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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 2021-22, 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.

Based on the Organizational and Operational Rules of the Ministry, the Minister of Culture and Innovation coordinates the activities of the 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,
• carries out tasks related to volunteering  in connection with youth policy,
• 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.

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),
• cooperates with the Hungarian Youth Conference to promote dialogue between domestic and foreign youth organisations and cross-border programmes,
• 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,
• fulfils the vice presidential duties of the National Volunteer Council,
• contributes to the planning and implementing 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,
• contributes to the implementation and promotion of government programmes related to the National Talent Programme,
• contributes 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.

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 that 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 monitors their enforcement and preparing professional proposals for legislation and public organisational and regulatory instruments related to public benefit voluntary activities. 

Another function is coordination of cross-sectoral youth policy programmes and the 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, developing its technical content and monitoring its use, and
• coordinating the National Strategy on Volunteering.

The Department for Young People also has tasks in the following fields:

• 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,
• 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,
• preparing 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,
• drafting and coordinating qualitative and quantitative youth research.

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

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,
• FIVOSZ – National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (FIVOSZ).

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

Main Themes

According to the 2025 information of the Deputy State Secretariat for Young People, the main current themes of youth policy in Hungary have four central domains:

• improving the mental health and digital consciousness of young people,
• supporting young people's communities,
• housing and other services,
• youth research.

Mental health and digital consciousness

In 2023, a mental health roadshow titled 'Kösz, jól vagyok! Tényleg?' ('Thanks, I’m fine! Really?')  was organised, reaching nearly 700 students across four cities. The programme included theatrical performances, group discussions, and interactions with mental health organisations to help young people aged 13-14 recognise and address mental health challenges. The initiative was expanded in 2024 due to its success, reaching 1 700 young people over 10 events.

In 2024, increased funding was provided to mental health helplines such as the Blue Line (Kék Vonal) and the Association for Mental Health for Youth (Ifjúsági Lelki Elsősegély) to offer 24/7 crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and mental health support. These services address peer conflicts, family problems, and self-esteem challenges.

The 2024 Children and Youth Fund focused on protecting the mental health of  young people n the digital age, with a thematic emphasis on 'Online okosan, offline aktívan' ('Smart Online, Active Offline'). The programme allocated HUF 79.7 million (about EUR 200 000) for related projects. (For more information, see 7.5 Mental health.)

Housing and Other Services for Young People

From January 2025, new measures support affordable housing for young people. Employers can provide housing subsidies of up to HUF 150 000 (about EUR 375) per month (HUF 1.8 million [about 4 500 EUR] annually) for employees under 35, covering rent or mortgage payments.

Plans are underway to build a modern campus, called Student City, in Budapest, offering housing and educational facilities for 12 000–20 000 students, including international students. The project aims to address the growing demand for student accommodation and detailed planning started in early 2025.

Also from January 2025, a HUF 4 million (about EUR 10 000) interest-free work loan is available to young workers aged 17-25, with a 10-year repayment period. The loan supports career starters and family planning, with repayment suspensions and debt forgiveness for parents such as complete debt forgiveness after the third child.

Free Driver’s License Courses: Starting September 2024, students in their final year of secondary or vocational education can participate in free online courses on basic traffic knowledge and first aid.

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, the findings of which were also to be 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 focuses on education, employment, family formation, and lifestyle trends among Hungarian youth. Preliminary results will be available in 2025, providing data to guide policy decisions and identify areas needing further support.

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 (CSOK) 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 (in Hungarian: CSOK Plusz) 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 and 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 Access to quality services.

NEET young people

In 2023, a new cycle of the Youth Guarantee Programme is 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 NEET people between the ages of 15 and 30. It is based on three pillars - a wage subsidy, a rent subsidy and a contribution to travel costs. According to the plans of the government, the programme will help around 84 000 young people into work between 2024 and 2029. Between 60 and 70 thousand will receive wage subsidies, and 25 to 30 thousand will receive training. (For more information, see 3.2 Administration and governance.)

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 were 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 the primary advisory body, the Board of the Children and Youth Fund (Gyermek és Ifjúsági Alapprogram Tanácsa).