The Youth Council of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina presented the results of the first Analysis of Budgetary Allocations for Youth in the Federation of BiH. The aim of the analysis was to provide an overview of investments in youth in the Federation and cantons for the period 2022-2024, assess the transparency and effectiveness of existing mechanisms, and offer recommendations for improving the financing system.

The analysis covers the federal and cantonal levels of government, and focuses on the Youth Transfer - the only clearly identified budget line, and other allocations such as youth projects, employment and scholarship programs, as well as transfers in the areas of sports, culture, and housing. The budgets of all ten cantons were analyzed, with an emphasis on differences in the scope, structure, and transparency of allocations.

The findings showed that, although the FBiH Youth Law prescribes the obligation to finance youth programs, the practice remains far from systematic and strategic. At the federal level, annual youth allocations average around 2 million KM, which represents less than 0.1% of the total budget expenditures of the Federation of BiH. When this data is put into the context of the fact that young people make up almost a quarter of the population, it is clear that investments do not correspond to the real needs of this social group.

The youth transfer, which was increased from 400,000 to 600,000 KM in 2025, shows a positive trend in the growth of funds, but it still remains modest in relation to the total budget and the needs of young people. More importantly, a large number of youth organizations do not have access to this fund because the procedures are complicated, the administrative requirements are complex, and the criteria are often unclear. This means that the funds exist, but they are difficult and rare for organized youth to access. On average, only 23% of beneficiaries are youth organizations.

Significant differences in allocations are evident at the cantonal level. Sarajevo Canton leads in subsidizing housing and rent for young people with 900,000 KM, while Una-Sana and Posavina Cantons allocate 450,000 KM and 300,000 KM, respectively. Una-Sana Canton also stands out by continuously providing funds for youth organizations and the Youth Council, followed to a lesser extent by Bosnian-Podrinje and Central Bosnian Cantons. When it comes to scholarships, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton allocates the most with 4.3 million KM, followed by Zenica-Doboj (3.4 million KM) and Sarajevo Canton (2,385,000 KM).

The analysis also showed a worrying level of exclusion of young people from the decision-making process, where more than half of youth organizations have never participated in budget planning, while as many as 42% of them have never applied for public calls, most often due to lack of information or complex procedures. A third believe that the allocated funds do not correspond to the real needs of young people, and half believe that the funds end up with the same beneficiaries, which further undermines trust in institutions.

The conclusion is clear - investments in youth must become a strategic category, with clear goals, multi-year programs and transparent monitoring of results. Investments in youth must not be an incidental item in the budget. They must be planned, measurable and visible. In this regard, the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH, through this analysis, also makes clear recommendations:

- it is necessary to establish a single budget classification for youth,

- increase and stabilize funds through multi-year programs,

- digitalize application procedures and reduce administrative obstacles.

In addition, it is necessary to form the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH as an interdepartmental body that would ensure the institutional involvement of young people in decision-making, and return the Youth Strategy of the Federation of BiH to the parliamentary procedure and adopt it together with the Action Plan that provides for a clear allocation of budget funds with the aim of developing better policies for youth.

“Youth in the Federation of BiH are not marginalized due to their own invisibility, but as a consequence of existing budgetary and institutional practices. It is time to change that.
Our recommendations are not a wish list, but the minimum required to treat young people as an equal social resource. If we are talking about the future of the country, then investing in youth cannot remain a secondary budget item. It must become a strategic priority.” - Iman Maslić, President of the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH.

The final document of the Analysis, with detailed data, findings and recommendations for improving institutional investment in youth, will be publicly available on the official website of the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH - www.vijecemladih.ba.