The average age at which Germans move out of their family home is 20.5 years old, a new study by immowelt has found.
This is slightly earlier than in neighbouring countries France and Belgium, where the average age to move out is 21 years old and 22 years old, respectively.
However, the study also found that many young adults move back in with their parents after initially moving out, with 15% of Germans later returning to live in the family home. This rises to 19% for Millennials and 18% for Generation Z cohorts.
This is largely attributed to financial hurdles, including rising rents, a tight housing market and uncertain job prospects, immowelt found, and tends to be a situation affecting younger age cohorts.
By contrast, just 12% of Baby Boomers moved back in with their parents after initially leaving home.
Moving house
The study also explored how many times Germans move house once they leave their family home, with 68% having moved at least three times.
Women (73%) have relocated more often than men (64%), with the study suggesting that ‘women are more likely to adapt their living situation to new life situations, such as a new job or a new relationship’.
Emotional effect
Moving house also triggers differing emotions among Germans, with close to a third (31%) citing happiness as their dominant emotion when moving, associating the move with ‘positive expectations and a sense of optimism’.
Some 17% have a neutral attitude towards moving, while 14% said that they primarily feel overwhelmed about moving, citing ‘high costs, organisational effort, fear of damage during the move, and uncertainty about whether the new living situation is really the right one’.
The study surveyed 2,007 participants in Germany, 1,031 in France and 1,003 in Belgium, and was undertaken in February 2025. Read more here.
