UK

Record number of millennials and Gen Z still live with their parents

Eir Nolsoe
Thu, 9 February 2023 

BUT WHAT IF THEIR PARENTS ARE STILL LIVING AT HOME?!

The number of grown-up children living with parents surged to a record high as soaring costs drove Gen-Zs and millennials back into their childhood bedrooms.

A total 4.9m people were living with their parents during 2021, Census data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed, a jump of 15pc compared with the previous census in 2011.

It marks an increase of 15pc since 2011 when 4.2 million adults were still living with their parents. The largest rise happened among those aged 25 to 29, suggesting it was driven by people who had left home and then moved back in with their family.

The ONS said the pandemic and related lockdowns would have had some effect on the data, but added that it was likely to be marginal in relation to the underlying trends in living arrangements.

Steve Smallwood, at the ONS, said: “Today’s census data gives us a more detailed understanding of patterns in living arrangements across the generations in England and Wales and how these have changed over the last decade.”

He added: “We can see that there has been a significant increase in grown-up children living with their parents, with over half of those aged 19 to 23 doing so. This may reflect an overall increase in age at life milestones, including moving out of home, along with the impact of the pandemic on people’s living arrangements.”

The share of adults living with their parents increased in nearly all parts of the UK although it went up by the most in London.

House and rental prices appear to play a significant role, with nearly all regions with the highest rises of people flocking back to their parents being more expensive than average. Meanwhile, the areas with the largest decreases were more affordable.

The largest rise since 2011 was in Tower Hamlets at 49.1pc, which may be partially explained by the overall population in the borough growing by 22.1pc.

Just 21 of 331 local authorities recorded a decline in non-dependent children living with their parents. The largest drops were in the North of England and the Midlands where property tends to be more affordable. The ONS also highlighted that young people may be more likely to leave these areas for higher education or employment opportunities.