July the 3rd, 2026 – Croatians remain the EU record holders for remaining living with their parents and relatives the longest, but even the Germans are beginning to remain at home longer.
Young people across Europe are increasingly staying and living in the family home longer, with the average age of leaving parents’ households rising in very many countries. However, Croatia stands out as the clear EU leader when it comes to how long young adults remain living with their parents.
According to recent Eurostat data reported by Index, young people living across the European Union leave the parental home at an average age of around 26 years of age. However, the differences between individual countries are significant, ranging from early independence across northern Europe to much, much later departures in the south and southeast of the continent.
In countries such as Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, young people typically move out in their early twenties, often around the age of 21 to 22. This reflects stronger housing independence, higher income levels among young people, and different cultural expectations around early autonomy. In contrast, southern and southeastern European countries show much higher average ages. Croatians are at the very top of the list, with young people remaining living with their parents the latest in the entire European Union.
Croatia’s young adults typically remain in the family household deep into their thirties. Germany is also among the countries where the trend is shifting toward later departure from the parental home, with young Germans increasingly moving out later than previous generations did before.
The reasons behind these differences naturally vary. Experts point to far higher housing costs, job market instability for young people, lower wages compared to living expenses, and strong family ties in Mediterranean societies which has always been the case. Here in Croatia in particular, these factors combine to make independent living financially difficult for many young adults.
Cultural norms also play an important role. In many households in Croatia and similar countries, it is common for children to remain living with parents until they are financially stable or even until marriage, unlike in northern Europe where early independence is more typical.
The trend has broader social and economic implications. Delayed household formation affects housing markets, fertility rates, and long-term demographic trends across the EU. Countries with later home-leaving ages often face additional pressure on housing affordability and youth employment conditions. Overall, the data shows a clear divide across Europe: while northern Europeans leave home early and gain independence in their early twenties, Croatians remain in the family home significantly longer than any other EU population.
