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This seems to be a largely western hemisphere phenomena. My girlfriend is South African and moved to Canada once we got serious and was amazed at how many of my

This seems to be a largely western hemisphere phenomena. My girlfriend is South African and moved to Canada once we got serious and was amazed at how many of my friends lived at home with their folks even though they have full time jobs (most are teachers and unlike in the US, being a teacher in Ontario is a pretty sweet job). In South Africa, once you're 18 you're out the door and you learn to deal with it. The thought of being in your mid-20's and at home with your parents is tantamount to being water boarded for a South African. But one of the commenters here hit the nail on the head: real wages are going down, cost of living going up, plus throw in a little stigma about "renting being for poor people" and you'll find young adults waiting to save up to buy a house and as a result getting out on their own later.

heresy 16y ago
Another observation for your sample (also South African). Left home at 17, crashed at a mates place until I could find a job, any job. Most everyone in my circle of friends left home by 19 or 20. I think there is a fair bit of pressure to be "independent" and "stand on your own feet", at least in the culture I grew up in; especially if you're male. You're expected to have "guts", and not going out and making it on your own, is seen as not having any. Because of that obstinance, only in the past 3 or 4 years has rent been a low enough percentage of my income that I could start seriously saving (though I didn't, until a year ago), since I felt compelled to live up to the lifestyle people thought I had (the classic trap of coming from a "poor" family). If I could do it over, I'd have probably stayed with my parents for a couple of years and built up a cushion. But then, would I be the person I am today, or would I have been as adventurous? I don't feel grown up though, despite being 30. Maybe just more aware, and somewhat more responsible. And acknowledging of the fact that a large part of my ability to be "independent" is that I was quite lucky to enter the workforce in 1998 as things were starting to boom.

heresy 16y ago

Another observation for your sample (also South African). Left home at 17, crashed at a mates place until I could find a job, any job. Most everyone in my circle of friends left home by 19 or 20. I think there is a fair bit of pressure to be "independent" and "stand on your own feet", at least in the culture I grew up in; especially if you're male. You're expected to have "guts", and not going out and making it on your own, is seen as not having any. Because of that obstinance, only in the past 3 or 4 years has rent been a low enough percentage of my income that I could start seriously saving (though I didn't, until a year ago), since I felt compelled to live up to the lifestyle people thought I had (the classic trap of coming from a "poor" family). If I could do it over, I'd have probably stayed with my parents for a couple of years and built up a cushion. But then, would I be the person I am today, or would I have been as adventurous? I don't feel grown up though, despite being 30. Maybe just more aware, and somewhat more responsible. And acknowledging of the fact that a large part of my ability to be "independent" is that I was quite lucky to enter the workforce in 1998 as things were starting to boom.