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The Youth Research Institute unveiled its latest publication, “Youth ’23 – Report on Youth,” during an event titled “These are today’s (Hungarian) youth!” at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium in Budapest. This 60-page collection, featuring contributions from researchers at the Institute and other social science workshops, delves into the circumstances of the 18-29 age group through short studies.
“These are today’s (Hungarian) youth!”. Photo: MCC / Molnár Mihály
Comprising eight papers, the report addresses key issues that have affected youth in the past year. These issues, including the labor market, mental health, education, the situation of Hungarian youth abroad, and youth advocacy and policy matters, set the framework for the entire publication.
Levente Székely, the Director of the Institute, expressed the intention behind creating the report as a means of establishing a tradition during his welcome speech.
Georgina Kiss-Kozma, the Institute’s Head of Research, highlighted current demographic data at the beginning of the late afternoon roundtable discussion. The population of present-day Hungarian youth comprises 1.56 million people out of a total population of 9.6 million.
Levente Székely. Photo: MCC / Molnár Mihály
The discussion, involving Tünde Fűrész (President, Mária Kopp Institute for Population and Families), Péter Kovács (President, National Youth Council), Géza Sebestyén (Head of the Economic Policy Workshop at MCC), and Ferenc Sullivan (Researcher at the Institute for Youth Research), covered themes from the study, focusing mainly on economic, advocacy, and family policy areas.
The first theme of the discussion centered around new definitions of youth, considering aspects beyond demographics, such as national consciousness and the years spent studying. Mental health emerged as a significant topic, highlighting the seriousness of the situation, as half of young people in Europe have not received adequate help for mental health problems.
Addressing the labor market situation, Géza Sebestyén illustrated that young Hungarians’ employment prospects are positive, with a 14% unemployment rate, considered favorable by European standards. The panelists acknowledged the importance of regulating digitalization, artificial intelligence, and online spaces, as modern technologies play a crucial role in both education and the labor market. However, they also agreed that these technologies need more regularization.
“These are today’s (Hungarian) youth!”, roundtable talk. Photo: MCC / Molnár Mihály
Tünde Fűrész emphasized the positive impact of state support measures, such as tax exemptions for under-25s and various family home loans, in encouraging independence and private commitment among 18-29 year-olds.
The last topic discussed was youth advocacy, highlighting the involvement of stakeholders in decision-making through organizations like the National Youth Council or the Student Parliament, said Péter Kovács. The focus for 2023-24 was the situation of the Erasmus European University Mobility Program in Hungary, where EU decisions led to the exclusion of several Hungarian universities.
The published report is accessible in the Youth Research Institute’s online knowledge repository.
Featured Image: MCC / Molnár Mihály