, as well as an environment that is pleasant for young people; and protecting young people from the dangers of their age to which they may be exposed. The Law envisions the adoption of the Brčko District Youth Policy, which is still being drafted. However, on the other hand, the Brčko District Youth Council was established, which conducted two types of research on issues and needs of young people in Brčko District. The first research is conducted for the needs of the organization of the Conference within the Brčko District Youth Meeting 2019, i.e., the development of the Action Plan (not adopted) and the second for the development of the Brčko District Youth Policy 2021-2025 (under development). During the sampling, the criteria of certain demographic characteristics important for comparing the results were respected, so that the sample consists of approximately equal number of women and men and an adequate number of young people living in urban and suburban areas of Brčko District Bosnia and Herzegovina. The total number of 386 young people under the age of 30 was sampled.

Republika Srpska Social Inclusion Strategy 2021-2027

Protection of children and youth

Children and youth are the most important resource for the Republika Srpska development. Faced with a continuous decline in their share in the total population, Republika Srpska is taking a number of measures at the Republic and local levels aimed at stopping these processes and redirecting them towards positive outcomes. In the past ten years, the Republika Srpska government has adopted several policies concerning the issues and position of children, youth and families with children. The following policies were adopted: Family Policy, Policy and Program for Improving Early Growth and Development of Children, Youth Health Policy and Policy for Improving the Social Position of Persons with Disabilities, Development of Education Policy, Policy for the Promotion of Sexual and Reproductive Health, Policy for Combating Domestic Violence, Policy for Improving Social Protection of Children without Parental Care, Youth Policy, etc. Also, several laws and bylaws were adopted, which institutionally regulate certain areas, creating a realistic basis for initiating a comprehensive population renewal in Republika Srpska. Despite the policies adopted and measures implemented, the social position of these groups is still fraught with social issues. Situational analysis developed during the preparation of the policies speak of a worrying process of intensification of social issues/risks faced by children, youth and families with children in Republika Srpska.

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Social Inclusion Strategy 2021-2027

Young people are valuable social capital, resources, representatives of the desirable future, bearers of dominant social values that are passed down from generation to generation, and it is necessary to ensure conditions for their optimal social development.

Due to population ageing and emigration, the share of young people (typically defined as aged 15–29 or 15–30) in Bosnia and Herzegovina has declined significantly since the 2013 Census. Recent estimates (2024–2025) indicate that young people comprise around 18–20% of the total population nationally, with similar trends in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina). The 2013 Census reported 21.5% in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (22.5% of males and 20.6% of females), but no new census has been conducted.

The basic role of youth policy is the social integration of young people in taking on social roles, while creating freedom of preferences, choosing creative approaches, and strengthening their active role. The World Program of Action for Youth (WPAY), endorsed by the UN General Assembly in 1995 and updated in 2007, provides a framework and guidelines for improving the situation of young people.

At the Bosnia and Herzegovina level, there is no law regulating general youth issues or an 'umbrella' youth body, nor is there a policy written and adopted dealing with youth issues at the state level. A significant step was taken in 2004 when the Commission for Coordination of Youth Issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina was established as a permanent body of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers. The Commission operates within the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs and is responsible for coordinating the activities of all actors relevant to the promotion and protection of the role and position of Bosnia and Herzegovina youth. The focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina youth is also highlighted by the Action Plan for the Implementation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's EU Accession Priorities, which envisages the measure 'Urgently implement active employment measures to address high unemployment, especially youth unemployment, and provide effective support to job seekers.'

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the Youth Law in 2010, which regulates issues that are important for the status, existence, and activities of young people, and tries to institutionalize care for young people and to address youth issues in an organized and systematic manner. No major amendments to this law have been reported as of 2025. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Culture and Sports is responsible for youth issues, within which a Youth Department operates.

At the end of 2015, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Council was established as a free, voluntary, non-partisan, non-governmental, and non-profit youth organization. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Council has the right and obligation to legitimately represent the interests of the cantonal youth councils, which established it, at all levels of government. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth Council is established within the Youth Council. Although the Youth Law provided for the mandatory development and adoption of youth policies for all levels of government, no youth policy has been developed in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Government has started the process of drafting the Youth Policy in 2013. The initiative to start the process of drafting and adopting the Youth Policy 2021-2025 regained the support of the House of Representatives of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliament at the end of 2019. However, the issue of drafting the Youth Policy itself has remained unresolved.

As of January 2026, this remains the case. A proposal for the Youth Strategy of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2025–2034 was approved by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Government on February 13, 2025, and submitted to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliament on February 17, 2025. However, the proposal was subsequently withdrawn, and no final adoption has occurred. Ongoing debates and reforms continue to highlight the need for a dedicated youth policy, but structural and political challenges have delayed progress. Several cantons have adopted their own youth strategies, but there is no entity-wide policy in place. In 2023, the Republika Srpska Government adopted the Republika Srpska Youth Policy 2023 - 2027. The Policy defined four strategic goals with a total of 15 priorities and 44 measures, and three strategic projects. Funds in the total amount of 266,389,000 KM have been planned for the implementation of the Policy. 

Based on the defined strategic focuses and the proposed development vision, the following strategic objectives have been established:

• Improve opportunities and the interest of young people for a better life (sustainable stay and return) in Republika Srpska
• Encourage the initiative and responsible action of young people in the community
• Promote the development of healthy lifestyles among young people and responsible attitudes towards the environment
• Promote excellence and role model creation among young people.

In addition to public institutions, non-governmental actors like SOS Children’s Villages Bosnia and Herzegovina offer wraparound services for youth leaving institutional care, focusing on housing, employment, and psychosocial support.

Despite some efforts, the 2020 National Human Development Report on Social Inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina found that 57% of municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina either lacked social services or had services of insufficient quality.

Health care

While there is no comprehensive national policy dedicated to youth-friendly health care in Bosnia and Herzegovina, several interventions and initiatives have incorporated elements aimed at improving access and quality for young people (typically aged 15–24 or broader youth categories). These focus primarily on primary health care, mental health support, reproductive health, and preventive services, often driven by international donors, NGOs, and pilot projects rather than systemic national programs.

Key aspects relevant to young people include:

• Mental Health Priorities: Youth mental health has been identified as a critical issue in multiple studies and reports. Challenges include stigma, post-war transgenerational trauma, increasing anxiety/depression (exacerbated by COVID-19), substance abuse, and suicidal ideation among students and adolescents. Initiatives include pilot youth-sensitive care models in community mental health centers, supported by NGOs (e.g., BHIDAPA association for child and adolescent psychotherapy), UNICEF-backed programs, and international projects like the Swiss-funded Mental Health Project. There are 74 community-based mental health centers across Bosnia and Herzegovina, but specialized youth programs remain limited and not formalized nationally.
• Counselling and Helplines: Notable services include the Blue Phone, a free, anonymous counselling line run by the NGO “New Generation” with UNICEF support. It provides psychological help for children and youth on issues like mental health, violence, abuse, and family problems. Calls related to mental health have risen steadily. Some primary health care centers have piloted dedicated youth counselling corners or services, but these are localized and not scaled nationwide.
• Primary Care and Youth-Friendly Approaches: Efforts to make family medicine more accessible to youth include training programs for doctors and nurses on youth-friendly principles (e.g., confidentiality, non-judgmental care, addressing psychosocial issues like substance use, sexual health, and injuries). Barriers for youth often involve stigma, lack of privacy, or services not tailored to their needs (e.g., reproductive health, STI prevention, unhealthy lifestyles).
• Reproductive and Lifestyle Health: Programs like the Young Men Initiative (by CARE International) promote healthier lifestyles, gender equality, and violence prevention among youth. Historical post-war projects included reproductive health training and youth involvement in discussions.

Overall, services for young people are fragmented, relying heavily on donor funding (e.g., Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, UNICEF, EU), NGOs, and academic collaborations. There is progress in community-based approaches, but gaps persist in institutionalization, coverage equity across entities/cantons, and comprehensive national scaling.

Specification on Family Medicine Projects

The referenced Family Medicine Projects primarily refer to post-war health system reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina, supported by international partners, aimed at rebuilding and strengthening primary health care through the introduction of family medicine as the foundation.

Specific details:

• These reforms began in the late 1990s/early 2000s, with key support from organizations like the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (via Family Foundations, collaborating with Geneva University Hospitals), Queen's University (Canada), and others (e.g., World Bank, WHO).
• A major focus was training family medicine teams, reorganizing primary care centers, and integrating community-level services.

The health care system in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the state and directions of possible reforms

According to the constitutional solutions, the field of health is in the competence of the entities (Republika Srpska), divided competence of the entities and cantons (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and in the competence of Brčko District. Thus, three health care laws and three health insurance laws are currently in force in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The provisions of these regulations are largely harmonized, although there are parts that differ significantly. In Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is currently the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Health and ten cantonal ministries of health, as well as the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Health Insurance and Reinsurance Institute and 10 cantonal health insurance institutes. Republika Srpska has the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Health Insurance Fund, and in Brčko District there is the Department of Health and Other Services within the Brčko District Government, and the Brčko District Health Insurance Fund. At the entity level, health accreditation agencies have been established, namely the Agency for Quality and Accreditation in Health in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Agency for Certification, Accreditation and Improving the Quality of Health Care in Republika Srpska. Among the institutions at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is important to single out only the Department of Health at the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs. When it comes to regulations, the most important regulation applied throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina is the Bosnia and Herzegovina Law on Medicines and Medical Devices.

Although health care in Bosnia and Herzegovina is formally based on the principles of solidarity, comprehensiveness, continuity, efficiency, accessibility and comprehensive access, it is evident that the possibility of access to health care services, as well as their quality are not the same across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Health care activities are performed at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of health care. A special form of protection of the health of the population is realized through the organization of public health. The tasks between primary, secondary and tertiary health care are divided depending on the tasks, complexity of medical procedures, specialties of health care workers and health care professionals, equipment, and specifics of certain areas within the country, and are more specifically regulated by entity and Brčko District laws. These laws, as well as bylaws in the entities, Brčko District and the cantons in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, generally define all the health care rights that citizens may exercise. However, the exercise of these rights alone is significantly hampered by those living outside large medical centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla, Mostar).¸

 Namely, in some cantons in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in some regions in Republika Srpska, and in Brčko District, health institutions do not have the logistical or personnel conditions to provide the inhabitants of those areas with an appropriate level of health care. Therefore, the inhabitants of these areas are forced to use health services in very remote centers. This, in turn, is often related to the complicated administrative procedure regulated by the Agreement on the method and procedure of using health care services by insured persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina, outside the Entity or Brčko District where the insured persons reside, and the Agreement on the method and procedure of using health care outside the area of ​​the cantonal health insurance institutes where the insured persons reside. This procedure implies obtaining the special consent of the competent medical commission at the health insurance institution where the insured person resides for treatment in the territory of another entity, i.e. canton. Also, the issue of personal participation in health care costs is regulated in different ways by entity, cantonal, or bylaws at the level of Brčko District. In some cantons in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, insured individuals have the option to avoid paying personal contributions by paying an annual premium to the competent health insurance institution, while in other parts of the country such a possibility does not exist.

Department of Health - Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs

The Department for Health of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs consists of Statistical Analytical Affairs and Reporting and European Integration and International Cooperation Units.

According to Article 15 of the Law on Ministries and Other Administrative Bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina ("Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina" No. 5/03, 42/03, 26/04, 42/04, 45/06 and 88/07, 35/09, 103 / 09, 87/12, 6/13 and 19/16) The Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs is responsible, in the field of health, for carrying out tasks and discharging duties which are within the competence of Bosnia and Herzegovina and relate to defining basic principles, coordinating activities and harmonizing plans of the Entity authorities and defining a strategy  at the international level.

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Public Health Institute

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Public Health Institute (PHI) is a health institution for performing public health activities in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This institution also proposes the Law on Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases. Children are exempt from paying co-payments for treatment abroad in institutions with which the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Health Insurance and Reinsurance Institute has a contract.

Department of Health and Other Services of Brčko District Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Department for Health and Other Services of the Brčko District Bosnia and Herzegovina performs professional, administrative and other duties within the competence of the Government related to the implementation of laws and regulations of competent institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brčko District in the field of health and other services under the supervision and instructions of the mayor.

The jurisdiction of this department in accordance with the law and regulations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Assembly or by order of the head are:

protecting the health of the population and the functioning of health institutions in Brčko District; social assistance and social protection of citizens, especially the elderly, mentally and physically disabled, as well as marriage, family and children, planning of actions in case of endangering the health of citizens, as well as public health enterprises and other affairs.

Republika Srpska Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

The analysis of the exercise of the right to health care for children in Republika Srpska is based on information obtained from the Republika Srpska Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and includes information on equality of treatment rights at the Republika Srpska entity level. Providing psychosocial support to children in Republika Srpska: According to the Republika Srpska Law on Ministries, the Republika Srpska Ministry of Health and Social Welfare performs administrative and other professional tasks related to preserving and improving the health care of citizens and monitoring the health care status and health care needs of the population; health care system; organization of health care in all conditions; professional training and specialization of health care workers; health care inspection; organization of supervision over the professional work of health care institutions; health care insurance and health care insurance from public revenues; production and trade of medicines, poisons and narcotics, medical equipment and medical devices; health safety of water, foodstuffs and items of general use; sanitary inspection, social protection system; social care for family and children; activity of social organizations and associations of citizens in the social-humanitarian field; providing information through the media and other forms of information about its work; performs other tasks in accordance with the Law and other regulations of Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Financial services

Efforts to reduce financial exclusion among youth have primarily come through microfinance initiatives and employability support programs.

The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has approved 20 million BAM from the Budget for a favorable housing credit line intended for young people

The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the proposal of the Federal Ministry of Finance, has adopted a Decision on approving a loan to Union Banka Ltd. Sarajevo under subordinated terms from the funds established by the Budget of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2025, in the amount of 20,000,000 KM.

These funds will be used to place a credit line intended for young people to solve housing issues, which will significantly contribute to the continuation of solving the existential issues of the population, which affects the retention of young and educated people in the country. It will also contribute to maintaining a socially responsible approach to lending and supporting the recovery of the economy (housing) from negative economic consequences, as well as increasing overall credit activity in the market through more active participation of the Bank.

In 2024, a loan portfolio for individuals was formed, and its results are 233 approved loan applications for a total amount of 41,005,188.70 KM, and an average loan amount of 175,039 KM. The average age of loan beneficiaries is 30.8 years, and loan beneficiaries come from more than 28 cities and towns in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The target group is offered the most competitive conditions on the market, a nominal interest rate of 2.99 percent, fixed until the end of the loan repayment, with the possibility of an additional reduction in the interest rate upon the birth of children, which is a unique offer on the market. Additionally, the Youth Employability and Retention Program (YERP), coordinated by UNDP and financed through the Spanish MDG Achievement Fund, supported financial inclusion and entrepreneurship through training, internships, and seed funding for young people at risk of marginalisation2010 – 2012).

Quality assurance

Bosnia and Herzegovina currently lacks a unified or centralized system for quality assurance (QA) of youth inclusive services. Evaluation and quality control practices are fragmented and mostly driven by international organizations or local NGOs.

NGOs such as the PRONI Center for Youth Development implement internal quality assurance through contractual obligations and partnership frameworks with local authorities, but these remain isolated practices. In this case, internal quality assurance is closely related to youth work (Chapter 10.4: Quality and innovation in youth work).

Most publicly funded programs rely on donor-led monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) mechanisms, such as surveys and progress reports. The 2020 National Human Development Report on Social Inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina report noted a lack of institutionalized tracking of service beneficiaries or public reporting on outcomes (UNDP NHDR).

There are currently no national indicators or minimum standards applied across housing, health, social, or financial services, nor penalties for underperformance.