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1. Existence of a National Youth Strategy

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority for the implementation of the Youth Strategy

4. Revisions/updates

Existence of a National Youth Strategy

National Youth Strategy

Since the 2024 expiry of the National Youth Strategy 2009–2024 (NYS), Hungary has had no strategic policy document on youth. The preparation of a new strategy is currently underway. As part of this process, the government organised a Youth Strategy Roadshow ('Mit Szólsz Hozzá? Roadshow'), which took place at 25 locations across Hungary and the Carpathian Basin to collect the views of young people. The thematic groups with young people focused on housing and family life, mental health, employment and education, and additionally, expert groups were organised with youth professionals.

The Programme for the Future of the New Generation was introduced as a government decree in 2012, it did not have a defined timeframe and has since seen diminishing references in policy documents and discourses, but is still mentioned among the tasks of the State Secretary for Higher Education, Vocational and Adult Education, and Youth Affairs, who 'fulfils the tasks arising from the Programme for the Future of the New Generation youth policy framework programme'.

Scope and contents

The National Youth Strategy

Main elements

The NYS expired in 2024 and has not been replaced. The Strategy adopted in 2009 aimed to support the social integration of young people and harness their potential. It focused on youth development, improving living conditions, and supporting youth workers, guided by principles of integration, solidarity, and transparency. It emphasised the state's role in fostering integration, maintaining institutions, and providing services, with objectives addressing equal opportunities, cultural identity, and sustainability.

The main elements of the new strategy in the making are in line with the preparatory workshops' topical focus points: housing, family life, mental health, employment and education (see above).

Specific target groups

Currently, there is no youth strategy in Hungary.

Programme for the Future of the New Generation (PFNG)

The programme identified four areas for intervention: citizenship; housing and starting a family; career and self-sufficiency; and leisure time, which consists of sports, entertainment and consumption of culture.

The tasks of this programme are assigned to the State Secretariat for Higher Education, Vocational and Adult Education, and Youth Affairs in the Ministry of Culture and Innovation (Kulturális és Innovációs Minisztérium).

Responsible authority for the implementation of the Youth Strategy

In the Government, formed in 2022, youth affairs and the implementation of the PFNG (and the coordination of inter-governmental elements) take place in the Ministry of Culture and Innovation (Kulturális és Innovációs Minisztérium), in the Department for Young People (Fiatalokért Felelős Főosztály) that belongs to the Deputy State Secretariat for Young People (Fiatalokért Felelős Helyettes Államtitkárság) under the State Secretariat for Higher Education, Vocational and Adult Education, and Youth Affairs (Felsőoktatásért, Szak- és Felnőttképzésért, Fiatalokért Felelős Államtitkárság).

The Youth Strategy included an objective to conduct large sample youth research projects every four years on a representative sample of 8 000 15–29-year-olds. The survey findings are often used in youth policy planning. The latest research was conducted in 2024 on a widened age group of 15–34-year-olds and a decreased sample size of 5 000 individuals. As of March 2026, the results have not been made public. The Department for Young People follows the publication of the results of each cycle and uses the findings for strategic planning. The results are still not published.

Revisions/updates

Since the expiry of the National Youth Strategy 2009–2024, the Hungarian government has begun preparations for a new one. As part of the drafting process, a Youth Strategy Roadshow ('Mit Szólsz Hozzá? Roadshow') was organised across 25 locations in Hungary and the Carpathian Basin to collect input from young people. Discussions focused on key themes including housing and family life, mental health, employment and education, and the consultation process also included an online platform that gathered over 3 800 contributions from young people. These inputs are expected to inform the development of the new strategy.