On International Youth Day, ever since 2017, the National Youth Council of Serbia (KOMS) has traditionally published the results of the largest annual youth study in Serbia – the Alternative Report on the Position and Needs of Youth in the Republic of Serbia.

This year’s research was conducted between April 25 and May 5, 2025, on a representative sample of 1,259 young people aged 15 to 30, using both qualitative and quantitative research and data collection methods.

You can view the full 2025 Alternative Report on the Position and Needs of Youth in the Republic of Serbia here, and some of the most important findings are:

Youth and Student Protests: Nearly 95% of young people support student protests, and the same percentage expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s response to them.

Youth Influence on Political Processes and Decisions: Half of young people believe the system does not allow them to influence political processes and decisions at all, while more than 80% expressed interest in political events.

Youth Perspectives on Elections in Serbia: Over 90% of young people are ready to vote in parliamentary elections if they were held next week, with one-third of them willing to vote only if students call on them to do so. The main reasons young people cite for not voting are that all politicians are the same and do not work for the benefit of citizens, as well as the belief that there is currently no one worth voting for. As many as 62.4% of young people believe elections in Serbia are not fair and free at all.

Youth Perspectives on Democracy: 60% of young people believe democracy is the best form of government, which represents a 20% increase compared to last year.

Youth Perspectives on Leadership: More than half of young people say Serbia does not need a strong leader, marking the first time in the past five years that a majority of youth oppose having a strong leader at the head of the state.

Youth Perspectives on EU: 43% of young people support Serbia’s accession to the EU. Nearly 75% believe that Serbia has not yet become an EU member because it does not meet the criteria for democracy and the rule of law.

Youth Perspectives on Status of Kosovo: When asked what Serbia should do regarding Kosovo, the largest share of young people (30.6%) believe Serbia should work on reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians and leave the status question for later. Support for the option of regaining Kosovo by military means — previously the most supported answer — has now dropped to only 13.2%.

Youth Perspectives on Mandatory Military Service: 61% of young people oppose introducing mandatory military service for men this year, whereas in 2024, the majority supported it.

Youth Perspectives on Lithium Mining in Serbia: Over 90% of young people believe that lithium mining should not begin in Serbia in the near future.

Youth Employment: Young people mostly believe that personal and family connections, as well as political party membership and activism, are the most important factors in getting a job — ahead of adequate formal education or previous work experience. About 12% of young people work “off the books,” and nearly half are not employed in positions for which they were educated.

Education: Over 60% of young people dropped out of further education because they could not afford it and had to work to support themselves and their families.

Youth Perspectives on Subsidized Housing Loans: Nearly 70% of young people are not considering taking out subsidized housing loans, while only 0.3% have already applied for this support measure.

Plans to Move Abroad: Nearly half of young people plan to leave Serbia, while 43% do not rule out that possibility. The main reasons for leaving are a more dignified life and a higher standard of living. The main reason young people cite for staying is the desire to change Serbia and make it a decent place to live and work (58.5%).

Mental Health: More than three-quarters of young people reported having mental health difficulties in the past year, and more than half believe professional mental health support is insufficiently accessible.

Youth and the HPV Vaccine: Only one in eight young people has received the HPV vaccine. A significant level of unawareness about the vaccine remains, with over 45% saying they had no information, have no trust, or know nothing about the HPV vaccine.

 

This year’s Alternative Report was published with the financial support of the European Union. The content of the report is the responsibility of the National Youth Council of Serbia and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.