Young men aged 20 to 34 are more than 50% more likely than women of the same age to still be living with their parents, while the total number of young adults remaining in the family home has reached its highest level since records began, according to analysis by Bird & Co.
The conveyancing solicitor analysed Office for National Statistics and HM Land Registry data to examine how many people aged 20 to 34 live with their parents across the UK, how the trend has changed since 1996 and how it differs between men and women.
It also compared the cost of a housing deposit with rental costs across 316 local authorities in England and Wales to assess one of the financial factors behind the trend.
The analysis found that 35% of men aged 20 to 34 still live in the parental home, compared with 22% of women in the same age group. This means young men are more than 50% more likely than young women to remain living with their parents.
According to the figures, this difference has remained largely unchanged over the past three decades, suggesting it is a long-term pattern rather than a recent shift.
Although the gap has remained consistent, the proportion of young adults living with their parents has increased significantly since the mid-1990s. Among women, the figure has risen from around 15% to 22%, while among men it has increased from about 27% to 35%.
Overall, almost 3.8 million people aged 20 to 34 now live with their parents across the UK, representing close to three in 10 people in that age group and the highest total since comparable records began in 1996.
The number has increased by more than 40% over the period, equivalent to around one million additional young adults, despite the population of 20 to 34-year-olds growing by less than 4%.
Bird & Co’s analysis also points to the challenge of saving for a housing deposit. Across the 316 local authority areas analysed in England and Wales, the average 10% deposit is equivalent to around 28 months of rent, with the figure approaching three years of rent in London’s most expensive boroughs.
Daniel Chard, partner at Bird & Co, said: “There’s a distinct and persistent gap between young men and young women when it comes to leaving the family home. This gap has held steady for three decades, so it isn’t a new phenomenon, it’s a long-standing feature of how young adults move into independent living.
“The consistent thread, whichever group you look at, is that a first home is harder to reach than it was a generation ago. When the deposit alone can run to years of rent, it is no surprise that more young adults are staying with their parents for longer.
“The right decision will always depend on individual circumstances. Anyone considering a first purchase should weigh the full cost of buying a home, including the deposit, mortgage commitments and legal fees, and seek professional advice before proceeding.”
