Main trends in young people's participation in education and training

According to the “Voices of Youth” report published by UNICEF in 2024, which included a sample of 2,163 respondents from the general youth population and vulnerable groups (including Roma, youth with disabilities, and LGBTIQ youth), 92% of respondents completed public schooling or university education in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Among Roma youth, 60% reported completing private education, while all other vulnerable groups completed public education. Approximately 3% of all surveyed youth discontinued their education prior to completion. The dropout rate was higher among older youth (11%) and youth with disabilities (7%). The most cited reasons for dropping out included household responsibilities (41%), financial difficulties (39%), and securing permanent employment (38%). Notably, only female respondents reported leaving education due to employment, while no male respondents cited this reason. All youth with disabilities indicated household responsibilities as the reason for discontinuing education, while other vulnerable groups did not specify any reasons. No respondents from rural areas reported having left education. Most of the youth (86%) believe that their education will support their efforts to secure employment in their field of study, although this percentage is significantly lower among Roma youth (52%). The proportion of youth who believe their education will help them find a job in their profession has increased compared to previous survey waves — from 67% in 2011/12 and 2016 to 86% in 2024. The distribution of completed tertiary education remains relatively consistent across the three waves (approximately 30%). However, in 2024, a greater share of young people completed secondary education and fewer completed less than secondary education, whereas in 2011/12 and 2016, fewer completed secondary education and more had only completed primary education.

Eurostat data for 2024 on “Early leavers from education and training by sex and labour status” (ages 18 to 24) show that Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded a rate of 3.8%, which represents a slight decrease compared to 4.2% in 2023.

When it comes to educational attainment in 2024, the same source reports that 30.5% of individuals aged 15 to 29 in BiH have completed tertiary education.

In the “Youth Study 2024: Exploring the Position, Opinions and Attitudes of Young People in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, conducted by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung on a sample of 500 young people aged 14 to 29, 40.7% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of education (18.1% completely dissatisfied, 22.6% mostly dissatisfied). Only 2.8% of respondents stated they were very satisfied. For 42.6% of youth, completing university education was considered very important, and for 20.4% it was most important. At the same time, 14.4% stated that university education was not important at all. 

BiH has participated in the PISA assessment in 2018 when 15-year-old students were tested in reading, mathematics, and science. Between 50% and 60% of students were assessed as having ‘poor performance’ in all three domains.

Findings from the “Youth Study 2024: Exploring the Position, Opinions and Attitudes of Young People in BiH”, conducted by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, indicate low levels of participation in educational programmes abroad. A total of 95.4% of respondents reported that they had never taken part in an educational programme abroad during their higher education, while 96.7% had not done so during their secondary education.

Organisation of the education and training system

The education system, which is in more detail explained in Eurydice report,  in BiH is structured across three main levels:

• Preschool education and care are intended for children from 6 months of age until the start of primary education.
• Primary education is compulsory and lasts for nine years, divided into three cycles (Triad 1: grades 1 to 3; Triad 2: grades 4 to 6; Triad 3: grades 7 to 9). Compulsory education begins in the calendar year in which the child turns six by April 1. Public primary education is free of charge, and the only admission criterion is age. By law, all children must be enrolled in primary school between the ages of 5½ and 6½.
• Secondary education is accessible to all under equal conditions, in accordance with legal provisions and individual abilities. It is not compulsory. General secondary education lasts four years, while vocational secondary education lasts either three or four years. Students typically begin secondary education at the age of 15 and are admitted based on their academic performance in primary school and the results of the final examination.
• Higher education in BiH is structured in three cycles and is not compulsory.
• The first cycle leads to the academic title of Bachelor or equivalent, after a minimum of three and a maximum of four years of full-time study.
• The second cycle leads to the academic title of Master or equivalent and is available after completion of the first cycle. It lasts one to two years and is valued at 60 or 120 ECTS credits, bringing the total to 300 ECTS credits across both cycles.
• The third cycle leads to a doctoral degree or equivalent, lasting three years and valued at 180 ECTS credits. Each semester across all cycles is equivalent to 30 ECTS credits.

Youth and adult education may be formal, non-formal, or informal. Legal provisions regulating the right to continued adult education define this area as an integral part of the overall education system.

On 11 February 2015, the Council of Ministers adopted a Decision on the Adoption of the Action Plan for the Establishment and Implementation of the Qualifications Framework in BiH 2014–2020. The Action Plan includes vision, mission, objectives, work plan, and indicative timeline of key activities for the development and implementation of the Qualifications Framework. It is intended to support institutions and individuals at various administrative levels in accordance with their competencies.

During the most recent meeting of the working group held in December 2024, representatives from ministries across all administrative units and members of the Rectors' Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina agreed on the draft document outlining the Foundations of Qualifications in BiH. They also defined a set of activities grouped into seven work packages to be implemented over the following 18 months, with the aim of further developing and finalizing the national Qualifications Framework and aligning it with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).

In the area of quality assurance in vocational education and training (VET), the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in cooperation with KulturKontakt Austria/OeAD GmbH, developed the document titled “Improving the Quality and Relevance of Vocational Education and Training in BiH – Based on the Riga Conclusions – 2021–2030.” The document was officially adopted by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 28 January 2021.

Main concepts 

On 4 April 2014, the BiH Council of Ministers, upon the proposal of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, adopted the Decision on the Adoption of Principles and Standards in the Field of Adult Education in BiH.

The adopted principles and standards serve as a legal framework for the actions of education authorities and other competent bodies, institutions, organisations, and individuals at all levels of government. They guide the initiation, implementation, and coordination of activities in the field of adult education, in line with the country’s constitutional responsibilities. The document defines lifelong learning as all learning activities undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills, and competences from a personal, civic, social, or employment perspective. Lifelong learning encompasses all stages of life (from early youth to old age) and all forms of learning (formal, non-formal, and informal). Learning is understood as a continuous process, where an individual’s outcomes and motivation at any given stage are influenced by knowledge, habits, and learning experiences acquired earlier in life. The four interconnected goals of lifelong learning are: personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion, and employability.

In Republika Srpska (RS), adult education is regulated by the RS Law on Adult Education and coordinated by the Institute for Adult Education. In FBiH (FBiH), adult education is delivered through training centres and vocational schools, in accordance with the Law on the Principles of Adult Education in FBiH.  All cantons have enacted their own adult education legislation. The Brcko District (BD), as an autonomous administrative unit, adopted the Law on Adult Education in October 2018 through its District Assembly.