Greeks leave their parental home at a little over 30 years of age, compared to other Europeans who leave the nest roughly 4 years earlier, according to data released by the European Union’s statistical authority, Eurostat.
The figures revealed that Greeks were in the top 3 of EU member states, as they tend to “spread their wings” at an average age of 30.6, while Croatians and Slovakians were the latest leavers from home, at 31.8 and 31, respectively.
Spain (30.4 years), Bulgaria, and Italy (both 30 years) rounded off the top 5 list of those who left their parents at a later stage in their lives. Unsurprisingly, the countries dominating the lowest average ages, all under 23, were recorded in Finland (21.4 years), Sweden and Denmark (both 21.8), and Estonia (22.8). Following them were the Netherlands (23.3 years), France (23.7), and Germany (23.9).
Meanwhile, according to the same report, in 2023, the percentage of young people aged between 15 and 29 living in overcrowded households in the EU stood at 26%, 9.2 percentage points higher than the overall population living in overcrowded households in the EU (16.8%).
Among EU member states in 2023, the highest percentage of young people living in overcrowded households was recorded in Romania (59.4%), Bulgaria (55.3%), and Latvia (54.8%). In contrast, the lowest percentages were observed in Malta (3.9%), Cyprus (4%), and Ireland (4.4%).
The fact that Greeks leave their parental home later reaffirms a consistent, yet commonly known pattern, namely, that with the exception of Slovakia, European countries located in the south of the continent tend to value close family ties, a reality also borne out by the fact that grandparents live with their immediate family, unlike what is observed in central or northern European nations.
