Millenials more likely to live at home than any other time in history: research

They may as well be dubbed the ‘‘stay at home generation’’, with new research showing Millennials are far more likely to live with mum and dad than at any other time in history.

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They may as well be dubbed the ‘‘stay at home generation’’, with new research showing Millennials are far more likely to live with mum and dad than at any other time in history.

And it’s a growing number of girls who are powering the new surge in numbers, by delaying marriage and saving on housing costs.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies research released on Tuesday also shows city born twenty-somethings are far more likely to stick to the family nest than their country cousins.

Institute director Anne Hollonds said 43 per cent of 20 to 24 year-olds were now living in the family home in 2016 — up from 36 per cent in 1981.

The research focused on the youngest of the Millennials, who are broadly defined as being born between 1981 to 1995.

Research has shown more Millenials are choosing to live at home with their parents.

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The delay in leaving home trend continues even for those in their late 20s — rising from 10 per cent in 1981 to 17 per cent in 2016.

The research paper, Young People Living With Their Parents, shows that while it has always been much more likely for young men to stay home, young women are catching up.

“While the percentage of young men living at home only increased slightly between 1981 and 2016, for young women the numbers increased from 27 per cent in 1981 to 39 per in 2016,” study authors said.

Ms Hollonds said the figure was as high as half of all city adult men in their early 20s staying at home.

“A range of factors, including the cost of housing in capital cities and time spent in higher education, have contributed to a growing trend for more young people to delay moving out in recent decades,” she said.

“Overall, young people living in capital cities were more likely than those living in regional areas to remain at home.”

Institute researcher Lixia Qu said it had always been traditionally more young men staying at the family home than young women.

Women are leading the surge, delaying their marriage and saving on housing costs.

“Our analysis shows that 47 per cent of 20 to 24 year-old men were living in the family home in 2016, compared to 39 per cent of young women in that age group,” Ms Qu said.

“However, the proportion of young women opting to live with parents is growing at a faster rate than for young men.

“While the statistics don’t offer a full picture of what’s underlying this trend, one of the factors is likely to be that fewer of today’s young women leave the family home to get married as (previously).’’

Another factor at play is ethnicity. Those born in Australia are more likely to live with their parents than young people born overseas — a reflection of high numbers of international students.

But Ms Qu said overseas heritage also influenced the likelihood of young people living at home for longer.

“Among young adults born in Australia, those with Asian, Middle Eastern, African or Southern and Eastern European ancestry are more likely to live with their parents.’’