Every year, tens of thousands of young people from across Europe spend one to three weeks working together on a topic that matters to them. The themes they choose reveal something important about the anxieties, ambitions, and questions that animate European youth at a particular moment in history. This report maps the thematic landscape of Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges from 2020 to 2024 — a period stretching from a global pandemic through a war on the European continent and deepening climate concern. Six dominant topics emerged.  Here is what the data shows.

The Six Dominant Topics

Across the 2020–2024 period, project themes clustered around six core areas. Green & Climate and Inclusion & Diversity together account for nearly half of all projects — reflecting both EU policy priorities and the lived concerns of young Europeans.

How Topics Grew Over Five Years

Not all topics grew at the same pace. The indexed growth chart reveals two standout stories: the rapid rise of Green & Climate projects following the European Green Deal in 2020, and the dramatic acceleration of Mental Health projects from 2021 onwards — a direct response to the psychological toll of COVID-19 on young people across Europe.

Key Finding

Mental Health is the fastest-growing topic of the five-year period, reaching an estimated index of 235 by 2024 — more than doubling its 2020 baseline. Green & Climate peaked in 2022 (index: 175) and has since stabilised, suggesting the initial surge driven by the European Green Deal has matured into a steady programme fixture.

Where Each Topic Lands — Country by Country

Topic emphasis varies significantly across Europe. The heatmap scores 15 key programme countries on their relative engagement with each theme, on a scale of 1 to 5. Several patterns emerge clearly: Sweden and Lithuania lead on Mental Health; Spain and Portugal are most active on Green themes; Italy and Sweden score highest on Gender Equality.

Which Countries Are Most Active?

Youth Exchange activity is not evenly distributed across Europe. Spain, Italy, and Germany consistently generate the highest volumes of outgoing projects — reflecting their large youth sectors and well-resourced national agencies. Lithuania punches above its demographic weight, reflecting strong national investment in youth mobility.

Topic Mix Differs by Region

The radar charts reveal how thematic emphasis differs markedly between the three broad European regions. Western and Northern Europe leads on Green and Digital themes; Eastern and Central Europe prioritises Mental Health and Democracy; Southern Europe places greatest emphasis on Inclusion, Gender Equality, and Green themes.

How the Annual Mix Shifted Year by Year

The stacked bar chart captures year-by-year shifts in proportional topic balance. The most visible changes: Green projects peaked in 2022 before stabilising; Mental Health grew steadily from 2021 to become the joint-leading topic by 2024; Democracy & Citizenship spiked in 2022 during the European Year of Youth and then receded.

What the Data Tells Us

Looking across five years, three broad conclusions stand out.

First, European youth policy shapes what young people talk about. The Green Deal produced green exchanges, the pandemic produced mental health exchanges, and the European Year of Youth produced democracy exchanges. The relationship between EU priorities and project topics is direct and measurable.

Second, topics are increasingly intersecting. The most impactful projects of 2023 and 2024 rarely address a single theme in isolation — they weave together green and social justice, or mental health and digital well-being. This reflects a maturing sophistication in how youth workers design non-formal learning experiences.

Third, geography still shapes thematic access. The regional differences reflect differences in national agency priorities, civil society capacity, and the political contexts in which young people are living.

Aloes Research Education and Development Hub  ·  February 2026