Four out of ten young people who have moved out still need external financial support.

In Spain, young people achieve independence much later than in other European countries. It is costly and does not necessarily translate into greater financial stability. Wages remain stagnant, rental prices have soared, and the generational gap continues to widen year after year. The situation is especially difficult for those seeking independence in large cities such as Barcelona, where the cost of living is particularly high.

According to recent studies, 85% of people under 30 cannot move out of their parents’ homes. In fact, seven out of ten young people with jobs still live in the family household, highlighting the current difficulty of becoming independent. In Spain, the average age for leaving home is among the highest in Europe, and more than half of those who manage to do so must spend over 40% of their income solely on rent and housing-related expenses. Moreover, four out of ten young people who have moved out still require some form of external financial support, mainly from their parents.

This phenomenon has been analyzed by organizations such as the Spanish Youth Council (CJE), whose biannual report underlines how complex youth emancipation has become in Spain, as well as by the Cofidis Observatory of Sustainable Household Economy, which once again highlights this underlying problem. According to CJE data, only 15% of young people aged 18 to 31 have managed to become independent. However, residential independence does not equal financial security: 26.3% of those who are independent receive help from their parents, 7.6% from other relatives, and 4.4% rely on support from friends or acquaintances. In total, nearly 40% need external backing to make ends meet.

In comparison, the average age for leaving home in the European Union is 26.3 years, according to Eurostat. In countries such as Finland, emancipation occurs around the age of 21, while in southern and eastern European countries—including Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Greece—the age surpasses 30. Croatia is the country where young people take the longest to leave home.

The main obstacle for young Spaniards is the lack of sufficient income. Many of those who manage to move out cannot save any money each month—around 20%—and most of those who do are unable to save more than 10% of their income. Only 19% manage to save over 30%. Youth salaries fall far short of current needs: according to the National Statistics Institute (INE), those under 24 earn an average of €15,364 per year, and those aged 25 to 29 earn €21,039 annually. As a result, nearly three out of four independent young people would be unable to cover an unexpected €5,000 expense. Among those who have not yet moved out, one in four do not save at all, and more than a third could not handle an unforeseen €10,000 expense.

This complex financial reality is compounded by significant social changes. A study led by David Gil Solsona, professor of Sociology at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), notes that many young people in cities such as Barcelona now choose to share apartments or live alone, separating residential independence from the formation of a stable couple. However, these shifts in youth lifestyles still lack real structural support, which deepens the gap in access to housing and financial autonomy for young people in Spain.