Data released today by the EU’s statistical office indicates that in 2024, young people in Portugal left their parents’ homes at an average age of 28.9 years, falling behind countries like Croatia (31.3 years), Slovakia (30.9), Greece (30.7), Italy (30.1), Spain (30), and Malta (29).
Across the EU last year, young people left their parents’ homes at an average age of 26.2 years, slightly below the 26.3 years recorded in 2023.
Since 2002, this average age has fluctuated slightly between a minimum of 26.1 years in 2019 and a maximum of 26.8 years in 2006, according to Eurostat.
The lowest average ages in 2024 were recorded in Finland (21.4 years), Denmark (21.7), and Sweden (21.9).
“At a time when housing costs are constantly under public debate, the data shows that young people are somewhat more affected by these costs,” observes Eurostat.
The statistical office specifies that, also last year, 9.7% of young people (aged 15 to 29) in the EU lived in households that spent 40% or more of their disposable income on housing (in terms of housing cost overburden rate), while the same percentage for the total population was 8.2%.
In Portugal, this overburden rate was 8.4% for young people and 6.9% for the total population.
Housing is a competence of the Member States.
The European Union is facing a housing crisis in countries such as Portugal, where house prices and rents have risen significantly, making affordable housing difficult to access, especially for young people and low-income families.
The situation is worsened by factors such as lack of availability due to tourism, low supply, and real estate speculation, mainly in Lisbon and Porto.
The Portuguese Government has implemented some measures in recent years, such as support for home purchases, increasing the supply of public housing, and regulating the rental market.
The European Commission acknowledges the challenges related to the housing crisis in Portugal and hopes to address them with the anticipated plan for this year on affordable housing, including financing, state aids, and limits on local accommodation.
