CSO: Almost 70% of 25-year-olds still living with their parents

Michael Bolton

Almost 70 per cent (69.9 per cent) of 25-year-olds who were surveyed for the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Growing up in Ireland Survey said they were living in the family home, and of those, 62.4 per cent were doing so for mostly financial reasons

The number of 25-year-olds still living at home was as high as 82.4 per cent in the Mid-East region, which includes Kildare, Louth, Meath, and Wicklow.

Of those employed, 69.5 per cent lived in their parental home. For 25-year-olds who let their parental home, 71.7 per cent lived in the same region they did when they were aged nine.

Since this research had taken place, one in eight 25-year-olds has emigrated. Of those who took part in this survey, only 3.8 per cent owned their own home.

Finances

This research on the finances of 25-year-olds in Ireland showed 85 per cent were in regular employment with a median or mid-point weekly income of €558.

A gender pay gap was already developing at this age, with men earning a weekly income of €589, compared to €525 for women.

60 per cent of respondents had achieved a university degree or equivalent qualification. Those with a degree earned on average €613, compared to €487 for those without a qualification.

Women without a degree earned €154 per week less than women with such a qualification, whereas men without a higher qualification earned €79 per week less than men without one.

When asked about different social issues, poverty in Ireland had the second highest rate of concern after housing.

Just over 94 per cent of 25-year-olds cited poverty in Ireland as a matter of concern.

24.5 per cent of women reported skipping meals due to financial issues, compared to 14.5 per cent of men.

When it comes to savings, 76.9 per cent of men reported saving regularly compared to 69.6 per cent of women.

This was impacted by the level of income, with 86.5 per cent of the top 20 per cent of earners saving regularly, compared to 66.7 per cent of the lowest 20 per cent of earners.

44.3 per cent of 25-year-olds were contributing towards a pension in 2023.

Personal life

58.5 per cent of respondents said they were in a romantic relationship, with 12.1 per cent engaged or married.

Of those in a romantic relationship, 28.4 per cent were living with their partner.

Just 5.6 per cent of people born in 1998 said they had children.

Health and well-being

89.1 per cent of respondents said they had good to excellent health. However, 25 per cent said they had been diagnosed with depression or anxiety.

39 per cent engaged in what is considered by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be hazardous drinking, but a majority neither smoked nor vaped.

21.4 per cent of respondents said they had tried cocaine at least once in the previous year.

67.9 per cent of men reported they had done at least 30 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise in the week before completing the survey, compared to 49.2 per cent of women.