Growing trend of adult children living at home

A recent surge in adult children living with their parents is a growing trend, not just a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest Census data reveals that the number of families in England and Wales with adult children living with their parents rose 13.6% between the 2011 Census and Census 2021 to nearly 3.8 million[1].

In 2021, around 1 in every 4.5 families (22.4%) had an adult child, up from 1 in 5 (21.2%) in 2011. The total number of adult children living with their parents increased by 14.7% in the same period from around 4.2 million in the 2011 Census to about 4.9 million in Census 2021. Rising housing and rental prices nationwide have significantly affected this trend. Young people find making their initial foray into the housing market increasingly challenging.

FAMILY ASSISTANCE

Interestingly, the Bank of Mum & Dad (BOMAD) is crucial for many young adults who leave their parental homes. In 2022 alone, BOMAD gifts and loans totalled £8.8 billion, an increase of nearly £4 billion since 2019 due to stricter mortgage markets and higher deposit requirements. Around 170,000 first-time buyers in 2022 received family assistance to get their mortgage, accounting for about 46 per cent of all mortgaged first-time buyers. This figure is projected to rise to 61 per cent in 2023, implying that only 2 out of 5 first-time buyers will likely access the market without help.

NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOMES

These affordability pressures underscore the ongoing need to construct new and affordable homes for first-time buyers, especially now that the government’s Help to Buy scheme has ended. The increasing number of adult children living at home indicates the challenges young people face when stepping onto the property ladder.

The average (median) age of adult children living with their parents in England and Wales in 2021 was 24 years, one year older than in 2011. Adult children were the oldest in London, where the average age was 25. The median age in every other English region and Wales was 24.

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