Young people as voters

• The voting age limit for voting in the elections of the country's representative democracy institutions at all levels:

As stated in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Election Law, Article 1.4: (1) Each Bosnia and Herzegovina citizen who has attained eighteen (18) years of age shall have the right to vote and to be elected pursuant to this law. (2) To exercise his or her right to vote, a Bosnia and Herzegovina citizen must be recorded in the Central Voters’ Register, pursuant to the Law.

• If there are imminent plans to lower the voting age limit, or if the age limit has been lowered recently (i.e. after 2000) please elaborate here. 

There have been no recent reforms or pending proposals to lower the voting age limit below 18. 

• Any special provisions for young people in the electoral law and/or rules. 

There are not any special provisions in the law to facilitate voting rights for specific young groups such as youth offenders or those completing military/social service. 

• The turnout of young people in the latest national/federal, regional, local and European Parliament elections and compare it to the overall population turnout:

Voter turnout in local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024 was 48.14%. According to the Institute for Youth Development KULT research on youth voter turnout in Bosnia and Herzegovina local elections in 2024, young people made up 15.84% of the total electorate. Although the number of young candidates in the elections declined from 7,398 in 2020 to 5,580 in 2024, their effectiveness has increased. 

Young people as political representatives

• Young people as members of political parties, including any top-level legislation on party youth wings where available:

Bosnia and Herzegovina have a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which a single party often has not got a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments. Every ethnic community has its own dominant political party, and all major political parties have a youth branch, although there are no specific legal provisions regulating their role.

Young people as candidates in federal/national, regional, local and European elections for securing a position in a representative assembly or in an elected public office position (e.g. mayor, head of regional government, head of state):

The formal right of young people as political representatives in unicameral parliament includes candidacy age of 18. There is no quota of seats reserved for young people, or existing provisions aimed at facilitating young people standing as political candidates. 

To register as a candidate, individuals or parties must collect 3,000 voter signatures for state-level offices (e.g. Presidency, House of Representatives) for national positions and 2,000 or 500 signatures depending on municipality size for sub-national positions. For municipal councils or heads of municipalities in areas with over 10,000 registered voters, 200 signatures are required. In municipalities with 10,000 or fewer voters, 100 signatures suffice.

 Young people as elected representatives (i.e. elected in a representative assembly) 

Youth representation in Bosnia and Herzegovina's representative bodies remains low, with young people (defined as those under 30 years of age) holding a small share of elected positions despite efforts to encourage their participation.

In the 2024 local elections, 340 young candidates won mandates in municipal/city councils and assemblies, representing an improved success rate of 6.09% compared to 5.75% (425 mandates) in 2020, according to research by the Institute for Youth Development KULT. Of these, 17 were alumni of the Institute's "Learn, Think, and Act!" (UMIDp) political leadership training program, highlighting the value of targeted education and support in boosting youth electoral success.

Gender disparities persist among young candidates and winners. Data from the Central Election Commission for the 2024 local elections show more young women on electoral lists (11.75%) than young men (9.63%), a gap of about 2%. However, young men secured approximately 3% more mandates than young women.

Earlier assessments indicate persistent underrepresentation. A 2018 study by the PRONI Center for Youth Development found young people occupying only 27 seats out of 615 in researched representative bodies across levels of government.

While the absolute number of elected youths decreased from 2020 to 2024 due to fewer young candidates overall (from 7,398 to 5,580), their higher win rate suggests growing voter confidence and better preparation among those who run. Initiatives like political training programs play a key role in this positive trend, though systemic barriers continue to limit broader youth involvement in elected office.