In 2024, the Institute for Youth Development KULT became a member of the Youth Hub for the Western Balkans and Türkiye (YH4WBT) Network, implementing the regional project “Stronger Voices for Better Choices – Youth Hub for WB&T.” The Network has been active since 2016 and focuses on developing an annual report on the political, economic, and social participation of young people in Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Türkiye, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The foundation of this report is the Youth Participation Index.
The Youth Participation Index for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, developed by the YH4WBT Network, includes over 20 indicators across three key areas: political, economic, and social participation. Using a combination of statistical data from different areas, the Index offers a single, country-level indicator that reflects the extent to which young people are able to participate in society, including decision-making, access to the labor market, and social engagement.
As part of this effort, the Institute is also leading work on the topic “Availability of Youth-Related Statistical Data in BiH – Challenges and Opportunities.” This initiative aims to produce a set of recommendations for government institutions since reliable, up-to-date data is essential for accurately compiling the Youth Participation Index. To support this goal, two consultation debates were held, one in Sarajevo and one in Banja Luka, bringing together representatives of key institutions, including entity statistical institutes, employment agencies, relevant ministries, and other stakeholders. Discussions centered around indicators where data is either unavailable, fragmented, or not aligned with European standards.
Participants emphasized the need to improve inter-institutional cooperation and coordination among statistical agencies and to harmonize methodologies across different levels of government. They also discussed challenges such as small sample sizes, high margins of error, and the lack of unified, consolidated data sources, especially regarding self-employed youth, youth receiving government incentives or social support, and youth involved in non-formal education.
Both debates highlighted that differences in mandates and methodologies between the two entities remain one of the main obstacles to collecting accurate and comparable data. Nonetheless, thanks to the responsiveness and willingness of institutions, including entity Institutes for Statistics, the Agency for Statistics of BiH, and other relevant bodies, data was successfully gathered for most of the indicators required for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Youth Participation Index.
All insights and recommendations from the discussions will be consolidated into a policy brief to serve as a foundation for future reporting, with the goal of improving the accuracy, completeness, and sustainability of youth data collection in BiH.
The regional Youth Participation Index for 2023 will be presented in Sarajevo on May 19, 2025, from 13:00 to 15:00, at Kolodvorska 12 (Tershouse).
The “Stronger Voices for Better Choices – Youth Hub for WB&T” project is implemented by seven organizations: Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation (Serbia, lead partner), Beyond Barriers Association (Albania), Institute for Youth Development KULT (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Democracy for Development (Kosovo), NGO Prima (Montenegro), Youth Alliance Kruševo (North Macedonia), and Community Volunteers Foundation (Türkiye). The project is funded by the European Commission through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) as part of the Multi-Country Annual Action Plan in Favor of the Western Balkans and Türkiye for 2024.
