According to figures from the European statistics agency, Eurostat, young Germans leave home at an average age of 24.1 years old, as reported by the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Wednesday editions). On average, sons depart at 24.8 years, while daughters do so at 23.3 years.
Sociologist Anne Berngruber of the German Youth Institute (DJI) did not seem surprised by these findings. Speaking to newspapers, she noted that young women tend to undergo other life milestones earlier than young men. She added that women are quicker when it comes to entering a first partnership or moving in with someone, suggesting this might be one reason for their earlier departure from the parental home.
Overall, across the EU, children leave home at an average of 26.3 years. Some of the latest leavers are young Croatians, who leave home at an average of 31.5 years. Greece and Slovakia follow at a comparable age of 30.9 years.
The situation is different in Northern Europe. Young Finns, for instance, average 21.3 years to leave home. Similarly, young people in Denmark (21.8 years) and Lithuania (22.7 years) are notably setting up their lives comparatively early.
These data reflect the year 2025. Compared to the previous year, the average leaving age saw a slight increase to 23.9 years.