Voices of Youth - Research into Youth in BiH

Since 1995 up until today, Voices of Youth (referred to in the following text as VoY) has become a global brand for youth involvement. UNICEF developed VoY as a means for 3,000 young people from 81 countries to send their messages to the leaders who gathered at the World summit on Social Development held in Copenhagen in the spring of 1995. Today, VoY relies on social media and digital technologies to empower youth and raise awareness about youth rights.



VoY is one of the first steps in collecting data on youth. The purpose of this project is to conduct research in order for the voices of youth in BiH to be heard. It takes into account their opinions, wishes, attitudes and possibilities and can act as a basis for creating policies for youth that will be more sensitive to their problems and provide youth with opportunities to participate more actively in society.

The main objectives of this research were to collect data on the attitudes, opinions, perceptions and wishes of youth and to detect any changes in their attitudes and opinions concerning different questions and problems.

This is seen in relation to what was determined in the research conducted four years ago (2011/2012) as well as any differences between the attitudes, opinions and perceptions of the general population of youth and certain vulnerable categories of youth.

This research was conducted in May 2016 using computer-assisted personal (face-to-face) interviewing (CAPI) on a sample representative of young people (N=2.016) in BiH aged between 15 and 30. One part of the sample (N=1.792 participants) comprised young people from the general population, while the other part consisted of young people who were members of the Roma population (N=104 participants) and youth with certain disabilities (N=120).

This report presents the results of the 2016 research and, for the purpose of comparison, utilises the results of the research conducted in 2011/12. Qualitative research in the form of focus groups was conducted as part of the research. The qualitative research Since 1995 up until today, Voices of Youth (referred to in the following text as VoY) has become a global brand for youth involvement. UNICEF developed VoY as a means for 3,000 young people from 81 countries to send their messages to the leaders who gathered at the World summit on Social Development held in Copenhagen in the spring of 1995. Today, VoY relies on social media and digital technologies to empower youth and raise awareness about youth rights.  

VoY is one of the first steps in collecting data on youth. The purpose of this project is to conduct research in order for the voices of youth in BiH to be heard. It takes into account their opinions, wishes, attitudes and possibilities and can act as a basis for creating policies for youth that will be more sensitive to their problems and provide youth with opportunities to participate more actively in society.  The main objectives of this research were to collect data on the attitudes, opinions, perceptions and wishes of youth and to detect any changes in their attitudes and opinions concerning different questions and problems.  

This is seen in relation to what was determined in the research conducted four years ago (2011/2012) as well as any differences between the attitudes, opinions and perceptions of the general population of youth and certain vulnerable categories of youth.

This research was conducted in May 2016 using computer-assisted personal (face-to-face) interviewing (CAPI) on a sample representative of young people (N=2.016) in BiH aged between 15 and 30. One part of the sample (N=1.792 participants) comprised young people from the general population, while the other part consisted of young people who were members of the Roma population (N=104 participants) and youth with certain disabilities (N=120). This report presents the results of the 2016 research and, for the purpose of comparison, utilises the results of the research conducted in 2011/12.

Qualitative research in the form of focus groups was conducted as part of the research. The qualitative research was conducted in three cities: Mostar, Banja Luka and Sarajevo. In Mostar there were two focus groups held with members of the general population from the urban and rural areas of Mostar. In Banja Luka, there were two focus groups; one involved young Roma and the other participants from the general population. In Sarajevo, three focus groups were held involving youth with sensory disabilities, youth with intellectual disabilities and participants from the general population.

The goal of the qualitative research was to identify and explain any differences in the findings on opinions and attitudes in 2016 in relation to the same quantitative research conducted in 2011/12. was conducted in three cities: Mostar, Banja Luka and Sarajevo. In Mostar there were two focus groups held with members of the general population from the urban and rural areas of Mostar. In Banja Luka, there were two focus groups; one involved young Roma and the other participants from the general population. In Sarajevo, three focus groups were held involving youth with sensory disabilities, youth with intellectual disabilities and participants from the general population.

The goal of the qualitative research was to identify and explain any differences in the findings on opinions and attitudes in 2016 in relation to the same quantitative research conducted in 2011/12.

*This publication was created as part of the project “Dialogue for the Future”, which is implemented by UNDP, UNICEF and UNESCO in partnership with the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project “Dialogue for the Future” is financed through the United Nation Peace- building Support Office/Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).