YOUNG adults in Spain have long been famous for remaining in the family nest longer than their northern European counterparts, but four other EU countries beat them hands down, latest figures from the continent's statistics agency, Eurostat, claim.
Whilst Swedes leave home at a much younger age than anywhere else on the continent – at just over 19-and-a-half years old – Croatians are on average only a month shy of their 32nd birthdays when they finally stop living with their parents.
Sweden is the only EU country where the average adult is under 20 upon leaving home, but in only three cases are they already in their 30s – Croatia, Slovakia (30-and-three-quarters) and Malta (30 years and six weeks) – although in Italy, sons and daughters typically leave their parents' home to start a new, independent life about five or six weeks before their 30th birthdays.
In Spain, they are just over a month short of turning 28 when they leave home, on average.
Northern Europeans tend to leave home earlier - Danes typically do so at age 21 and Finns just a month or so before they turn 22.
In the UK, similar ages are found to those of 'Nordic' countries – taken to be Scandinavia and The Netherlands – and the 'Northern block', being Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria.
A typical age of 23 – being 22 for women and 24 for men – is seen, but with most young people priced out of the British housing market and job security and wages having reduced, an estimated 42% of under-25s in the UK still live with their parents and nearly a third do not leave until they are at least 27.
Studies indicate a north-south divide in terms of independence culture – northern Europeans value independence more, and it is less socially acceptable to live with one's parents beyond early adulthood, although with income levels tending to be lower among very young adults they are more likely to return to the nest for short spells.
By contrast, the family unit remaining together is considered more important in southern Europe, with many adults in their 20s and 30s or even beyond who could afford to leave home simply helping towards household running costs and staying with their parents, but once they leave, this tends to be a permanent arrangement.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com