The Transition to Adulthood and Pathways Out of the Parental Home across Europe

Katrin Schwanitz, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED) and University of Groningen

This paper uses the second Wave of the Generations and Gender Survey to examine young adults’ home-leaving behavior and pathways out of the parental home in 8 European countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, and the Netherlands). The analysis is restricted to young adults (aged 18 – 34) and I employ sequence analysis and logistic regression models to explore and describe the variety in home-leaving and pathways out of the parental home across Europe. In doing so, I adopt a comparative framework which accounts for both individual and contextual factors that shape young adults’ home-leaving behavior. The aim of this paper is to provide a holistic picture of young adults’ home-leaving behavior and the different pathways out of the parental home in contemporary Europe.