While moving out of one’s parents’ home used to be linked to education or marriage, today it has become an economic puzzle. A new study by the STEM/MARK agency has revealed an interesting paradox between Slovakia and neighboring Czechia, where the expensive real estate market leads to completely different life strategies among young people.
Although real estate market conditions in both countries appear similar, the implications for housing differ significantly. Recent data show that in the Czech Republic, young people are putting off starting a family due to the unaffordability of housing, while in Slovakia, they prefer to stay in their parents’ house or apartment.
Why Slovaks Stay in Their Childhood Rooms Until They’re 30
The average age at which young Slovaks begin living on their own exceeds 30—more precisely, 30.9 years. According to statistics, as many as 57% of Slovaks in the 25–34 age group live with their parents. By comparison, in the Czech Republic, only about 22% of young people do so, and they move out of their parents’ homes on average at age 25.8.
The main reason for this situation is the structure of the Slovak housing market. Slovakia ranks among the European leaders in homeownership: approximately 93–94% of the population lives in their own house or apartment. There is virtually no alternative in the form of affordable rental housing. According to a Eurofound study, Slovak online listings for urban rental housing contained almost no options that would be affordable for a young person earning a median salary—that is, options that would cost no more than one-third of their income. In the Czech Republic, such listings accounted for more than 12% of the market.
Different Impacts on Family Life
This trend also has a significant impact on demographics. Although Slovaks live with their parents longer and face cramped living conditions—as many as 42.7% of Slovaks aged 15 to 29 live in overcrowded households— — they start families earlier than their neighbors in the Czech Republic.
Details and research data were published by STVR. As the data show, while multi-generational living and living longer under the same roof with parents remain a Slovak phenomenon, Czech youth are more likely to seek their own rental housing, which, in turn, leads to postponing childbirth to a later age.
