Living with parents is often described as a temporary stage, but for many young adults it has become part of the UK housing picture. Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) research published in January 2025 found that the share of people aged 25 to 34 living at a parental home rose from 13% in 2006 to 18% in 2024. That is around 450,000 more people than if the earlier rate had continued. The rate reached 21% during the pandemic before easing.
These figures describe co-residence, not a single experience. Some adults return home after a change in work, study or relationships; others stay while they build savings or look for a home they can afford. The IFS data show that the likelihood of living with parents varies sharply with income and other circumstances. Almost half of 25- to 34-year-olds in the lowest income fifth lived with parents, compared with about 2% in the highest fifth. The report also found different rates for men and women and across ethnic groups. Those patterns should be read as evidence of varied circumstances, not as a judgement about individual households.
What the trend says about housing choices
The IFS links the rise to a mix of factors, including housing costs and changes in household formation. Co-residing can reduce or avoid rent for a young adult and may create room to save, but the benefit depends on the family’s situation and the arrangement at home. The research also shows that receiving direct financial transfers from parents is more common among higher-income young adults, while living in the parental home is more common among those with lower incomes. Family support therefore takes different forms and is not evenly available.
The trend also matters for how people think about moving out. A person weighing a first tenancy or purchase may be comparing more than monthly rent or a mortgage payment: deposits, bills, transport, location, work opportunities and the support available at home can all shape the decision. The report does not establish that living with parents is always a choice or a straightforward route to saving; it documents differences between groups and the scale of the change over time.
Read the figures in context
The IFS analysis uses household and labour-market datasets and reports patterns for particular age groups and years. Its headline comparison is 2006 to 2024, with the pandemic period showing a temporary peak. It is not a current measure for every household, a forecast of future housing demand or a measure of affordability for a specific person.
The broader point is that housing decisions are shaped by family resources as well as the rental and purchase markets. The study helps quantify one part of that picture, while leaving individual choices and constraints to be understood in their own context.
**Source:** Institute for Fiscal Studies, “Hotel of Mum and Dad? Co-residence with parents among those aged 25–34,” published 11 January 2025. Figures above refer to the periods and groups specified in that report.