Statistical Office: Demographic Phenomena over Youth Emigration Worrying

According to a study by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the number of young people between the two census processes (2002 and 2021), fell by 6%. Based on the Law on Young People, 0.3% of the total Budget of the country and 0.1% of the municipal budget to implement youth policies has to be allocated, but that doesn’t happen in practice, researchers note.

The State Statistical Office points out that the reasons why the young emigrate are complex. However, it adds it deals with the demographic phenomena, not with the genesis of the issue. The Office’s Director, Apostol Simovski, believes that those phenomena are worrying, especially in terms of emigration of young and educated staff. The Youth and Sports Agency allocates more money for sports than for employment of youth policies.

However, it points out that a strategy has been drawn up, where the budget will be increased. Youth councils have been formed in eight of 81 municipalities. 53% of young people are inactive from an economic standpoint, unemployment is 28%.