In 2021, across the EU, young people left their parental household on average at the age of 26.5 years. The oldest average ages, all over 30, were in Portugal (33.6 years), Croatia (33.3 years), Slovakia (30.9 years), Greece (30.7 years) and Bulgaria (30.3 years).
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By contrast, Sweden (19.0 years), Finland (21.2 years), Denmark (21.3 years) and Estonia (22.7 years) recorded the lowest average ages, all under 23 years old.
In most northern and western countries, young people left the parental home on average in their early to mid-twenties, while in southern and eastern countries, the average age was in the late twenties or early thirties.
**Men left the parental home later than women**
In the EU, on average, males left the parental household at the age of 27.4 years and females at 25.5 years in 2021. This trend was observed in all countries, i.e. young women moved out of the parental household on average earlier than young men.
Men left their parental home, on average, after the age of 30 in 11 EU countries (Croatia, Portugal, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Greece, Slovenia, Italy, Malta, Spain, Romania and Poland) while this is the case for women in only 2 countries (Portugal and Croatia).
The widest gender gap was found in Romania, where young males left at 30.3 years and females at 25.6 years (4.7 year gender gap), followed by Bulgaria (3.5 year gap), with males moving out at 32.0 years and females at 28.5 years.
Well of course women leave earlier than men, they usually move to the boyfriend’s house. And usually the boyfriend is some years older than the female counterpart.
Home sweet home.
It’s funny that they never collect data from Ireland. Average age is probably around 30 also.
I moved out permanently when I was 25, and now I am 32 and moved back with them. There is just no point to buy anything with today’s prices and I am working from home permanently.
I actually never thought people leave their parents homes this late? This is mind blowing! I left when I was 19 because of studying and by the time I was done I didn’t feel like following my parents rules anymore.
We avoid renting if it’s at all possible – this shows in other statistics, some 90% of us own the roof over our head.
To that you can add the general economic situation especially among the youth, the disgusting costs of buying anything, people rarely seeing the need to move out until they’re ready to marry, as well as many homes being multi-generational (literally, one generation on each floor) and there you have it.
But why someone would like to live with parent for so long? As for me, it’s better to rent a cheap and small apartments than living with your parents when you’re 18+.