Belgrade, 13 March 2024 (MIA) – Unlike their peers in more developed countries in Europe, young people in the Balkans leave their parental homes and become independent at a much later age, shows Eurostat’s data, according to which North Macedonia’s young people leave their parental homes at the age of 32.1, MIA’s Belgrade correspondent reports.

Young people in Croatia leave their parental home on average at the age of 33.4, while the youth in Estonia moves out at 22.7.

On average, young people in Serbia leave their parental home at 31.4, in Montenegro at 33.3, and in North Macedonia at 32.1. While young people in the rest of Europe leave their parental homes in their early twenties (Estonia - 22.7, the Netherlands - 23, France - 23.4, Great Britain - 24.6, Lithuania - 24.7).

According to experts, the main reason for the reason why young people in the Balkans spend longer living in their parental homes partially lies in tradition (stronger family bonds), however the most dominant reason is the lack of financial independence, above all due to the lack of well-paid jobs.

Photo: MIA Archive