Young adults living with parents longer; Own home unaffordable, hard to find

Young people, including young adults with full-time jobs, are living with their parents for longer. The biggest reasons for this are being unable to afford a place of their own or find a suitable home, according to a study by Rabobank. Most young people want to move out of their parents’ home, and many, especially in the older group, feel ashamed of their living situation.

The percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds living with their parents increased from 58 to 64 percent between 2003 and 2023. In the same period, the proportion of 25 to 30-year-olds still living at home increased from 13 to 18 percent. Rabobank surveyed 1,602 young adults in these age groups about their living situation, including 631 who still live with their parents.

Only 15 percent of young adults living with their parents don’t plan to move out in the next two years. The largest group, 37 percent, definitely want to find their own place, and the other 42 percent may want to move out. The wish to move out is strongest among 25 to 30-year-olds with a full-time job (61 percent). Among 18 to 24-year-olds who study full-time, 21 percent want to move out in the next two years.

Asked why they still live at home, the housing crisis was the most cited reason. 61 percent said the fact that they can’t afford a place of their own played a big role in why they still live with their parents, and 52 percent said they couldn’t find a suitable home to move into. Lower housing costs and saving as much as possible to afford an eventual home played a big role for 54 and 59 percent, respectively.

The student loan system also played a role in more young people living at home, but to a lesser extent. According to Rabobank, 39 percent of young people said building up less or no study debts played a big role in their decision to live with their parents, and 22 percent said they were living with their parents to pay off their student loans faster.

Rabobank found that many young adults between the ages of 25 and 30 who live with their parents feel ashamed about their living situation. About a third said they think that others look down on them because they live with their parents, feel they have failed when they think about their living situation, or are ashamed of their living situation. 33 percent agreed with at least two of the three statements.

That feeling of shame is considerably less present among 18 to 24-year-olds who live with their parents. Less than 20 percent agree with each statement, and 17 percent agree with at least two of the statements.