The Alternative report on the position and the needs of young people in the Republic of Serbia is the largest yearly research on the youth of Serbia. The National Youth Council of Serbia (KOMS) has been doing this research since 2017 and has been basing its advocacy efforts off of it.
This year’s research was carried out between April 25th and May 5th 2025 on a representative sample of 1.259 youths aged between 15 and 30, using both qualitative and quantitative research and data collection methods.
The secretary-general of KOMS, Milica Borjanić, told Mašina that this year’s International Youth Day is being marked in an atmosphere of deep disappointment, but also of clear political articulation among young people.
“Support for student protests, interest in political developments, and the increasingly vocal rejection of the authoritarian model of governance show that young people are not passive – they are systematically marginalized,” Borjanić believes.
According to our interviewee, it is difficult to talk about celebration when nearly half of young people plan to leave the country, over 75% face mental health issues, and employment and education increasingly depend on having connections rather than knowledge.
“Youth Day should be a day of recognition, empowerment, and investment – but under these conditions, it resembles more a reminder of how the system fails to work in favor of young people. Still, we have reasons for hope and optimism because statistics show that despite everything, young people are ready to change society – provided the system finally listens to them instead of ignoring them,” Borjanić concludes.

Corruption is the biggest problem in our society
KOMS asked young people what they see as the biggest problems in the society they live in. Unlike previous years, when the main concern for young people was the education system, this year corruption ranks first, with 81.3% of responses, followed by the lack of democracy and justice, and then the value system.
The education system has declined significantly as a problem among young people. For years, between 65% and 70% of young people highlighted this issue, but this year it became the “least” important problem, with only 34% of responses. Besides corruption, a significant increase is noticeable in the responses regarding the lack of democracy and justice (rising from 56.2% to as much as 79%). Apart from unemployment and education, all other “problems” for young people have gained in importance, meaning that the number of responses identifying other problems has increased.

90% of Young People Supports the Student Protests
Every year, KOMS monitors current events in society, and this year they asked young people a series of questions regarding student protests. First, they asked how they view the student protests. Nearly 90% of young people have a positive view of the student protests.
When asked whether they support blockades, both at universities and high schools, the majority of young people stated they support blockades at both levels. Specifically, 90% support university blockades, while 76% support high school blockades.
Around 95% of them have a negative view of the government’s response to the student protests.
The survey also showed that young people are significantly more interested in politics and political developments than in previous years.
Half of young people believe that the system does not allow them any influence over political processes and decisions, while more than 80% expressed interest in political events.
Over 90% of young people would vote
The report shows that over 90% of young people are willing to vote in parliamentary elections if they were held next week, with one-third of them saying they would vote only if encouraged by students. The main reasons young people cite for not voting are that all politicians are the same and do not work in the interest of citizens, as well as that they currently have no one to vote for. As many as 62.4% of young people believe that elections in Serbia are not fair at all.
60% of young people believe that democracy is the best form of government, an increase of 20% compared to last year. More than half of young people say that Serbia does not need a strong leader, which, compared to data from the past five years, is the first time that young people are predominantly against a strong leader at the head of the state.
Against lithium mining, the EU, and mandatory military service
Over 90% of young people believe that lithium mining should not begin in Serbia in the near future.
Less than half, or 43%, of young people support Serbia joining the EU. Nearly 75% believe that Serbia has not yet become an EU member because it does not meet the criteria of democracy and the rule of law.
When asked what Serbia should do regarding Kosovo, the largest share of young people (30.6%) think that Serbia should work on reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians and leave the question of status for later. The option of reclaiming Kosovo by military means, which in previous years had the most support, is now backed by only 13.2% of respondents.
61% of young people this year oppose introducing mandatory military service for men, whereas in 2024, support for military service had the majority.

Half of young people want to leave Serbia
Young people predominantly believe that the most important factors for getting a job are personal and family connections, as well as membership and activism in a political party, with proper formal education or prior work experience coming only afterward. About 12% of young people say they work “informally,” and nearly half are not employed in positions related to their field of study.
Over 60% of young people gave up continuing their education because they could not afford it and had to work to support themselves and their families.
Nearly 70% of young people are not considering taking out subsidized housing loans for youth, while only 0.3% have already applied for this support measure.
Almost half of young people plan to leave Serbia, while 43% do not rule out the possibility. The main reasons for leaving are a more dignified life and a higher standard of living. As a reason to stay in Serbia, the majority of young people cite the desire to change Serbia so that it becomes a decent place to live and work (58.5%).
More than three-quarters of young people reported experiencing mental health difficulties in the past year.
Only one in eight young people has received the HPV vaccine. There remains a significant lack of awareness about this vaccine, as over 45% stated that they had no information, did not trust it, or knew nothing about the HPV vaccine.
Data from the survey increasingly indicate the need to improve the situation of young people in Serbia. However, in this challenging year, young people have shown a strong desire to initiate the changes they need. The alternative report for 2025 confirms that they are highly motivated to build a better society and that, statistically speaking, the future is bright.
A.G.A.