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1. Existence of a National Strategy on social inclusion

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority

4. Revisions/ Updates

Existence of a National Strategy on social inclusion

Although there is no standalone strategy exclusively dedicated to youth social inclusion, this issue is integrated into broader strategic documents on youth policy and social inclusion.

Youth social inclusion is addressed by the National Strategy for Poverty Reduction and Promotion of Social Inclusion 2030 (Национална стратегия за намаляване на бедността и насърчаване на социалното включване 2030), adopted by Decision of the Council of Ministers in 2020. This strategic document provides the overarching framework for anti-poverty and social inclusion policies, including measures targeting children and young people from vulnerable groups. Ministry of Labour and Social Policy (Министерство на труда и социалната политика) (last accessed 19/02/2026)

Another strategic document addressing some youth-social-inclusion-related issues is the National Youth Strategy 2021-2030 (Национална стратегия за младежта 2021-2030). See more in Chapter 1.3 National Youth Strategy. This strategy sets out the long-term objectives of the state youth policy, including specific priority area related to social inclusion, reduction of inequalities, support for young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) and the inclusion of young people from vulnerable groups. National Youth Information System (Национална информационна система за младежта) (last accessed 19/02/2026)

As at February, 2026, there is no separate draft of national strategy exclusively dedicated to youth social inclusion under discussion. Policy developments in this field are typically incorporated into updates of the National Youth Strategy, sectoral strategies (e.g. education, employment, Roma inclusion) or annual action plans.

Scope and contents

The National Strategy for Poverty Reduction and Promotion of Social Inclusion 2030 (Национална стратегия за намаляване на бедността и насърчаване на социалното включване 2030) establishes a comprehensive and integrated policy framework aimed at reducing poverty and strengthening social inclusion across all population groups. Youth is addressed as a priority group, with particular focus on those facing multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities. It outlines the vision, objectives, and measures aimed at reducing poverty and enhancing social inclusion in Bulgaria by 2030. Specifically, Bulgaria has set a national target to reduce the number of individuals at risk of poverty or social exclusion by 787,000 people by 2030, with a sub-target focusing on reducing child poverty by 196,750 individuals. 

It Through targeted interventions, cross-sectoral coordination, and alignment with EU policy frameworks, the Strategy seeks to break cycles of disadvantage and promote long-term social cohesion and inclusive growth by 2030.

The main elements of the strategy include:

• multidimensional approach to poverty reduction (income poverty, material deprivation, and low work intensity).
• strengthening access to quality employment and promoting inclusive labour markets.
• improving access to affordable and quality social services, healthcare, and education.
• developing targeted measures for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.
• enhancing coordination between national, regional, and local authorities.
• promoting evidence-based policymaking through monitoring, evaluation, and data collection mechanisms.

The Strategy sets the following key political objectives:

• reduction of the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by 2030, contributing to the EU headline target.
• increasing employment rates, particularly among disadvantaged and inactive population groups.
• ensuring equal access to quality education and lifelong learning, including early childhood education and care.
• strengthening social protection systems, ensuring adequacy and coverage of social benefits.
• improving access to affordable housing and preventing homelessness.
• reducing child poverty and intergenerational transmission of poverty.
• promoting active inclusion, combining adequate income support, inclusive labour markets and access to services.

Youth is identified as a priority cross-cutting group due to the long-term consequences of early social exclusion. The strategy aligns with the EU Work Plan for Youth and integrates targeted measures for vulnerable young people. The strategy identifies several at-risk youth groups within the youth population requiring tailored interventions:

1. Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)

• Development of outreach and activation measures.
• Strengthening vocational education and training (VET).
• Individualized employment counselling and skills development.
• Support for school-to-work transition.
• Expansion of Youth Guarantee-type measures.

2. Young people with migrant or ethnic minority background, including newly arrived young refugees

• Language training and integration programmes.
• Recognition of qualifications and validation of skills.
• Access to inclusive education and intercultural mediation.
• Anti-discrimination measures.
• Targeted labour market integration initiatives.

3. Young people at risk of marginalization or violent radicalization

• Preventive community-based youth work.
• Early warning and mentoring programmes.
• Access to education, employment, and psychosocial support.
• Strengthening civic engagement and participation opportunities.

4. Young families

• Support for young parents through income support and childcare access.

• Work-life balance policies.

• Measures addressing child poverty.

• Parenting support services and early childhood development programmes.

Responsible authority

The top-level authority responsible for the implementation, coordination and monitoring of the National Strategy for Poverty Reduction and Promotion of Social Inclusion 2030 is the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. It coordinates the overall anti-poverty and social inclusion framework, including measures targeting children and young people from vulnerable groups (e.g. NEETs, young people in poverty, young people with disabilities, young Roma). The implementation is shared with several sectoral ministries and executive agencies, notably the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as well as the Employment Agency and the Agency for Social Assistance. Monitoring is carried out through annual reporting mechanisms coordinated by MLSP and aligned with the European Semester and EU social policy reporting requirements. The shared responsibility model reflects the cross-sectoral nature of social inclusion policy, but it also means that effectiveness depends on interministerial coordination and the alignment of sectoral funding instruments.

Youth social inclusion is further integrated into the National Youth Strategy 2021-2030, coordinated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, which includes specific objectives related to inclusion, reduction of inequalities and support for young people in vulnerable situations. 

In this sense, youth social inclusion in Bulgaria operates within an integrated framework combining a general anti-poverty strategy and youth-specific strategic document. The monitoring of the National Youth Strategy is conducted through annual implementation reports and indicator-based tracking, using administrative data and national statistics. While both strategies foresee periodic assessments, evaluation remains largely indicator-based, and comprehensive independent impact evaluations specifically focused on youth social inclusion outcomes are limited.

Revisions/Updates

As mentioned above, the current strategic framework addressing youth social inclusion in Bulgaria is primarily embedded in the National Strategy for Poverty Reduction and Promotion of Social Inclusion 2030 and the National Youth Strategy 2021-2030. Neither of these documents has undergone major formal revisions since their adoption. Therefore, no substantial updates have been introduced to their core structure or objectives to date.

However, the current framework represents significant transformation compared to previous strategic periods. The National Strategy for Poverty Reduction and Promotion of Social Inclusion 2030 replaced the earlier strategic framework covering the period up to 2020. The new strategy, adopted in 2020, reflects a stronger alignment with the European Pillar of Social Rights and the EU’s 2030 headline targets on poverty reduction. Compared to the previous strategy, the 2020-2030 framework places greater emphasis on integrated territorial approaches, early childhood development, active inclusion through labour market participation, and the modernization of social services. It also strengthens the focus on measurable indicators, monitoring mechanisms and coherence with EU funding instruments (particularly ESF+). While young people were already a target group under the previous framework, the current strategy more clearly links youth inclusion to education outcomes, NEET reduction, digital skills and labour market integration.

Similarly, the National Youth Strategy 2021-2030 replaced the previous National Youth Strategy 2010-2020. The new strategy broadens the understanding of youth social inclusion by placing stronger emphasis on mental health, digital participation, inclusion of young people from marginalized communities and youth work as a professional field. Compared to the 2010-2020 strategy, the current document adopts more integrated and cross-sectoral approach, explicitly linking youth policy with employment, social protection, health and education systems. It also introduces clearer monitoring indicators and aligns national priorities with the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027.