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19th Feb 2020

Almost half of all Irish people aged 25-29 live with their parents

Carl Kinsella

Findings that will come as no surprise to anyone in their twenties.

A study by European Union body Eurofound has revealed that almost half of all Irish people between the ages of 25 and 29 are still living with their parents.

The report, titled ‘Household composition and well-being’, monitored housing data between 2007 and 2017. It found that Ireland had experienced the largest increase in young adults living in the family home over that period, with a rise of 11% in the number of mid-to-late-twenties homebirds.

This was compared to an average increase of just 2% across EU member states.

The report found that “the highest proportions of young adults living with their parents were in southern and eastern Member States as well as Ireland”.

In total, just over 47% of Irish people in that age group are living in the family home.

Explaining the phenomenon, the report cited the recession as a key reason for the increase. It said: “Many young adults had to move back to the parental home after the recession, which is why they were referred to as the ‘boomerang generation’.

“This happened because young people just entering the labour market were often the first ones to lose their jobs as redundancies were introduced.”

The study also found that well-being was higher for those in the 25-29 age bracket if they were not living in the parental home, using metrics such as ‘Life satisfaction’, ‘Happiness’ and ‘Feeling of autonomy’.

The study concluded that “it seems likely that the differences between the well-being of young adults in different households depends on whether this is a choice”.

Other notable figures from the study include the revelation that Ireland has the highest proportion of homes with three or more children in the EU.

The report can be read in full here.

Sinn Féin Housing Spokesperson Eoin O Broin has commented on the report, saying: “There are solutions. The next government must commit to ambitious targets and the required funding in order to roll out affordable cost rental.

“This has been government policy since 2014, yet not one affordable cost rental home has been delivered. There are 50 under construction in Dublin but at €1,200 per month these are not affordable.

“We need affordable cost rental homes to rent in Dublin at between €700 and €900 per month and lower in areas outside the Capital.

“People can’t wait any longer. The policy is there, the sites are there, we just need a commitment from all parties that the funding and plan will be a priority as part of a government for change.”