This resource presents the main findings of the study Youth Participation and Civic Engagement in Local Communities, developed within the European project Y-IMPACT. The report examines youth participation across three different local contexts —Cyprus, Norway and Spain— aiming to understand young people’s willingness to participate, the conditions that shape their engagement, and the barriers they face.

The study combines a quantitative survey of 127 young people aged 13 to 18 with a qualitative local needs assessment in Parekklisia (Cyprus). The results reveal a shared pattern across countries: young people show a strong desire to participate, yet actual participation is constrained by structural barriers such as lack of time, unclear participation pathways and the perception that adults only listen occasionally.

Across all contexts, young people express greater interest in influencing areas closely linked to everyday life, including education, leisure, sports and public space. Regarding formal mechanisms—such as youth councils—the study highlights significant differences depending on the territorial context: in Cyprus they receive broad support and interest, whereas in Norway and Spain their perception is more diverse and shaped by previous experience, the flexibility of participation formats, and the visibility of their real impact.

A key contribution of the report is the distinction between social belonging and civic belonging. While young people generally feel socially connected to their communities through family and friends, they rarely experience a sense of civic inclusion or real influence in local decision-making. This highlights the need to rethink youth participation not only as an institutional structure, but as an embedded and meaningful daily practice.

The resource also offers policy-oriented recommendations for local authorities and practitioners: improving the visibility of participation pathways, adapting formats to young people’s time constraints, diversifying participation models, ensuring clear feedback mechanisms and making outcomes visible. Overall, the study advocates for youth participation that is more accessible, relevant and capable of generating tangible community impact.