Greek Youth Struggle to Leave Home Amid Rising Housing Costs

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Young adults in Greece are staying in the family home longer than most of their European counterparts as high housing costs and limited incomes make financial independence increasingly difficult.

The latest Eurostat figures highlight a sharp divide across Europe. Young people in northern European countries generally leave the family home in their early 20s, while those in southern and parts of eastern Europe often remain with their parents well into their late 20s or 30s.

Greece ranks among the countries where young people take the longest to leave the family home.

Greek young people leave home after 30

Across the European Union, young people leave the family home at an average age of around 26.

In Finland, they leave at about 21, followed by Denmark at 22, while Estonia and Sweden record an average of around 23.

The situation differs significantly in southern Europe. In Italy, Spain, Greece and Croatia, young people typically leave the family home much later, often at or after the age of 30.

Greece ranks second among EU countries where young people delay leaving their parents’ home the longest.

Family dependence goes beyond living under the same roof

Eurostat’s latest figures add another dimension to the picture.

In 2025, almost one in two young people aged 18 to 34 in the EU, or 49.8%, either lived with at least one parent or remained financially connected to their family household.

Croatia recorded the highest share at 75.3%, while northern European countries recorded much lower rates, ranging from around 16.6% to 25.1%.

The figures show that family dependence does not simply depend on whether young people share a home with their parents. It can also involve continued financial ties to the family household.

Having a job does not guarantee independence

The trend does not affect only students or unemployed young people.

Among EU residents aged 18 to 34 who continued to live with a parent or remained financially connected to their household, 36.7% worked full-time and another 7.2% worked part-time.

A further 9% were unemployed, while 47.1% were students or outside the labour force.

The figures suggest that unemployment alone does not explain why young people delay establishing independent households. Even employed young adults remain significantly connected to their family households.

Greece faces one of Europe’s highest housing-cost burdens

The situation becomes more acute in Greece when housing costs enter the equation.

In 2025, 26.4% of Greece’s population lived in households where housing absorbed at least 40% of disposable income.

The EU average stood at 7.7%.

For a significant proportion of the Greek population, housing therefore consumes a substantial share of available income. This can make it considerably harder for younger generations to achieve financial and housing independence.

Greek incomes lag behind the EU average

The pressure becomes clearer when disposable income is taken into account.

In 2025, Greece’s median disposable income stood at 13,612 purchasing power standards (PPS), compared with 22,630 PPS across the EU.

The gap also reflects a longer-term trend. In real terms, median disposable income in the EU increased by 25.4% compared with 2010, while Greece recorded a 22.3% decline.

The figures help explain why moving into an independent home can prove particularly difficult for young Greeks facing rent or mortgage payments alongside utility bills and everyday expenses.

Financial pressure also emerges in Eurostat’s measure of people’s ability to make ends meet. In 2025, 42.5% of the EU population reported at least some difficulty making ends meet. In Greece, the figure reached 87.1%.

The difference highlights the broader economic pressure facing Greek households and its connection to the delayed housing independence of younger generations.

Another Eurostat indicator shows how Greeks perceive their financial circumstances. In 2025, 67.2% of Greece’s population considered themselves poor, compared with a much lower EU average.

Almost one in five Greeks cannot afford adequate heating

Energy costs add another burden to household budgets.

In 2025, 18.1% of Greece’s population said they could not afford adequate heating for their home.

The corresponding EU figure stood at 8.8%.

The figures show that Greek households face significant financial pressure not only from buying or renting a home but also from the cost of maintaining it.

From the family home to home ownership

The housing patterns of southern and northern Europe also differ in another important respect.

In countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain, young people who remain in the family home for longer do not necessarily move into a long period of renting after leaving.

In many cases, leaving the family home coincides with acquiring a property.

According to figures cited in the European research on housing-market trends, people acquire their first home at an average age of around 31 in Spain, 33 in Italy and 35 in Greece.

By contrast, renting remains much more common in countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Families increasingly finance first-home purchases

Family support plays a major role in helping younger generations enter the property market.

In Greece, around 75% of homeowners have received some form of family assistance.

The figure reaches 72% in Italy and Croatia and around 78% in Bulgaria.

Such assistance does not necessarily involve parents handing over cash. It can include an inheritance, financial contributions towards a home purchase, or a property acquired by an earlier generation and later transferred to their children.

Younger generations rely more heavily on family support

Family assistance also appears to have increased across generations.

Generation Z, aged approximately 18 to 27, has received the highest level of family assistance, at 74%. Millennials follow at 68%, while Generation X stands at 59%.

Among Baby Boomers, 49% received comparable support, compared with just 37% of the Silent Generation.

The trend points to the growing importance of the family as a support mechanism for younger generations seeking to acquire a home.

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