European youths live independently earlier in north than south

Eurostat statistics released on Wednesday indicated a large regional variance across the European Union (EU) in the age when young people embark on independent living, reported Xinhua.

In Denmark and Finland just under five percent of young people aged 25 to 34 live with their parents, whereas the ratio in Greece is 57.8 percent and in Croatia, 62 percent, according to Eurostat, the EU's statistical office.

The findings were published coinciding with the International Youth Day.

On average, young people in the EU left the parental household at an average age of 26.2 years in 2019, Eurostat noted. In Sweden young people left home the earliest, at the age of 17.8 years, followed by Denmark at 21.1 and Finland at 21.8.

Young people left home in Estonia at 22.2 years, France at 23.6, and Germany and the Netherlands both at 23.7 years in 2019. In southern Europe, young people moved out at around 30, with Croatia reaching 31.8 years, Italy 30.1, Spain 29.5 and Greece 28.9.

Social observers in the Nordics have in earlier comments maintained that the welfare state system makes interdependence of parents and their post-school aged children redundant.

In Finland, for example, the over 18-year-olds are considered as "separate households" eligible for social support and subsidies on their own. Finnish National Social Insurance Institution notes that parents are not required to provide a livelihood for children over 18, and children have no responsibility to provide care to their aging parents.