Existence of a national strategy for social inclusion 

There is no specific national strategy for the social inclusion of young people in Serbia. However, Youth Strategy in the Republic of Serbia 2023–2030 (Strategija za mlade u Republici Srbiji 2023–2030), recognises social inclusion as an important aspect of improvement.

Additionally, as the Roma population represent around 2% of the overall population in Serbia (Population by ethnicity, Census data, 2022), and the risk of social exclusion is particularly present within this population, it is important to mention current Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma in the Republic of Serbia 2022–2030 (Strategija za socijalno uključivanje Roma i Romkinja u Republici Srbiji za period 2022–2030. godine) which specifically addresses issues of social inclusion.

Scope and contents 

The Youth Strategy 2023–2030 recognises vulnerable groups of young people as those at risk of social exclusion and poverty, including young people with disabilities, Roma youth, LGBT+ youth, young people in the NEET category, those living in rural areas, and young refugees and asylum seekers. The Strategy also highlights that young people in Serbia face a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion than the general population.

The Strategy sets out 5 specific strategic goals addressing the standardisation of youth work, building youth policy capacities at the local level, youth participation, equal opportunities and health, safety and wellbeing (see Youth Wiki/Serbia, 1.3 National Youth Strategy). By prioritising efforts to reduce discrimination, increase social cohesion, and provide equal opportunities, pursuing these goals contributes directly to social inclusion, with particular emphasis on supporting vulnerable groups. In addition, Measure 5.5 specifically targets programmes, projects, and activities that aim to improve the social inclusion of young people.

The main goal of the Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma is to improve the quality of life of Roma in the Republic of Serbia in the following priority areas: 

• Fight against antigypsyism, as a form of racism, and discrimination
• Poverty and social exclusion
• Participation
• Education
• Employment
• Health
• Housing
• Social protection

The Strategy targets the whole Roma population which is described as relatively young compared to the general population, i.e. there is a large proportion of young Roma people.

Responsible authority

Top-level authorities responsible for the implementation, coordination and monitoring of the Youth Strategy in the Republic of Serbia 2023–2030 and the social inclusion of youth in particular, are the Ministry of Tourism and Youth and the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans, and Social Affairs. 

Top-level authorities responsible for the preparation and implementation of the Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma are the Coordination Body for Improving the Status and Social Inclusion of Roma and Monitoring the Implementation of the Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma in the Republic of Serbia (Koordinaciono telо za unapređenje položaja i socijalno uključivanje Roma i Romkinja i praćenje realizacije Strategije za socijalno uključivanje Roma i Romkinja u Republici Srbiji), the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue and the line ministries in charge of the policies of interest defined through strategic measures.

Revisions/updates

The current Youth Strategy was preceded by the Youth Strategy 2015–2025, which expired on the date of publishing the new Strategy (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 22/15).

Following the adoption of the Strategy, Action Plan for 2023–2025 for the Implementation of the Strategy was adopted. Results of the implementation of this action plan are recorded in yearly reports (e.g. Yearly Report on Implementation of Action Plan for 2024 – Godišnji izveštaj o sprovođenju Akcionog plana za 2024. godinu). In the area of social inclusion, the report highlights activities carried out by youth organisations and public actors aimed at identifying young people at risk and preventing their social exclusion, as well as supporting career information and guidance for NEETs. The report presents statistical data on at‑risk‑of‑poverty, unemployment and NEET rates, which show that overall rates have been decreasing. However, there remains an issue of insufficient participation of NEETs in support programmes. The adoption of the new Action Plan for the period 2026–2028 for the Implementation of Youth Strategy is expected.

The previous Strategy for improving the position of Roma in the Republic of Serbia covered the period 2016–2025. However it had to be reviewed and aligned with a number of national and international documents, which led to the publication of the new and revised strategy in 2022 (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 30/18). The Strategy was followed by two Action Plans, one for the period 2022-2024 (Akcioni plan za period 2022-2024. godine za sprovođenje Strategije) and another for 2026-2027 (Akcioni plan za period 2026-2027. godine za sprovođenje Strategije). Reports on the implementation of Strategy are recorded on the yearly basis (e.g. Yearly Report on Implementation of Action Plan for 2024 – Izveštaj za 2024. o realizaciji aktivnosti iz akcionog plana za perod 2022-2024 za sprovođenje strategije). The reports contain information on a variety of activities and measures undertaken during the reporting period; however, there are no data on achieved values for key indicators so far.