This chapter looks at the places where 25-year-olds were living and why, and whether this had changed since they were first interviewed at age nine. Some of the standout figures were:
At age 20, more than two-thirds of this group lived with their parents and two out of five indicated very high levels of concern about access to housing in Ireland. At age 25, almost seven in ten (69.9%) of this specific cohort were still living in the parental home, with this being a consistent pattern observed throughout the country. This ranged from 63.5% of respondents in the Midlands (Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath) still living at home, to 82.4% of respondents in the Mid-East region (Kildare, Louth, Meath, Wicklow; See Figure 3.1).
Of those who said they were employed, just over two-thirds (68.5%) lived in the parental home (See Table 3.1). Of those with another principal economic status (unemployed, a student, or not in employment, education, or training), 76.2% lived in the parental home. There was little difference by sex – over two-thirds of both men (71.7%) and women (68.2%) lived in the parental home.
Respondents were asked to choose the main reason for staying in the parental home – whether it was for mostly financial reasons, only slightly for financial reasons, or had nothing to do with finance (See Figure 3.2). More than six in ten (62.4%) of those living in the parental home cited mostly financial reasons for staying, which was slightly higher for females (64.6%) than for males (60.2%). Only 12.4% of respondents said that living in the family home had nothing to do with finances, which differed little between men and women.
Around one in seven (12.7%) respondents who had been living in the parental home when they were aged 20 were living outside the parental home at the age of 25. A similar proportion (13.4%) of respondents had moved back home at age 25 after a period of living away from the parental home (See Table 3.2).
Those who had moved out of the parental home have shown a large degree of consistency in choosing their next location. Of the respondents who had moved out of their parent’s home at age 25, 71.7% lived in the same region they did when they were aged nine (See Figure 3.3). Only 7.5% of respondents at age 25 were living outside both the parental home and outside the NUTS3 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units) region they had lived in when they were aged nine (See Background Notes for further information on the NUTS classifications).
Of those who were living independently (See Figure 3.4), 58.0% rented on the commercial market, with smaller numbers renting from a family member (8.0%) or living rent free (11.1%). Less than one-eighth (12.0%) of those living independently were homeowners. Out of the entire cohort who took part in the survey, only 3.8% owned their own home at the age of 25.
Of those who were not homeowners, eight in ten (80.5%) expected to buy a home in the future (See Table 3.3). There was little difference between men and women in terms of their expectations with 79.5% of men expecting to become homeowners compared with 81.5% of women. Of those who said their principal economic status was employed, 83.5% expected to become homeowners. Of those who said their principal economic status was something other than employed – whether unemployed, a student, or not in education, employment, or training – 66.7% expected to become homeowners.
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