The Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies (Закон за младинско учество и младински политики) and the National Youth Strategy 2016–2025 sets out the basic principles and action guidelines for all actors in society. In the draft National Youth Strategy 2023-2027,  there is also provided information on the basic principles and guidelines.

According to the Law, "young" are people aged 15 to 29. The Law is in compliance with the previously developed National Youth Strategy. Thus, the introductory part of the Strategy states that in compliance with established historical, social, political and ethical practice, the term ‘young people’ (youth) shall refer to any person(s) between the age of 15 and 29[1]. This is a category that holds huge potential as a key resource for social progress, but also a category that is highly vulnerable to social and economic changes in society. The interventions envisaged in this Strategy should be equally available to all young people in the Republic of North Macedonia, and especially to young people from vulnerable categories.

In general, municipalities in the Republic of North Macedonia set this age limit in their Local Youth Strategies with mild exceptions.

For example, in the Local Youth Strategy of the Municipality of Kochani 2019-2023 (Стратегија за млади на општина Кочани 2019-2023), the youth category is defined as a separate socio-ethical category of the population aged 15 to 30, regardless of sex, race and nationality, religious and political determination, sexual orientation, social status, and disability.

However, the Local Youth Strategy of the Municipality of Kriva Palanka (2019-2024), in its strategy states that the strategy per se is targeting young people from 7 do 18 years old, especially those who are young people in an unequal position, including young people from the Roma community, children without parents, children with disabilities and children from poor areas of the city and young people from disadvantaged areas.

[1] Agency of the youth and sports. National Youth Strategy 2016-2025 (Agency of the youth and sports, 2016), p.7. http://ams.gov.mk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/National_Youth_Strategy_2016-2025_mkd.pdf (Accessed 01.11.2018)