More children are opting to live with their parents into adulthood as the cost of living continues to remain an issue, research from Compare the Market reveals.
Around 42% of UK young adults (aged between 15 and 34) lived with their parents in 2023 – around 6.92 million people.
Parents are paying around £280 each month for their adult children to continue living at home – £3,400 each year. Parents of adults aged 25+ are paying £271 per month for their grown children to live at home, or £3,300 per year.
|
Rank |
Rent per month to live at home (£) |
% of parents who charge their children this amount in rent |
|
1 |
Child does not pay any rent |
38.9% |
|
=2 |
£50 – £100 |
11.3% |
|
=2 |
£151 – £200 |
11.3% |
|
3 |
£201 – £250 |
9.7% |
|
4 |
£251 – £300 |
8.1% |
*Note: Table only shows top five responses, ranked by highest percentage.
The survey found that 38.9% of respondents don’t charge their children rent. One in ten (11.3%) UK parents charge their children £50 – £100 per month to live at home, while a further 11.3% charge their children £151 – £200 each month.
Parents in Norwich ask for the most amount of rent of any city (£166), while parents in Sheffield charge the least (£101)
|
Rank |
City |
Average amount of rent adult children are paying per month (£) |
|
1 |
Norwich |
£166 |
|
2 |
Brighton |
£160 |
|
3 |
London |
£148 |
|
4 |
Manchester |
£131 |
|
5 |
Newcastle |
£130 |
Leading the list is Norwich, where parents charge an average of £166 per month, closely followed by Brighton (£160) and London (£148). Manchester and Newcastle round out the list, with parents charging £131 and £130 each month, respectively.
However, the city charging the least rent is Sheffield, with a rate of £101, followed by Birmingham at £104, then Plymouth at £106.
“The main reason parents ask their adult children to pay rent is to help cover house bills, with 39.8% saying this is their motivation.”
The main reason parents ask their adult children to pay rent is to help cover house bills, with 39.8% saying this is their motivation.
Groceries top the list as the most commonly covered expense by parents for their adult children, with 35.8% of parents saying this
On a broader level, the study also examines which costs parents still cover for their adult children – whether they live at home or not.
|
Rank |
Expense |
% of parents still covering this expense for their children |
|
1 |
Groceries |
35.8% |
|
2 |
Home bills (water, electricity etc.) |
28.4% |
|
3 |
New clothes/ shoes |
26.6% |
|
4 |
Mobile phone bill |
18.3% |
|
5 |
Subscriptions (such as Spotify, streaming services, etc.) |
14.8% |
|
6 |
Gifts for family members |
12.9% |
|
7 |
Insurance |
12.7% |
|
8 |
General spending money |
12.6% |
|
9 |
Dentist |
12.3% |
|
10 |
Holiday money |
12.0% |
UK parents most commonly cover groceries for their adult children, with 35.8% still paying for this expense. Home bills, including water and electricity, are paid by 28.4% of parents, ranking second. Additionally, 26.6% still pay for new clothes or shoes for their adult child.
In Belfast, 27.8% of parents pay for their adult child’s phone bill, the highest among surveyed cities.
Another 20.4% provide holiday money and 25% cover insurance costs. In Birmingham, 21.1% of parents pay for new clothes and shoes for their adult children.
