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Spain’s ‘Full Nest’ Trend Deepens as Housing Strains Keep Adults at Home

Therapists report a sharp rise in family conflicts tied to adult children living at home.

Overview

  • Spain’s average age for leaving the parental home is now around 30, and many who move out later return because of high living costs or to save for housing.
  • Psychologists say consultations over cohabitation tensions have multiplied in the past decade, with some reporting a tripling of such cases and an intensification after the pandemic.
  • Research using Banco de España data links living with adult children over 30 to lower parental well-being, especially for mothers who shoulder more domestic work.
  • A report from the Centro Reina SofíaFad Juventud finds worse mental-health outcomes among young people who cannot emancipate compared with those who have left home.
  • Clinicians recommend negotiated agreements on finances, responsibilities and household rules, treating the arrangement as temporary rather than resorting to expulsion.