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For generations, young adulthood has been defined by moving out of the family home. It's the first big step on our path towards an independent life. It's a time of adventure! Freedom! Found families! At least, that's what the culture tells us it should be. We grew up daydreaming about a colourful flat like in Friends. Or maybe an industrial chic loft like in New Girl. Perhaps, it was a chaotic flat share like in Girls. The examples go on and on.
But these days, the reality of young adulthood often looks a little different. Fewer and fewer young people are living the early 20s (or even early 30s) dream of the somewhat grimy, but thrilling flat share. Increasingly, young people are choosing to stay exactly where they are — in the family home. The proportion of 25 to 34 year olds living with their parents has gone up by over a third in the past two decades — as of 2025, roughly 18% have yet to move out.
Are we looking at a generation of late bloomers? Or are there perhaps some very real, very valid anxieties behind this trend?
“[There has been a] huge increase in levels of fear, particularly in the age group of maybe 18 to 25ish,” says psychologist Wendy Dignan. She references the annual Burnout Report — “a pretty robust piece of research” — which revealed that nine in 10 adults experienced high or extreme levels of stress at some point during 2024. “Which is absolutely huge,” she says. “That's unheard of — and 18 to 24 year olds experience three times more than over 55s. And that's really telling.”
The state of the world is — to put it mildly — chaotic. And it has left many young people clinging to the promise of stability that their family home might offer in contrast to a more unpredictable life elsewhere. “There's a discomfort and a fear about moving out," says Wendy. "It's fear of the unknown and the unpredictable. Safety for us as humans is about something that's predictable — A equals B — and in the time we're in now, nothing's predictable.”
One of the most unpredictable things is, of course, the economy. House prices have skyrocketed and the goal of home ownership has, for many, become something of a distant dream. Although there are an estimated 7.5 million people hoping to become homeowners in the UK, 4 million don't think they will ever be able to achieve that goal. Meanwhile, the private rental sector is becoming more and more competitive — and more and more expensive. In fact, everything seems to be expensive. The UK Youth Poll 2025 published by the John Smith Centre, found that young people (41%) ranked inflation and the cost of living as the most important issue facing the UK today.
“In the current climate of economic uncertainty, that there are no rules,” says Dignan. “[A few decades ago], there was an unwritten rule: if you work hard, you'll do well and be financially happy. And that that rule has sort of been ripped up.”
Jess, a 30-year-old from Essex, chooses to live in her family home rather than move out and deal with the private rental sector after being “wracked” with anxiety in her early 20s. “I didn’t want to move into a flat share with strangers,” she says. “I didn’t want to pay 80% of a salary into a place I hated that wasn’t fit for purpose. The version of how I wanted to live wasn’t within reach, so why compromise?”
Money is also the primary anxiety-driver for Tash, a 24-year-old from Kent. “The idea of having to do it all by myself is frankly so scary,” she says. “I sometimes kind of spiral about just how expensive it would be and then just keep putting off thinking about it.”
Another contributing factor to the anxiety of moving out is the pandemic.
For Amani, a 24-year-old from London, moving out might just be financially possible with her job, but she still feels uncertain. “Maybe it is the pandemic but I often find myself worrying about things that could go wrong," she says. "What if I lose my job? What if I have horrible flatmates?”
“When you look at the research, [anxiety is one of the] lingering effects of the pandemic,” Dignan says. According to Dignan, the pandemic serves as proof that things can go wrong. “And that's about that particular age range of between about 18 to 25. [They've seen that] the unheard of does happen. Nobody could have ever predicted the pandemic. So it gives validation to that fear that the unheard of definitely does happen.” In turn, many young people may subconsciously seek to avoid unpredictable situations where things could go wrong. Staying home becomes a means of protection.
Then there's the fact that this kind of anxiety can… well… make you feel even more anxious simply because you're not where you think you're supposed to be. Amani says, “It's a real fear, but I do often feel like I'm failing.” Jess also used to be hard on herself for feeling anxious about leaving home. “It’s incredibly hard to rid yourself of the shame and social stigma that comes with not moving out,” she says.
As Armani and Jess note, it can be hard to accept that all of this fear isn't a “you problem” — especially in the age of social media.
“Social media is about comparison,” Dignan says. Often, content online presents us with “an unrealistic life. I hear a lot of younger people comparing themselves and saying, 'Well, I'm not at that point yet, and everybody else seems to be getting married or starting a family or buying a first home, and I'm not there. So somehow I'm lacking.'”
However, this couldn't be further from the truth. It's a fact — it's one of the hardest times — both practically and psychologically — to be brave enough to fly the nest. And it's understandable that many young people are delaying the big move.
It's “absolutely normal” to feel anxious about moving out, Dignan says. ”The recent stats should normalise it," she says. In fact, if this all sounds like you, you're “just like most of your generation,” she says. “This is about the environment and the times that we're living through, more than yourself as an individual. Jess actually finds that there is some social media content that is beginning to reshape the narrative and offer a new perspective. “I think TikTok is doing an amazing job of helping others see the ‘new normal’ for people especially those in their 30s." Sadly, not everyone is ready to accept it. "Sometimes the comment sections are so filled with judgement that it makes me angry. We all need to cut others some slack.”
Why you might be mistaking one for the other, and how to tell the difference.
The best way to get past these anxieties, Dignan recommends taking back control by making a rational plan that works for you and your circumstances.
“Fear and anxiety is about feeling out of control. Take back control by drawing up a plan. You might not be able to fix it, but you can work towards something,” she says. “Break it down into really small, manageable steps.”
"Journaling is also really good to externalise and rationalise," she says. "Writing it down helps to get it out and make sense of it outside of your brain."
If your anxiety begins to impact your life and result in physical symptoms it can be helpful to seek professional help. Dignan also recommends “grounding, relaxation and mindfulness.”
But above all? Simply start some open communication. “Face-to-face contact, in-person connection," she says. "Talk about how tough it is. Talk about your fears and anxieties with friends. Because they will normalise it.”
