Like the Matthew McConaughey character in the film Failure to Launch, it’s young men who are most likely to remain living with mum and dad.
And it wasn’t just the cost of living keeping young ones close to the nest, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies research published by the ABC.
“Young adults are also now staying in education longer [and] their employment tends to be less secure, so the income is not as stable,” AIFS director Anne Hollonds said.
The trend is amplified in major cities, compared to regional areas.
In 2016, 50 per cent of young men and 43 per cent of young women in Australian capital cities lived at home, compared with 42 per cent and 31 per cent respectively in regional areas.
Lack of employment and higher education opportunities were cited as the cause of the city vs country differences.
The percentage of kids still living at home dropped off as they moved into their late 20s and early 30s.
For men aged 25 to 29 years, one in five was living at home, while this halved by the time they reached the 30 to 34 year age bracket.
For women aged 25 to 29 years, 13.5 per cent still lived in the family home, but this dropped to just 5 per cent in the 30 to 34 year age bracket.
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