On this page

1. Existence of a National Youth Law

2. Scope and contents

3. Revisions/updates

Existence of a National Youth Law

Youth activities in Iceland are governed by the Youth Act no. 70/2007, which entered into force in 2007.

Scope and contents

The purpose of the Youth Act is to support the participation of children and young people aged 6 to 25 in youth activities. National authorities and municipalities, in cooperation with youth clubs and youth organisations, support young people in participating in a wide range of youth activities. The Minister of Education and Children is the highest authority responsible for youth affairs.

The Act covers:

1. The operation of youth clubs and youth organisations.
2. Youth activities organised by national authorities, municipalities, and schools.
3. Other activities aimed primarily at engaging unaffiliated young people in organised youth activities.

The Act also regulates the eligibility of individuals who work with or are responsible for children and young people in youth activities. Individuals who have been convicted of offences under the General Penal Code no. 19/1940 may not be employed to work with children and young people. 

The Youth Act was amended in January 11, 2024 to align the existing laws with the broader Children's Prosperity Act. The primary goal of these amendments is to ensure that children have a continuous, coordinated support network across preschools, schools, sports, and community youth programs.

According to the Youth Act, state funding for youth organisations is determined through appropriations approved by Parliament in the national budget. Funding for local youth clubs and youth organisations, however, depends on decisions made through municipal budget plans.

The Minister appoints representatives to the Youth Council, while Parliament allocates funding to the Youth Fund to promote youth activities throughout Iceland.

The Minister also promotes regular research on youth issues, which is used to inform future guidelines and policies in the field of youth affairs, and appoints a five-member advisory committee.

Revisions/updates

The Icelandic Parliament first adopted a National Youth Act in 1970. The legislation subsequently underwent minor revisions in 1989 and 2002.

In 1989, the term of appointment for members of the Youth Council was shortened from three years to two years. In addition, individual members could not be appointed for more than two terms. This restriction was removed in 2002.

The Act was substantially revised in 2007 following an inquiry into youth-related activities launched by the Ministry of Education and Children in 2003. One of the major changes introduced in the 2007 revision was assigning responsibility to the Ministry for conducting research on youth issues in Iceland and using the findings to guide future youth policy development.