Leaving the Nest: A Comparative Analysis of Home-Leaving Ages in Germany and Other EU Countries
Germans Tend to Depart House at an Early Hour
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Turns out, many young Germans aren't quite ready to fly the coop! According to the Federal Statistical Office, the average age at which young people leave their parents' home in Germany is a relatively early 23.9 years—a far cry from the EU average of 26.2 years.
This trend has some interesting gender differences. While women tend to leave home at an average age of 23.1 years, men hang around until approximately 24.6 years. Surprisingly enough, Germany finds itself among the seven EU countries where people move out the youngest, with countries like Finland at 21.4 years and Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, and France not far behind!
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Croatia, Slovakia, and Greece rank as countries with the highest age at moving out, averaging around 30.7 to 31.3 years.
For those turning 25, this phenomenon is particularly noticeable. Nearly one-third (33.8%) of male 25-year-olds in Germany are still residing at home, as opposed to just under one-fifth (22.4%) of female 25-year-olds. These figures stem from the Microcensus, which annually surveys around 1% of the German population.
Keep in mind, these statistics vary by gender, but overall, the trend shows that German youth are moving out of their parents' homes earlier than their EU counterparts.
Insights:- Although Germany's average age of home-leaving is higher for men and women compared to other select EU nations, the trend follows the broader observation that men tend to leave home later than women.- At age 25, these gender differences in living arrangements become quite pronounced, with a significant number of German men still residing at home, while the majority of women have already moved out.
These phenomena likely stem from a multitude of factors, including education, employment, housing, and cultural norms across Europe.
Sources: ntv.de, lar/rts
- Federal Statistical Office
- Germany
- EU
- Statistics
- Parents
In light of the statistical data from the Federal Statistical Office, it's clear that Germany's community policy or lifestyle, reflecting cultural norms and various factors such as education, employment, and housing, encourages the early departure from home for young adults, with an average age of 23.9 years. On the other hand, vocational training and home-and-garden interests might incentivize some young adults to stay at home until a later age, as evidenced by the higher percentage of 25-year-olds, especially men, still residing at home in Germany compared to their female counterparts.
