Building on the representative FES Youth Study Southeast Europe 2024, this new analysis takes a deeper look at the values, attitudes, and democratic orientations of young people aged 14 to 29 across 12 countries.

Using segmentation analysis, the study identifies six distinct types of young people, revealing how they differ in terms of worldview, trust in institutions, political participation, and aspirations — and where they predominantly live. These findings offer valuable guidance on how to engage different groups of youth more effectively, both within EU member states and in neighboring regions.

How do young people across Southeast Europe (SEE) perceive societal development and their personal futures? This study provides comparative insights from twelve countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Greece, and Türkiye) for the purpose of fostering informed debate about their views on politics and democracy in the context of their life circumstances and values. Focusing on individuals aged 14 to 29, the Comparative Youth Study SEE 2024 builds on previous surveys conducted in the region by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

For each of the participating countries, scientistis from the respective regions were commissioned to produce individual country reports. Find all individual country reports plus additional analyses under youthstudies.fes.de, or in the list of youth studies publications below.

The regional comparative youth study was written by Jasmin Hasanović (lead author), Emina Adilović, Miran Lavrič and Dragan Stanojević and edited by Elena Avramovska (FES Democracy for the Future). The study was prepared based on a representative survey conducted by IPSOS between February 9 and March 25, 2024 using computer-assisted online interviews (CAWI), computer-assisted telephone interviews and computer-assisted face -to -face interviews. 

Based on a representative survey of almost 10.000 young people aged 15 to 29 in the Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as the Visegrad 4 countries (Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary), the Central Eastern Europe and the Baltics Youth Study from 2023 mixes a quantitative approach with a qualitative one. It aims to shed light on the everyday realities, values, and political opinions of young people in these regions.

Read more about the study here.