A recent Statistics Canada study reveals that the proportion of millennials aged 25 to 39 living with their parents has doubled nationwide between 1991 and 2021, with the trend particularly pronounced in high-cost areas such as Metro Vancouver. The research examined how different generations have progressed through life milestones, including leaving the parental home, forming families, and achieving home ownership.
Key Findings from the Study
In Metro Vancouver, the percentage of millennials living with parents rose from 8.3% to 19.3%, surpassing the national average of 16.3%. Among younger millennials aged 25 to 29, the figure increased from 16.7% to 36.9%. The study compared census data from 1991, 2006, and 2021 to analyze housing situations across generations: baby boomers, Generation X, and millennials.
Life Stretching and Delayed Milestones
StatCan analyst Josh Gordon, based in Vancouver, noted that the research reveals a complex picture influenced but not solely driven by housing costs in expensive cities like Toronto and Vancouver. He described a phenomenon of "life stretching" occurring across all cities, where young people in 2021 are taking longer to complete education, establish careers, find partners, have children, and retire. "There is an indication that people are just taking a bit longer to settle down and have a family, and that is a very complicated pattern across western countries," Gordon explained.
Ethnic and Cultural Factors
The study also considered growing ethnic diversity as a factor shifting housing trajectories. In 2021, 22.1% of racialized millennials lived with their parents, compared to 13.7% of non-racialized, non-Indigenous millennials. The report stated, "There appear to be persistent differences between various ethnic groups in relation to living with parents in young adulthood, in part connected to different cultural patterns."
Impact on Home Ownership and Parenthood
High housing costs have played a role in delaying decisions about moving out, buying a home, and starting a family. In Metro Vancouver, only about 31% of 25- to 39-year-olds were parents in 2021, compared to the national average of 42%. Gordon noted this was the lowest rate of millennial parenthood in the country. Additionally, home ownership among millennials in Metro Vancouver stood at 41%, lower than the national average of 50%.
The study underscores that while housing affordability is a major factor, broader societal shifts are contributing to delayed life transitions among millennials.
