YOUNG Irish people are leaving home later in life than their EU counterparts new figures have revealed.
According to EU statistics office Eurostat, the average young person in the EU is 26.2 years old by the time they leave their parents’ home, while in Ireland they leave at 26.8 years old.
The leaving age has been steadily increasing since the mid-2000's, when the average was just 25.
This gradual shift goes to show how the housing crisis and the spiralling cost of living are reshaping the transition into adulthood across Ireland and mainland Europe.
A clear north-south divide exists across the continent.
In northern countries like Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, young people tend to leave home earlier.
In contrast, southern and southeastern European countries like Croatia, Greece, and Italy report some of the oldest average ages for moving out, with Croatia taking the lead at 31.3 years.
These countries tend to have lower overburden rates, largely because young adults often live in multi-earner households.
However, this isn’t a universal rule, and places like Greece stand out as an exception.
Despite a high average age for leaving home, young Greeks face some of the highest housing cost burdens in the EU, with 30.3% of youth spending over 40% of their disposable income on housing.
In Ireland, the effects of the housing crisis have become deeply personal.
Between 2017 and 2022, the proportion of Irish 25- to 34-year-olds living with their parents jumped from 27% to 40%.
Rents now average over €2,000 per month in Dublin and, combined with limited affordable housing, have made independent living out of reach for those even with full-time jobs.
The government has pledged to build an average of 33,000 new homes annually until 2030, but this has been met with suspicion by many.
Speaking in Dáil earlier in the year, Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the government’s numbers of being "pure fiction", while Cian O’Callaghan of the Social Democrats accused the government of “completely and utterly disregarding hard data” on housing.
Compounding the problem is the rise of short-term rentals.
In 2023, Airbnbs in Ireland outnumbered long-term rentals by 14 to 1, further exasperating an already desperate situation.
Across the EU, nearly one in ten young people (aged 15–29) live in overburdened housing situations.
The impact of rising costs and housing instability has directly led many young people to plan for life outside of Ireland.
A recent survey by the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) reveals that three out of five Irish youth under 25 are considering emigration, with nearly one-third strongly contemplating it.
Rent and housing expenses are cited as the primary financial challenge.
Kathryn Walsh, NYCI’s Director of Policy and Advocacy, underscores the gravity of the situation:
“This isn’t just about hardship, it’s about young people feeling like Ireland is no longer a place where they can build a future.”
Public sentiment backs this up.
Seven in ten people across all age groups agree that youth are disproportionately affected by the rising cost of living.
Yet only 13% feel that the government is adequately addressing their needs.
See More: Cost Of Living, EU, Eurostat, Housing Crisis
