There is currently no generally recognised definition of youth. Usually, the group is referred to by the terms young people or youth. The definition of youth varies in the legislation of different policy areas. The age of adulthood, the upper age limit of compulsory education, the right to vote, and other issues are more or less the same in most countries in the European Union. In most areas, the age of 18 is the boundary between childhood and (young) adulthood. However, the age for compulsory education since 2011 is 16 years.

Hungarian Fundamental Law

The Fundamental Law of Hungary mentions young people twice. The National Avowal contains a more general, moral statement about the role of the future generation:

'We trust in a jointly-shaped future and the commitment of the younger generations. We believe that our children and grandchildren will make Hungary great again with their talent, persistence and moral strength.' 

Apart from this section, there is only one reference to young people in Article XVIII. According to this, 

'[…] by means of separate measures, Hungary shall ensure the protection of young people and parents at work.'

The two most recent youth-related documents were the National Youth Strategy (NYS) and the Programme for the Future of the New Generation Youth Policy Framework Programme, which entered into force as a government programme. However, the NYS expired in 2024 and has not been replaced since, and references to the Programme for the Future of the New Generation have become increasingly rare. Both programmes contained definitions for youth, but their relevance and impact have diminished over time.

Act LXIV of 1995 on Children and Youth Fund

The Act LXIV of 1995 on Children and Youth Fund (Gyermek és Ifjúsági Alap, GYIA) defines youth as individuals aged 15-29, aligning with the age group traditionally covered by large-scale quantitative youth research conducted every four years since 2000. Notably, the 2024 wave of youth research increased the upper age limit to 34 years.

Youth Guarantee Programme

The Youth Guarantee Programme (Ifjúsági Garancia Program) has defined 15–25-year-olds as the target group for the 2015-2021 cycle. The 2024 programme has extended the age group to include young people aged between 15 and 30 (For more information see sub-chapter 1.4 and sub-chapter 3.2.)

Other official frameworks

Other important laws and regulations also refer to young people.

One of them is the Act XXXI of 1997 on Child Protection (1997. évi XXXI. törvény a gyermekek védelméről és a gyámügyi igazgatásról) which determines the age of youth in the following way:

'b) a juvenile is a person who:

        ba) had reached the age of 14 years at the time of an offence committed,

        bb) had reached the age of 14 years at the time of a crime committed before 1 July 2013,

        bc) had reached the age of 12 years at the time of a crime committed after 30 June 2013 but had not yet reached the age of 18 or the age of 21 in case of having been raised in a juvenile detention centre,

c) a young adult is a person who has reached adulthood but has not reached the age of 24.'

Under the Act, young adults are entitled to specific support and mentoring, mainly through rehabilitation and aftercare.

According to the Labour Code (Munka Törvénykönyve), a young worker is an 'employee who has not reached the age of 18'. As minors, they have special rights regarding the duration of employment and health and safety at work. The Civil Code (Polgári Törvénykönyv) considers those as minors who are under 18 years of age. As far as their legal status is concerned, minors over the age of 14 usually do not have full legal capacity.

The Criminal Code (Büntető Törvénykönyv) has lowered the age limit for criminal liability from the age of 14 to 12 in the case of juvenile offenders (the referred part from the Child Protection Act also implies it). The crimes to which the age limit has to be applied include robbery and theft.