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Estonia

4. Social Inclusion

4.3 Strategy for the social inclusion of young people

Last update: 1 March 2026
On this page
  1. Existence of a national strategy on social inclusion
  2. Scope and contents
  3. Responsible authority
  4. Revisions/updates
  5. References
On this page
  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

The Noortevaldkonna arengukava 2021-2035 (Youth Sector Development Plan 2021-2035), adopted by the Government on 12 August 2021, is the central policy document addressing the social inclusion of young people in Estonia. Social inclusion features prominently across all four of the Plan’s strategic goals.

There is no single stand-alone document dedicated exclusively to the social exclusion of young people. Instead, a set of official documents integrates the major directions for policy-making and implementation. The broader policy context, including the Strateegia "Eesti 2035" (“Estonia 2035” Strategy) and the Heaolu arengukava 2023-2030 (Welfare Development Plan 2023–2030), is described in chapters 4 and 4.1 (covering the general context and main concepts of social inclusion). The present section focuses on the Youth Sector Development Plan as the strategy most directly relevant to youth social inclusion.

Scope and contents

The Youth Sector Development Plan 2021-2035 (Noortevaldkonna arengukava 2021-2035) covers the age group of 7–26 years. It recognises that, compared with other age groups, young people have more limited rights (for example, the legal capacity of minors) and opportunities (such as entry to the labour market or access to economic resources). To foster the social inclusion of youth, the Plan focuses on youth rights and participation, empowerment and social security.

The Plan declares that youth work activities are based on the principle of equal treatment. It provides the prerequisites for making youth work available to all young people, including those at risk of exclusion, those belonging to minorities and those with special needs. It supports the readiness of young people for independent life, addresses age-sensitivity, promotes the regional availability of youth services and specialist training for youth workers, and emphasises removing geographical barriers to participation. Participation of young people in local-level decision-making is supported, including through the relevant responsibilities of local governments.

The Plan defines four strategic goals – momentum, participation, independence and security – each with references to specific challenges related to social inclusion:

  • Momentum: recognising youth as a creative force for positive societal change, ensuring opportunities for self-development, self-realisation and entrepreneurship, with specific attention to youth with fewer opportunities;
  • Participation: safeguarding the rights and participation of young people, with specific approaches and tools for youth with fewer opportunities and risk backgrounds;
  • Independence: guaranteeing access to quality youth work services, reducing regional disparities and removing barriers for young people with special needs;
  • Security: strengthening the sense of security among youth by fostering early-stage detection and prevention of exclusion and detachment, supporting risk groups (such as NEET youth and those with health challenges) and fighting stigmatisation through better awareness in society.

The Plan also defines strategic indicators for monitoring social inclusion, including the ratio (%) of 15–29-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET youth) and the ratio (%) of 15–26-year-olds who report that support is available to them. 

Implementation is based on a multidisciplinary approach, informed by the real circumstances and needs of young people. A youth-sector monitoring and analysis system supports efficiency assessment, impact analysis and development monitoring. Policy evaluation is carried out in cooperation with the Estonian National Youth Council. Operational programmes with specific quality-assurance measures are being developed for the period up to 2035.

Responsible authority

The Noortevaldkonna arengukava 2021-2035 (The Youth Sector Development Plan 2021-2035) was approved by the Government of the Republic after discussion in the Riigikogu (Parliament). Implementation is coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Research, with all relevant ministries contributing within their scope.

A broad-based steering committee supports the implementation and reporting. The committee is led by the Ministry of Education and Research and includes representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Finance and the Government Office. Policy evaluation is carried out in cooperation with the Estonian National Youth Council. For a full description of the governance framework, including the role of the Education and Youth Board (Harno) and the cross-sectoral coordination mechanism, see chapter 4.2 (Administration and governance).

Revisions/updates

The Youth Sector Development Plan 2021-2035 presents a long-term strategic vision. It is implemented through the youth-field programme and, if necessary, through a joint programme. Each programme specifies a time frame and concrete activities per area, together with costs for four-year periods (1+3). Programmes are prepared as part of the State Budget Strategy (SBS) planning cycle and are reviewed annually to ensure alignment with changing external circumstances and the SBS.

Progress reporting is organised for each programme using needs-based evaluation. The achievement of the Plan’s goals is evaluated at least twice during the implementation period, with the final interim evaluation organised no later than three years before the end of the programme period. The Ministry of Education and Research prepares an annual progress report.

References