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1. Structure of Decision-making

2. Main Themes

3. The National Agency for Youth

4. Policy monitoring and evaluation

Structure of Decision-making

Since 2010, with a brief interruption in 2021–2022, youth policy has been part of the ministry responsible for cultural policies and human capacities. Until 2020, the same ministry was responsible for social and education policy, but in 2022, social policy and public education (as well as healthcare) were transferred to the Ministry of Interior (Belügyminisztérium).

Since 2022, youth policy has been part of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation (Kulturális és Innovációs Minisztérium). Under the Minister, till 2024, the State Secretariat for Families was responsible for youth policies; since 2024, the State Secretariat for Higher Education, Vocational and Adult Education, and Youth Affairs. The Deputy State Secretariat for Young People is under that unit.

Following the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 2026, a reorganisation of the governmental structure is highly likely, regardless of the election outcome.

In accordance with the Organizational and Operational Rules, the Minister of Culture and Innovation coordinates the activities of the State Secretary for Higher Education, Vocational and Adult Education, and Youth Affairs.

State Secretary for Higher Education, Vocational and Adult Education, and Youth Affairs

As the person responsible for child and youth policy, the State Secretary for Higher Education, Vocational and Adult Education, and Youth Affairs provides professional and political leadership in the field of youth policy; coordinates the system of cooperation with young Hungarian people in the Carpathian Basin outside Hungary's borders and carries out tasks related to volunteering in connection with youth policy. Furthermore, it manages tasks related to talent management; participates in planning development programmes for the post-2020 European Union programming period; contributes to the preparation of the highest-level national planning document (Partnership Agreement), and ensures the alignment of youth-related programme components with sectoral policy goals.

The State Secretary also has development and management tasks related to youth programmes, such as the National Talent Programme (Nemzeti Tehetség Program), and the Programme for the Future of the New Generation, for which it uses the services of the National Talent Centre Public Non-profit Ltd.

The following structure reflects the situation in force:

The State Secretary for Higher Education, Vocational and Adult Education, and Youth Affairs coordinates the following bodies:

• Deputy State Secretariat for Higher Education and Adult Education,
• Deputy State Secretariat for Vocational Education,
• Deputy State Secretariat for Young People, which coordinates the Department for Young People and the Department of Talents.

Deputy State Secretariat for Young People

The Deputy State Secretariat for Young People represents the ministry in the work of domestic and foreign governmental and other institutions; is responsible for the technical preparation, initiation and implementation of youth related legislation; establishes links with the institutions and professional organisations in its field of activity; operates the Board of the Children and Youth Fund (Gyermek és Ifjúsági Alapprogram Tanácsa) and cooperates with the Hungarian Youth Conference to promote dialogue between domestic and foreign youth organisations and cross-border programmes. 

Furthermore, the Deputy State Secretariat cooperates with the National Youth Council (Nemzeti Ifjúsági Tanács) to promote professional dialogue between Hungarian youth organisations and the Government, as well as to represent Hungarian youth in Europe and globally; it fulfils the vice-presidential duties of the National Volunteer Council and contributes to the planning and implementation of government programmes for the digital protection of young people.

The Deputy State Secretariat for Young People also contributes to the design and implementation of programmes and services to protect the physical and mental health of young people; mediates between student and youth representative bodies and governmental bodies to better promote the specific interests of young people; participates in cooperation with organisational units coordinated by the minister responsible for public education in the implementation of governmental tasks related to the National Youth Parliament (Országos Diákparlament) and the National Student Council (Országos Diáktanács); coordinates the functions related to the UN Youth Delegate Programme and contributes to the implementation and promotion of government programmes related to the National Talent Programme.

In addition, they contribute to the development of the professional concept of youth camping programmes organised by the Government or a governmental background institution, except the Elizabeth Camps; can provide professional comments on the technical content of youth tenders launched by the National Cooperation Fund's College; coordinates the implementation of tasks related to the National Talent Programme (Nemzeti Tehetség Program), and cooperates in its functions with the National Talent Centre, and is responsible for shaping youth policy.

Department for Young People

The Deputy State Secretariat directly coordinates the Department for Talents and the Department for Young People. One of the main aims of the Department for Young People is codification, which includes preparing professional proposals for legislation and public organisational and regulatory instruments affecting young people, examining the professional basis, impact, and implementation of legislation affecting young people and monitoring their enforcement and preparing professional proposals for legislation and public organisational and regulatory instruments related to public benefit voluntary activities. 

Another function is the coordination of cross-sectoral youth policy programmes and cooperation with Hungarian youth and youth organisations living in the Carpathian Basin and the Diaspora, and developing professional directions for its enhancement. The coordination of objectives originated from the Future of the New Generation Programme is also significant.

Further roles include contributing to the implementation and coordination of youth-related tasks arising from Hungary's membership of the European Union, cooperating with the Visegrad countries and other international memberships; fulfilling tasks related to volunteering arising from European Union membership and other international obligations; participating in preparing the youth and voluntary activities budget and developing its technical content, and monitoring its use.

The Department for Young People also has tasks in supporting youth work; establishing the system of professional supervision in the areas of youth policy and the system of qualifications and requirements for performing activities in these areas; exercising responsibilities related to the operation of youth counselling centres and supporting - in cooperation with the ministry under the direction of the minister responsible for local government - the activities of the network of municipal youth officers. They also prepare methodological developments and activities, in particular for the development of local youth work, strengthening the capacities of youth organisations and service providers and developing the social activity of young people and draft and coordinate qualitative and quantitative youth research.

The department comprises the Division of Youth Policy Programmes and the Division of Volunteering.

Other actors

Besides this, the Ministry for National Economy (Nemzetgazdasági Minisztérium) must be mentioned as the ministry coordinating the Youth Guarantee Programme (for further information, see chapter 3. Employment & Entrepreneurship).

The role of the Maria Kopp Institute for Demography and Families [Kopp Mária Intézet a Népesedésért és Családokért (KINCS)] in shaping youth policy is also notable as it is a budgetary institution established in 2018 by the Government and directed by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation.

The Board of the Children and Youth Fund

The main advisory body for youth policy is currently the Board of the Children and Youth Fund (Gyermek és Ifjúsági Alapprogram Tanácsa). The Board provides the minister responsible for children and youth policy with proposals, opinions and advice. It is chaired by the child and youth policy representative in the ministry responsible for children and youth policy, who is currently the head of the Department for Young People. The other members are representatives of the youth-related organisations such as:

• Hungarian Youth Conference,
• National Organisation of Student Self-governing Bodies (Hallgatói Önkormányzatok Országos Konferenciája),
• Hungarian Scout Association,
• Hungarian School Sport Federation,
• National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (FIVOSZ)

• Association of Hungarian Young Farmers (AGRYA),

• National Association of Large Families (Nagycsaládosok Országos Egyesülete),

• representatives of local government interest associations,

• and youth organisations linked to major churches (e.g., the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference and the Reformed Church in Hungary).

For more information on the Board, see 5.3 Youth representation bodies.

Main Themes

According to information provided by the Deputy State Secretariat for Young People in 2026, the current main themes of youth policy discussions in Hungary include the new National Youth Strategy, digital child protection and strengthening youth community spaces.

The new National Youth Strategy

The preparation of a new National Youth Strategy has started, since the previous strategy expired in 2024. As part of the drafting process, a Youth Strategy Roadshow ('Mit Szólsz Hozzá? Roadshow') was organised at 25 locations across Hungary and the Carpathian Basin, where young people discussed key issues such as housing and family life, mental health, employment and education, and youth work. More than 3 800 contributions were also submitted through an online consultation platform.

Digital child protection

Digital child protection and the promotion of balanced digital use among families and young people is also important for the government. In February 2026, the Ministry of Culture and Innovation and the Bethesda Hospital signed a strategic partnership to support a nationwide awareness campaign aimed at reducing excessive screen use and promoting conscious digital device use. The initiative involves several professional partners, including the National Media and Infocommunications Authority, EduTech Hungary, National Youth Council for Youth Nonprofit Ltd., and the Heim Pál Children's Hospital (for more information on the campaign, see 6.8).

Calls of the Children and Youth Fund

In parallel, youth policy priorities are also reflected in the 2026 calls of the Children and Youth Fund (Gyermek és Ifjúsági Alapprogram) . The calls aim to strengthen youth communities and support the development of youth community spaces. Funding is available for both local community-building programmes that promote young people's identity formation and mental well-being, and for the establishment or renewal of youth community spaces, including equipment purchases, professional involvement, and support for sustainable operations.

What informs the choice of themes

According to the National Youth Strategy 2009–2024, large-scale quantitative youth research studies are to be conducted every four years, with their findings also used in strategic planning. The latest wave was conducted in 2024. Although there is no institutionalised way to use the results of the youth research, it is often referred to when introducing new policies (for example, data on the relatively low number of young people with language exams led to the opportunity to acquire the first language exam free for people under the age of 35).

The seventh large-scale youth research in 2024 focused on education, employment, family formation, and lifestyle trends among Hungarian youth. The results have not yet been made public, but are being used in the drafting process of the new youth strategy.

Specific target groups

Supporting population policy

According to the ministry's 2018 information, specific target groups include young people about to start a family. They are targeted through measures designed to encourage childbearing and the start of an independent life, mainly through the Family Housing Support Programme administered by the Ministry of Finance. This type of subsidy was extended to second-hand properties as of 1 July 2019 and transferred into a new low-cost state-subsidised loan scheme from 2024.

In addition, firstly married couples are eligible for tax allowances, the system of family tax benefit aims to support families with children, and there are programmes targeting parents participating in higher education (the 'graduate' childcare benefit, the suspension or termination of the obligation to pay student loans depending on the number of children).

From 1 July 2019, there has been another support scheme for married young couples based on the Regulation on 44/2019. (III.12.) [44/2019. (III. 12.) Korm. rendelet a babaváró támogatásról]: couples where women are between 18–40 years old and living in their first marriage can receive an interest-free loan for general purposes of a maximum of HUF 11 million (about EUR 27 000). Starting in 2025, the upper age limit for eligibility will be the 35^th birthday of the wife. For more related information, see 4.6.

NEET young people

In 2023, a new cycle of the Youth Guarantee Programme was introduced (with the name Youth Guarantee Plus [Ifjúsági Garancia Plusz]) with a framework budget of HUF 196.9 billion (around EUR 504 million). The programme targets 15–30-year-olds who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). It is based on three pillars - a wage subsidy, a rent subsidy and a contribution to travel costs. According to government plans, the programme will help around 84 000 young people into work between 2024 and 2029. 60–70 thousand will receive wage subsidies, and 25–30 thousand will receive training. (For more information, see 3.2.)

Young people living abroad

Connections to Hungarians living outside the borders appear in several youth policy programmes, most notably the 'Without borders' ('Határtalanul') programme, which aims to build connections between Hungarian youth in public education and the ethnic Hungarian communities in the neighbouring countries. In 2024, a budget of HUF 4.6 billion (about EUR 11.5 million) has been dedicated to the programme. In the 2024–2025 academic year, about 52 000 students received support to participate in the programme.

A smaller-scale programme with similar aims is the Petőfi Sándor Programme (Petőfi Sándor Program) in which about 60–70 participants can travel to the countries of the former Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy to support and strengthen the scattered Hungarian communities (the number of participants was lower in 2022–2023). The State Secretariat for National Policy of the Prime Minister's Office operates the programme.

The National Agency for Youth

There is no national agency for youth in Hungary. An organizational network fulfilled its task until 2022. The development of an alternative organisational framework is currently not on the agenda.

Policy monitoring and evaluation

As mentioned above, the primary policy monitoring and evaluation tool is the large-scale youth research conducted every four years. However, ad hoc research is also conducted, usually on policy areas where youth are also affected such as family policy and volunteering. There are no institutionalised mechanisms for applying the research findings, but they are regularly used in formulating strategic documents, background materials and policies. Also worth mentioning is the primary advisory body, the Board of the Children and Youth Fund (Gyermek és Ifjúsági Alapprogram Tanácsa).