Welcome to the OECD Dataset on Youth Empowerment and Intergenerational Justice, which contains the results of the OECD Youth Governance Survey directed to government entities responsible for coordinating youth policy at national level. The database provides policymakers, academics and civil society with information about the policies, laws, institutional capacities and governance tools put in place to support young people in their transition to an autonomous life, to enhance their participation and representation in public life and to deliver fair policy outcomes for all generations, including best practices and examples from across OECD member and selected non-member countries.
This database is made available free of charge. However, data is protected by copyright and we kindly request that you cite the OECD as the source when using this data (in the case below: 2020 OECD Youth Governance Survey). To help us better track the use of this database, we would appreciate receiving electronic copies of any papers that cite the database (Moritz Ader, Project Coordinator).
The data presented here was collected using an online questionnaire directed to government entities responsible for coordinating youth policy at national level. The survey is divided in two parts:
1. How to improve public policies and services for young people: with a focus on youth policy, the role of public institutions in delivering it and tools to integrate the perspective of young people in policymaking. This section also looks at the impact of laws and regulations on the access of young people to important services for their transition to an autonomous life. More specifically, the subjects under each sub-section included:
I. Youth Policy that addresses young people’s concerns
II. The role of public institutions in youth policy
III. Integration of the perspectives of young people in public policy
IV. Legal frameworks and minimum-age requirements
V. Success factors for youth-responsive policy outcomes
2. Youth participation and representation in practice: analysing the way governments inform, communicate and generate feedback loops with young people. This section gathers information about the opportunities for youth to shape policy outcomes, engage as volunteers and in youth work and thrive in the central government workforce and other state institutions. More specifically, the subjects under each sub-section included:
***Disclaimer: The current database comprises only a selection of questions from the 2020 OECD Youth Governance Survey. The selection contains only those questions published in the OECD reports Government at a Glance 2021 and Governance for Youth, Trust and Intergenerational Justice: Fit for All Generations?.***
The 2020 database comprises 33 OECD member countries1 as well as Brazil, Costa Rica and Romania. Respondents were senior officials from the youth ministry or any other ministerial department responsible for the co-ordination of youth policy at national level. The content of the database draws heavily upon self-reporting from governments representing the country’s own assessment of current practices and procedures. Data refer mostly to central/federal governments and exclude the subnational level. For the purpose of standardization and consistency, the survey considered existing practices and plans as of April 2020.
Preliminary results were presented to the OECD Public Governance Committee (PGC). The OECD Public Governance Directorate conducted data cleaning activities and quality control of the responses in order to ensure consistency and reliability. In case of remarks or questions related to the answers in the database, please contact: Moritz Ader.
• OECD (2020) Youth Governance Survey
• OECD (2020), Governance for Youth, Trust and Intergenerational Justice: Fit for All Generations?, OECD Public Governance Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris