Young Swiss are taking longer and longer to leave the family home according to a census study by Switzerland’s statistics office.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the average age for making a break was between 20 and 21, now it’s around 24 or 25.
One of the key drivers of the shift is longer study and training before entering the workforce.
Daughters leave sooner than sons. At 24 years old, 44% of daughters are still living with their parents compared to 54% of sons. There are no notable differences between French and German speakers. However, Italian-speaking Swiss sons and daughters stay in the family home later, on average until 26. This find a parallel in Italy, where the average age for moving out is 30, one of the highest in Europe.