Youth in Bosnia & Herzegovina

Bosnia is in southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula, bordering Slovenia to the northwest, Croatia to the north, and Serbia and Montenegro to the south and southwest; it has a tiny coastline along the Adriatic Sea.

It is enough to live in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a short period of time and to get to know in how difficult situation are young people in this country. Because of lack of job opportunities for the young generations of the society, one of the most common desires amongst young is to leave the country and live and work elsewhere in Europe and the world

With an estimated population of 950,000 between the age of 15 and 29, young people represent about a quarter of the total population in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH). With a youth unemployment rate above 57%, BH maintains one of the highest rates of unemployment for young people in all of Europe, meaning that this group in society continues to face incredible economic and social barriers as they try to integrate into the country’s job markets.

Current economic trends in Bosnia and Herzegovina are having a particularly negative impact on the country’s youth. Many young people who complete vocational or tertiary education in BH are not able to find a job in their relevant profession, while many others turn to low quality jobs in the informal – or shadow – economy. Less than half of all employed people below the age of 29 manage to find work in a field in which they were educated – leading to a high rate of youth migration out of the country.

It is very difficult to find a job nowadays, especially if you are young and have no work experience. For me, participating in some project as a volunteer gave me the opportunity to work directly with youth and gain some work experience. This will help me in my future work after finishing college, and, hopefully, help me find a job. 

By supporting employment skills and job search assistance, providing volunteer opportunities for young people to learn and be leaders in their communities, and offering opportunities for young people to network and learn from the experiences of other youth, program partners have been able to create new development opportunities for young people throughout BH.

Youth unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina is over 70%. Through the new Active Youth Program. the World Bank and its partners have provided more than €175,000 in grants to 37 organizations around the country. More than 1000 volunteers participated in grant projects; projects also mobilized an additional. €70,000 in resources including labor and in-kind contributions

Nikolina Kunić
Prijedor, Bosnia Herzegovina