Extending Residence at the Parental Home for Single, Childless Young Adults: A Cohort Analysis of the Transition to Adulthood in Spain

Nicolás Aros , Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics
Pau Miret, Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics

The transition from youth to adulthood often marks the establishment of a nuclear family or an independent household. This study utilises a dataset comprising 5,717,114 quarterly observations from the Spanish Labour Force Survey, encompassing the birth cohorts of 1960-1988 for females aged 16-35 and 1957-1985 for males aged 19-38. Previous research has shown that the age-related patterns of this transition remain relatively consistent between genders, with a three-year age difference, enabling the construction of a comprehensive age profile for this pivotal life stage. The primary objective of this study is to examine the age-related probabilities of young adults not residing at their parental home while controlling for variations in population demographics. The independent variables under consideration include educational attainment (grouped into maximum compulsory, post-compulsory non-university education, and university degrees) and employment status (categorised as out of the labour market, unemployed, part-time, or full-time employment). Given the binary nature of the dependent variable, logistic regression is employed for data analysis. Our analysis aims to elucidate the evolving temporal trends in transition patterns. We endeavour to demonstrate that, over time, a consistent model has emerged, wherein higher educational attainment and weaker ties to the labour market correlate with the delayed establishment of independent households or family nuclei. Furthermore, we observe a diminishing gender-based influence regarding educational attainment, while labour market status continues to impact the timing of this life transition consistently. This study adds to our comprehension of the intricate dynamics associated with the transition to adulthood in Spain.

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 Presented in Session P1. Fertility, Family, Life Course