In 2020, local budgets allocated 23 lei on average for a young person. The highest number was 104 lei, while a few districts allocated zero lei for young people. Only seven territorial-administrative units spent above the national average, by three districts fewer than in 2019, shows a study by the National Youth Council CNTM.

CNTM general secretary Roman Banari told IPN that the districts of Straseni, Criuleni, Edinet, Sangerei, but also Balti municipality are the units with the highest youth allocations. Last year Straseni spent 104 lei per young person, Criuleni 85 lei, Edinet 64 lei, Sangerei 43 lei, and Balti 27 lei for a young person.

At the opposite side are the districts of Călărași and Dondușeni, which allocated zero lei per young person in their 2020 local budgets. Likewise, Cantemir spent 0.2 leu per young person, Drochia 0.4 leu, and Ștefan Vodă 0.7 leu.

67% of the young people interviewed in the study said that in 2020 they did not participate in actions covered by local youth budgets. Officials in some districts said that young people are eager to participate in solving the problems that concern them, but due to the pandemic, their involvement in decision-making processes has been limited.

Banari suggests that the government should set a lower limit for youth allocations at local level, because “unfortunately, there are districts that have not allocated even one leu per young person, which is alarming. For example, regulating that at least 3% of the district budget be allocated for the youth sector would solve some problems.”

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2020 there were over 680 thousand young people in Moldova, which represents 26% of the country’s population.