Zagreb boosts funding for child mental health services as 30% of youth remain underserved
The City of Zagreb has markedly increased its budget for counseling and mental‑health programs for children and young people. Funding for counseling services rose 233% (from €300,000 to €1 million) and money for mental‑health programmes jumped 539% (from €264,000 in 2021 to nearly €1.69 million projected for 2026).
The municipal report estimates that about 20% of Zagreb’s children experience mental‑health problems, but only roughly one‑fifth receive appropriate treatment. The current system reaches about 70% of the target group, leaving the remaining 30% without adequate support.
Service centres such as the Luka Ritz counselling centre, the Center for Youth Health, and the mental‑health units of the East and West health centres have expanded staff and capacity. Luka Ritz doubled its users and staff between 2021‑2025 and increased services by 45%; the Center for Youth Health saw a 376% rise in services and an 80% budget increase. In 2023 the East centre delivered 8,574 services to 1,629 users, while the West centre provided 1,819 services to 1,047 patients. Overall, city health institutions recorded nearly 77,000 mental‑health services.
A city official warned, “All alarms for children’s mental health should have been raised long ago; one data point is especially concerning.”