Study on the Romanian Youth: What are the Opinions, Fears, and Aspirations of the New Generation?

How do young people evaluate the education system? How many of them work, and how many have enough income to support themselves? What fears and hopes do they have? How do they relate to politics, and what are, in their opinion, the main problems the country will face in the next 10 years? These are some of the questions addressed by the "Youth Study Romania 2024. Opinions, Fears, and Aspirations of Young People in a Romania of Social Inequalities", launched by the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation Romania (FES Romania) on October 18 in Bucharest. The authors of the research—Gabriel Bădescu (coordinator), Radu Umbreș, Mălina Voicu, and Claudiu Tufiș—analyzed the attitudes and behaviors of Romanian youth to shed light on various aspects of their lives, including their views on society and politics.

The study is based on survey data conducted by IPSOS among young people aged 14-29, from 12 countries in the region: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Greece, and Turkey. The information complements previous studies from 2014 and 2018/2019 on Romanian youth, carried out by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

Dissatisfaction with the Quality of the Education System

Nearly half of Romanian youth are dissatisfied with the quality of education in the country: 19% are completely dissatisfied, while 22% are somewhat dissatisfied. Only 18% of young people report being satisfied with the quality of education, a figure that falls below the regional average of 26%, and is significantly lower than in Slovenia (54%) and Croatia (39%). It is also lower than in Bulgaria (22%) and Serbia (26%). Additionally, a majority (57%) partially or fully agree that corruption exists within the education system, and 32% believe that grades can be bought.

Social Media Occupies a Significant Portion of Their Online Time

Regarding online time usage, 35% of young people stated that they spend more than two hours daily on social media, and 18% spend more than three hours.

The Majority Work but Feel Economic Insecurity

Most young people in Romania (48%) engage in paid work, a relatively high percentage given that the sample includes individuals aged 14-29. About one-third (31%) of Romanian youth hold full-time, permanent jobs, a significantly higher percentage than the average in the countries included in the study (22%). However, Romanian youth are more affected by economic insecurity and instability: 53% of respondents report feeling discriminated against due to economic conditions, either sometimes or often. Additionally, 8% of Romanian youth stated that their income is insufficient even for basic necessities, one of the highest rates in the region.

Most Declare Intent to Emigrate

A majority of young people intend to emigrate abroad for more than six months: one-third (33%) have a moderate desire to leave, while 19% wish to emigrate either very much (11%) or extremely (8%). The main reasons for emigration are economic: improving living standards, higher wages, or better job opportunities.

Young people tend to live with their families due to the comfort provided and predominantly good relationships with their parents. The desire for independence is higher among men and rural youth but is limited by reduced financial opportunities.

Main Fears: War and Healthcare Quality

Most young people fear issues that could threaten their survival, such as war, inadequate healthcare, unemployment, and serious illnesses. Fear of war and poor-quality healthcare were mentioned by 59% of respondents, followed by unemployment (57%) and serious illness (53%).

Romanian youth are among the most worried about violence in all forms compared to other countries in the region. Regarding gender differences, it is noteworthy that young women report a higher percentage of fears and concerns, with the percentage of young women fearing sexual, domestic, or physical violence being approximately 50% higher than that of young men.

More Tolerant Regarding Abortion and Homosexuality

Romanian youth are among the most tolerant of abortion and homosexuality in the region. The acceptance of abortion is 5.87 on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 = "never justified," 10 = "always justified"). The average score for homosexuality is 5.31. In the previous 2019 study, the average response regarding the justification of abortion was only 3.6, while for homosexuality, it was 3.1. Over five years, there has been a significant liberalization in attitudes towards these two dimensions, indicating an important shift in youth views on private life.

More Polarization Regarding Women's and Minority Rights

When asked about the acceptance of certain categories of people as neighbors, two-thirds of Romanian youth categorically oppose drug users (69% express rejection). LGBTI people are second, being rejected by 36% of youth, while 30% accept them, and 34% remain neutral. Romani people are third, with similar percentages: 32% of Romanian youth reject them, 40% are neutral, and only 28% accept them. Regarding women's rights, a significantly higher percentage of young women believe that women do not have enough rights compared to young men (56% vs. 27%).

The comparison with 2019 data shows that over the past five years, opinions on the rights of women, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQIA+ people have become more polarized.

Increased Interest in Politics, but Most Young People Feel Unrepresented

Almost 45% of young people are not interested in politics, but this percentage is lower than in nine other countries in the study. Interest in politics has increased compared to 2019, when 76% were uninterested, and only 9% were interested. By 2024, the percentage of the uninterested has dropped to 45%, and those interested have reached 18%. Men (20%) show more interest in politics than women (15%).

Political interest is influenced by the perception of youth representation: 55% of young people believe that their interests are not well-represented in politics, 30% think the representation is average, and only 15% consider it adequate.

Young People Lean Towards the Center but Support Social and Interventionist Policies

When asked where they place themselves on the political left-right spectrum (from 1 = far-left to 10 = far-right), the majority of young people position themselves in the center (50% choose values of 5 or 6). Right-wing and far-right positions attract three times more respondents (38%) than left-wing and far-left positions (12%). It's worth noting that only 77% of young people can self-position on this axis, while 23% do not know or do not want to express their stance. It is also notable that those who consider themselves right-wing and those who are very interested in politics tend to approve authoritarian perspectives slightly more often.

At the same time, when asked about state intervention in the economy, young people seem more inclined to opt for social and interventionist policies:

• 55% of young people agree that incomes should be more equal;
• 57% agree that the state should have more involvement in business and industry;
• 73% agree that it is the government’s responsibility to help people.

The Majority Choose Democracy, but Some Support Dictatorship in Certain Situations

The study reveals that half of young people in Romania agree that democracy is a good form of government (55%), that it is preferable to any other form of government (50%), or that it is the best system of government if it can provide people with economic security (50%).

On the other hand, it is worrying that 25% of young people agree that dictatorship can be a better form of government than democracy in certain situations, and less than half (47%) reject this idea. It is also concerning that 33% of young people would give up some civil liberties for a better standard of living, and 40% would give up some of these liberties for a safer life. A similar percentage (41%) believe that it would be good for Romania to have a strong leader who does not bother with Parliament and elections.

Corruption: The Main Problem Romania Will Face in the Next 10 Years

For 72% of Romanian youth, corruption remains the main problem Romania will face in the next decade. In second and third place are the emigration of skilled labor (57%) and the quality of public services (54%).

Corruption ranks among the top three issues mentioned in all the countries in the region included in the study. Unemployment is among the top three problems in all countries except Romania; emigration and the quality of public services are among the top three problems in seven out of the 12 countries included in the research.

The full study in English is available at the following link: https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/bukarest/21456.pdf

The full study in Romanian is available at the following link: https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/bukarest/21471.pdf

For more information, please contact us at the following details: Tudorina Mihai, email: tudorina.mihai@fes.de, phone number: 021 211 0982.