Both studying and working young people leave home later
In 2017, the average age of young people leaving the parental home was 23.5 years, versus 22.8 years in 2012. The shift was strongest among students, who in 2016 started living independently on average one year later than in 2012. Working young people moved out of home 0.7 years later. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) as part of the Youth Monitor.
Since the introduction of the social loan system, fewer students have left home to live on their own, according to earlier research conducted by CBS. Whether students are still registered at their parents’ address or live away from home does no longer affect the level of student finance.
Living at home more prevalent among all young people aged 18 and over
Both teenagers and people in their twenties stay with their parents relatively more often. The shift is most significant among young people at the age of 19 and those aged 23 to 26 years. In 2012, 76.4 percent of the 19-year-olds were registered with one or both of their parents. This increased to 79.4 percent in 2017. Among 24-year-olds, this share went up from 33.6 to 36.8 percent.
Men and women leaving home later
Traditionally, women leave home earlier than men. This was also the case in 2017, although the gender gap has become smaller since 2012. In 2017, women were on average 22.7 years old when they moved away from home, i.e. 0.7 years older than five years previously. The average age of men leaving home was 24.2 on average, which is 0.6 years older than in 2012.