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1. Political commitment to evidence-based youth policy

2. Cooperation between policy-making and research

3. National statistics and available data sources

4. Budgetary allocations supporting research in the youth field

Political commitment to evidence-based youth policy

The main channel of research informing youth policy is large-scale youth research, which has been conducted every four years since 2000. In each cycle, youth research is conducted on 15-29–year-olds, using a representative sample of 8 000 people. In 2024, the age range has been extended, and the sample involves 15–34-year-old young people, and the sample size was decreased to 5 000 individuals. Between 2009–2024, the implementation of the research was regulated by the National Youth Strategy. In the framework of the EU project of the National Youth Council (EU Youth Dialogue), significant research results are incorporated into the decision-making processes.

Cooperation between policy-making and research

Institutionalised mechanisms and actors

As noted, there are no institutionalised mechanisms or channelling youth research to policymaking, but the role of large-scale youth research is central here.

Research related to youth policy was assigned to the Ministry of Human Capacities in 2016, which at the end of 2017, founded the Maria Kopp Institute for Demography and Families (KINCS). From 2022, the responsible body for the professional management of the KINCS is the Ministry of Culture and Innovation (Kulturális és Innovációs Minisztérium).

Informal/ ad-hoc cooperation

Apart from the youth research that occurs every four years, there is no regular research, only ad hoc cooperation and secondary analyses. The primary strategic documents contain an overview with data on which the priorities are based. However, there is no reference to data in the latest action plan of the National Youth Strategy for 2016–2017.

Evidence-based evaluation of youth policies

As EU funds finance several youth programmes with a formal obligation to carry out relevant monitoring activities, many empirical data sources can be reached. In addition, market researchers also deal with youth-related issues from time to time. Significant examples are studies on Internet use and its dangers and the analysis of migration intention and potential. Still, the results of these surveys have not been officially mentioned in government documents.

Monitoring the specific projects funded by the government is done regularly through the System of Electronic Tender Management and Cooperation (Elektronikus Pályázatkezelési és Együttműködési Rendszer - EPER). Evaluation and reporting on these tenders are done using data provided through the system. The review of smaller projects can vary. The review of the Petőfi Sándor programme mentioned earlier is a publication consisting of participant's reports.

National statistics and available data sources

The existence of national youth statistics

The Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO) collects statistics on youth. Besides the basic demographic data, detailed age-specific information is available for education, income, culture and info-communication. The HCSO regularly publishes information on youth employment as part of its general labour market overview, and the most recent publication was in the second quarter of 2023.

According to the latest HCSO data from 2025, the employment rate of 15–24-year-old young people was about 27.1% in the third quarter of 2025, and it has not changed significantly in recent years. In the last quarter of 2025, the unemployment rate of 15-24-year-olds was 14.8%, which is higher than in the last quarter, but they are usually unemployed only for a short time and seek a job in 3 months.

Specific youth indicators

In addition to the above, the HCSO regularly collects data on education (mainly the numbers of students at different levels of education, with budgetary data also published) and farming (young farmers are defined as those under the age of 40). One specific indicator regarding books published in youth and children's literature exists.

National youth report

The HCSO publishes no general youth reports. Still, specific reports and publications often analyse the topics of family and population, and the labour market, where the situation of young people is described. Besides that, the analyses connected to the regular large sample youth research also present statistical data.

Large-sample youth research

The most recent published study of the large sample youth research is Hungarian Youth 2020 (Magyar Fiatalok 2020), representative of 15–29-year-olds living in Hungary and ethnic Hungarian youth of the neighbouring countries, which was conducted in 2020. A flash report and a secondary analysis were published based on the results. As of March 2026, reports on the 2024 wave have not yet been published.

Other data and analyses

As mentioned, ad hoc research focusing on specific policy fields or topics under the ministry is frequent. Currently, the most crucial actor in carrying out youth research is the Youth Research Institute of the Mathias Corvinus College. They conducted a secondary analysis of the 2020 large-sample youth research and two surveys of 15–39-year-old young people in 2022–2023. Its results were published in 2023. Since then, the Institute has published several results from smaller-scale research projects, as well as a 2025 representative research on 15–29 year-olds (N=1000) on the topic of technology: attitudes toward AI, influencers, language use, relationships, as well as attitudes toward intergenerational solidarity and self-care.

Budgetary allocations supporting research in the youth field

There is no separate, allocated budget line for youth research.