On this page

1. Main concepts

2. Youth interest in global issues

Main concepts

In Hungary, the framework for youth participation in global issues is primarily based on the Concept for Global Responsibility Education in Formal and Non-Formal Education in Hungary (Koncepció a globális felelősségvállalásra nevelésről a formális és nem-formális oktatásban Magyarországon). The government remains committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Concept states that fair trade and ethical consumption; sustainable development and climate action; poverty reduction; international development and intercultural dialogue are priority areas for youth engagement in global issues.

Global Education and competencies

The Concept also aims at increasing the social participation and sense of responsibility of young people, as well as developing their attitudes and competencies on globalisation; social, economic, technological, political, demographic and environmental inequalities. It also aims to encourage young people to be open-minded but critical, and to promote global solidarity and responsible cooperation.

A key implementation tool is the school community service, which is a 50–hour compulsory social or environmental protection activity pre-requisite for graduation in secondary education (iskolai közösségi szolgálat, IKSZ). Many students fulfil this by participating in global awareness-raising projects or environmental initiatives. (For more information about the school community service, see 9.4.)

Social inequality, poverty

The issue of social inequality affecting youth was addressed in the National Youth Strategy 2009–2024 which set directives to be implemented in the youth field by 2024. The SWOT analysis of the Strategy stated that 'there is a significant imbalance in the chances and opportunities of different age groups in terms of access to youth services' and that the employment rate and wages of young people are 'territorially unequal'. The strategy expired in 2024, and the new strategy is under development.

Green volunteering

It is possible to volunteer at many Hungarian non-profit environmental organisations, especially in the field of nature conservation. Nevertheless, neither the Hungarian jargon nor the relevant laws (for example the Volunteer Act - Önkéntes törvény) nor the organisations themselves use a separate term for volunteers participating in this type of activity.

The results of the Voluntarism in Hungary 2018 (Önkéntesség Magyarországon 2018) research were published in 2019. It turns out that about 56 000 volunteers work specifically for an environmental and animal welfare organisation, and within this, the number of 18-29-year-olds is 16 000. The latest research was conducted in 2023, but as of March 2026, the results have not been published yet.

In Hungary, there is a large youth survey conducted every four years among 15–29-year-olds, with a sample of 8 000 people, the Hungarian Youth Research. According to the latest published results from 2020, 1.1% of respondents said they had engaged in voluntary activities related to environmental protection and animal welfare in the year before the survey. (Data source: database of the research) As of March 2026, the results of the 2024 survey have not been published.

Youth interest in global issues

Currently, there are no survey results or other information that provide a description of the interest of Hungarian youth in global issues. Various Hungarian studies focus only on interest in domestic issues (public and political affairs).

Moreover, no direct programme provides a continuous opportunity for this purpose. However, every one or two years, relevant government agencies organise meetings and surveys that give young people the opportunity to make their voices heard. These are not specifically focused on global issues, but there are necessarily a number of global issues at the national level, and young people have the opportunity to express their opinions on these issues. 

There are also programmes that relate to youth participation in policy-making. One of them is the Youth Dialogue (Ifjúsági Párbeszéd) programme of the National Youth Council (Nemzeti Ifjúsági Tanács) that aims to bring together youth and decision-makers. (For more information, see 5.4.)

Another programme was the Visegrad Youth Forum in 2024, which aimed to create a platform for cooperation and to connect young people and future leaders from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary and from neighbouring regions. The programme also helped them to improve their knowledge about different aspects of regional and intraregional cooperation in various fields.

Data on youth engagement in volunteering

In the Hungarian Youth 2020 survey, young people were asked if they had done any voluntary work. 8% had volunteered in the year before the survey. 6.7% had helped a non-profit organisation, 4.3% had helped through a local authority, 1.7% had volunteered through a church organisation and 1.5% had volunteered through a business organisation or company. (Data source: database of the survey) As of March 2026, the results of the 2024 survey have not been published.

Cross-border mobility opportunities

In Hungary, there are various European Union initiatives that provide opportunities for cross-border mobility in the context of entrepreneurship such as the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme. (For more information see 3.7.)

Young people can engage in voluntary activities in other regions through the 'Without Borders' ('Határtalanul') programme and with the Hungarian Voluntary League Association. (For more information, see 1.4 and 2.5.)