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In 2024, individuals in the European Union left their homes at an average age of 26.2 years, marking a slight decrease from 26.3 years in 2023, according to Eurostat.
Those in southern and eastern Europe tend to stay longer before leaving, with Croatia leading at 31.3 years, followed by Slovakia at 30.9 years, Greece at 30.7 years, Italy at 30.1 years, and Spain at 30 years.
Conversely, young individuals in Finland leave home earlier, at an average age of 21.4 years, followed by Denmark at 21.7 years and Sweden at 21.9 years.
Over 80% of young people aged 16 to 29 in Croatia, Slovakia, Italy, Spain, Poland, Greece, and Ireland live with their parents or contribute to the household income; this trend is largely due to rising housing costs.
Thomas Kattnig, co-rapporteur of the European Affordable Housing Plan, emphasized the critical role of addressing housing affordability for democracy and the need for a Europe-wide framework to tackle this crisis.
The European Affordable Housing Plan advocates for the enshrining of affordable housing in EU primary law and calls for a Commission-led action plan to enforce this.
Overcrowding and Housing Conditions
Young EU residents are more likely than the general population to experience overcrowding, with over a quarter living in such conditions in 2024, a slight increase from the previous year.
Cyprus reported the lowest rate of young people living in overcrowded homes at 4.1%, while Romania had the highest at 58.3%.
Latvia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Italy, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, and Greece also face significant overcrowding issues.
Young individuals aged 15 to 19 are disproportionately affected by overcrowded living situations.
Housing Costs as a Proportion of Income
In 2024, about 10% of young EU residents lived in households where housing costs consumed 40% or more of disposable income.
Cyprus, Croatia, and Slovenia recorded the lowest rates of housing cost overburden for young people at 2.8%, 2.1%, and 3.0% respectively, while Greece and Denmark reported significantly higher rates at 30.3% and 28.9%.
In countries where young individuals move out earlier, such as Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, and Finland, housing cost burdens are higher.
In contrast, countries like Cyprus, Croatia, and Italy, where young individuals leave home later, report lower levels of housing cost overburden.
