In Portugal, 95% of young people aged between 15 and 24 were still living with their parents last year. This is the fourth highest value in the European Union and when compared with the reality in the country two decades ago (in 2004, it was only 86%) it translates to "a more difficult route to independence".
The conclusions are contained in a report by Pordata which outlines a portrait of young people, on the occasion of the World Youth Day, which takes place between Tuesday and Sunday in Lisbon. On average, young people are unable to leave their parents' home until they are 30 years old.
"There are several factors that explain this," the chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation (FFMS) told Lusa, referring, as an example, to the working conditions of young people in Portugal.
According to the data, six out of 10 young employees have precarious work relationships - a reality that affects 14% of workers between 25 and 64 years old - and about half say they are in this situation because they cannot find permanent work.
Portugal is the 5th country in the European Union with the highest proportion of young people with precarious work ties and ranks 7th in terms of the highest rates of youth unemployment, which affects one in five. The report also identifies a significant number of young people (almost 25%) in poverty or social exclusion.
On the other hand, Gonçalo Saraiva Matias mentions the issue of housing as an explanatory factor and recalls a study released on Thursday by the FFMS, which confirms the rise in house prices.
"In the last decade, there has been a very large increase in housing prices and a decrease in supply. Faced with a scenario of precarious jobs, poorly paid jobs, and a very large increase in the price of housing, it is evident that the number of young people living with their parents increases and young people's ability to leave home early decreases", he explained.