Insee Focus · September 2025 · n° 358

Half of young people in rural municipalities left parental home before the age of 19

Young people who grew up in rural municipalities left parental home earlier than their urban counterparts, in particular to pursue their studies closer to schools. 28% of young people from rural areas who entered sixth grade in 2007 left their parents' home during their secondary education, and a further 26% left at the start of their tertiary education, most often to move to a more urbanised area. By contrast, young people from densely populated municipalities were almost three times less likely to move out of their parents' home at such an early age: one in six had still not moved out of their parents' home by the age of 26.