Young people in Greece are leaving their parents’ homes far later than most of their European counterparts, according to Eurostat figures, a trend driven not by choice but by economic necessity.
Soaring prices, stagnant wages and a housing crunch affecting nearly every European country have made it increasingly difficult for young adults to secure keys to a place of their own. While the problem is acute across Europe, governments have largely failed to create the conditions that would allow younger generations to move into independent housing. In Greece, such measures remain almost nonexistent.
The average age at which young Europeans left their family homes stood at 26 in 2025, unchanged from 2024. The highest averages were recorded in Croatia (31.5), Greece and Slovakia (30.9), and Italy and Spain (30.2). The lowest were in Finland (21.4), Denmark (21.7) and Sweden (21.9).
Eurostat data show the EU employment rate for people aged 20 to 29 stood at 65.5% in 2025. In most countries where young people leave home earlier than the EU average — including the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Sweden — youth employment rates exceed that average. By contrast, Greece, Croatia, Spain and Italy, where young people leave home later, posted employment rates below the EU norm.
In Greece, the delay is attributed mainly to steep rents paired with low wages. Analysts point to four core factors: soaring housing prices, meager entry-level salaries, precarious and often temporary employment, and banks’ reluctance to extend credit to young borrowers.
Greece’s minimum wage stood at €780 net (€920 gross) monthly as of April 1, 2026. Eurostat data show Greek households spent 36% of disposable income on housing in 2024, nearly double the EU average of 19%, with 28.9% of the population facing housing costs above 40% of disposable income.
Rising prices for groceries, utilities and transport are further squeezing household budgets, while inflation reached 3.8% in August 2026, fueled largely by energy costs. On €780 a month, living independently remains out of reach for most young Greeks — even those who already own a home.
