Data released by the EU's statistical office indicates that, in 2024, young people in Portugal left their parents' home at an average age of 28.9 years, behind countries such as Croatia (31.3 years), Slovakia (30.9 years), Greece (30.7 years), Italy (30.1 years), Spain (30 years), and Malta (29 years).

In the EU as a whole, young people left their parents' home last year at an average age of 26.2, slightly lower than the 26.3 recorded in 2023.

Since 2002, this average age has fluctuated slightly between a low of 26.1 in 2019 and a high of 26.8 in 2006, according to Eurostat.

The lowest average ages in 2024 were recorded in Finland (21.4), Denmark (21.7), and Sweden (21.9).

Housing costs

"At a time when housing costs are constantly under public debate, the data show that young people are slightly more affected by these costs," Eurostat notes.

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 the housing cost burden rate), while the same percentage for the total population was 8.2%.

In Portugal, this burden rate was 8.4% for young people and 6.9% for the total population.

The European Union is facing a housing crisis, in countries like Portugal, where house prices and rents have increased significantly, making affordable housing difficult to access, especially for young people and low-income families.

The situation is aggravated by factors such as lack of availability due to tourism, limited supply, and real estate speculation, particularly in Lisbon and Porto.

The Portuguese government has implemented some measures in recent years, such as support for home ownership, increasing the supply of public housing, and regulating the rental market.

The European Commission recognises the challenges related to the housing crisis in Portugal and hopes to address them with this year's plan for affordable housing, including financing, state aid, and limits on local housing.