More than half of Denmark’s 21-year-olds live with parents

More than half of 21-year-olds in Denmark still live with their parents, up from 32 per cent in 2011 to 57 per cent in 2025, DR reports, citing Statistics Denmark figures in a new study by the association Realdania.

Among those living at home, 59 per cent live with both parents, while nearly one-third live primarily with one parent.

The share varies widely by municipality. Albertslund has the highest proportion, at 61 per cent, while Læsø has the lowest, at 14 per cent.

Housing costs and distance to education are among the possible reasons young people stay at home. An analysis by Statistics Denmark cited by Realdania found that young people are more likely to move out when they live farther from an educational institution. Young people with non-Western backgrounds also generally leave home later than other young people.

Mette Mechlenborg, a senior researcher at Aalborg University who studies housing, said many young people grow up in spacious homes where they can have an independent living space. In particular, detached houses have increasingly been arranged with separate areas for children and parents, she said, making a small, expensive room less appealing.

Realdania’s study found no general difference in quality of life between young people who live with their parents and those who have moved out.