National Youth Work and Youth Policy Programme

The National Youth Work and Youth Policy Programme is a horizontal programme, which the Government adopts every four years with the aim of promoting a good environment for young people to grow up and live. In the Programme, the Government defines its youth policy objectives and the measures to achieve them. The Programme also outlines youth work, including the priorities for the selection of national centers of excellence in the youth sector for this programme period, and sets Finland's national objectives for European and international activities in the youth sector.

The Programme has been adopted as a government resolution. The Youth Act (1285/2016) forms the Programme's legislative basis. Provisions on the Programme are laid down in section 5 of the Act and supplemented by the Government Decree on Youth Work and Youth Policy (211/2017). 

Youth Act (1285/2016)Link to an external websiteOpens in a new tab (in Finnish)

Government Decree on Youth Work and Youth Policy (211/2017) Link to an external website Opens in a new tab (in Finnish) 

The current programme for 2024–2027 was adopted as a government resolution in March 2024. In addition to the Youth Act and the Government Decree issued based on it, the programme content is guided by the Government Programme's entries on young people. The 2024–2027 Programme is structured under the theme “Strengthening young people's wellbeing through multidisciplinary measures”. With the help of the Programme, the Government strengthens the cross-administrative management of the measures improving young people's wellbeing. 

The Programme applies to people under 29 years of age, which corresponds to the age limit set out in the Youth Act. The Programme priorities focus on improving the conditions in which young people grow up and live during the key stage of youth between 12 and 25 years of age. 

Drawing up the National Youth Work and Youth Policy Programme 2024–2027

The drafting of the current programme started with a consultation of young people on issues that are important for their lives and wellbeing. As part of the preparation phase of the policy programme more than 7000 young people as well as those working with young people were engaged in the hearing process.  This ensures that the programme meets the current needs of young people and the youth field.

To provide background material for the drafting, the State Youth Council carried out a review of young people’s wellbeing. An evaluation of the past Programme's implementation, which the State Youth Council carried out, was also used in the preparation.

Review of young people's wellbeing 2023 Link to an external website Opens in a new tab (in Finnish)

During the spring 2023, the Ministry of Education and Culture also engaged in dialogue with the youth work sector on what issues related to youth work development should be included in the new programme. The Ministry invited youth workers, organizations and other operators in the youth sector to come forward and express their views.

The Ministry of Education and Culture, in cooperation with other ministries central to improving the conditions in which young people grow up and live, prepared proposals for the new programme's youth policy objectives and measures. Also an open consultation on the draft programme was organized at the turn of 2023-2024.

Previous programmes

Related information

State Youth Council

Youth Barometers, Youth Living Conditions Yearbooks, and surveys on children’s and young people’s leisure activities.

State Youth Council

School Health Promotion

The School Health Promotion survey provides a wide range of reliable monitoring data on the wellbeing of children and young people of different ages, both regionally and locally.

School Health Promotion

Centre of Excellence for Inclusion

Information and studies on young people’s inclusion.

Osallisuuden osaamiskeskus

Contact information

Mikko Cortés Téllez, Senior Coordinator 
Ministry of Education and Culture, Nuoriso- ja liikuntapolitiikan osasto (NUOLI), Nuorisotyön ja -politiikan vastuualue (NV) Telephone:0295330080   Email Address:

Sanna Puura, Ministerial Adviser 
Ministry of Education and Culture, Nuoriso- ja liikuntapolitiikan osasto (NUOLI), Nuorisotyön ja -politiikan vastuualue (NV) Telephone:0295330128   Email Address: