Spaniards on average become independent at almost 30 years of age, three later than in Europe, and most do so by sharing a flat
In Spain, the vast majority of young people continue to live at home with their parents. The latest report from the Emancipation Observatory shows that at the end of 2021 only 15.6% of young people under the age of 30 were living independently, a figure that has improved slightly from the data from the first semester (14.9%), but still three points below pre-pandemic levels.
In addition, the pace of emancipation remains far from that of our European neighbors and the average age at which a Spaniard leaves home is also higher. Young Spaniards in particular become independent at 29.7 years, three above the European average, which is 26.4. According to Eurostat data, people in most Northern European countries leave their parental home in their early twenties, while in those in the south and east the average age is in their late twenties or thirties. At the bottom is Denmark, with an average age of emancipation of 32.4 years. And at the top, Sweden, where young people leave their parental home at the age of 17.5.
Of the Observatory, which is dependent on the Ministry of Social Rights, they point out that there is a “significant gender gap” in socio-economic terms leading to different patterns of emancipation. So while there are more women who leave home before the age of 30 than men (18.5% compared to 12.7%), only 14% of them manage to do so on their own, compared to 27% of boys .
According to the report, only this lower female empowerment rate is due to greater job insecurity: the temporary employment rate is six points higher among young women than among men (58.6%) and the bias is practically double (33.7% compared to up to 17.8% of men). “The significant difference in income resulting from working fewer hours and with less stability means that emancipation alone poses a greater risk to women than to young men,” Elena Ruiz Cebrián, President of the Council of the Youth of Spain (CJE).
In that sense, regarding the housing market, a young person currently needs to spend 3.8 times their net annual salary to be able to pay the down payment on an average mortgage to buy a home, the report said. And in terms of rent, the average cost in Spain is 850 euros, while a person under the age of 30 can only take a fee of 320 euros without becoming over-indebted.
Given this situation, the “only alternative for them” – said Cebrián – is to share housing. And it is that while for a single person emancipation would mean 79% of the salary, sharing a flat reduces that amount to 25% of the salary. Therefore, “it is not surprising that 35% of emancipated young people do this by sharing a flat with other people with whom they are not related”, they explain from the CJE.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
