Parental social class and home-leaving in Italy: a changing landscape with persistent inequalities

Abstract

Objective: This study explores the relationship between family background and home-leaving behaviour in Italy, focusing on how parental social class influences the timing and destinations (education, cohabitation, marriage, or autonomy) of home-leaving across three cohorts of women and men born between 1939 and 1998. Background: Italians tend to leave home late, and the age at which young adults leave their parental homes has been rising since the 1980s, raising concerns about shifting demographic patterns and broader societal impacts. Method: Using retrospective data from the ISTAT Multipurpose Survey on Families and Social Subjects (2009 and 2016), we apply event history analysis techniques. Results: The general delay in home-leaving has narrowed parental social class differences among women. However, for men, this delay is concentrated in higher social classes, leading to a widening class gap. Over time, parental social class differences in home-leaving destinations, particularly living with parents, marriage, and autonomy, have generally levelled out. Daughters from higher socioeconomic backgrounds increasingly leave home for education, while cohabitation remains uncommon. Similar trends are observed among men, though sons of agricultural workers have become less likely to stay with their parents and more likely to leave for marriage or autonomy. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the ongoing influence of parental social class on home-leaving destinations, highlighting its continued role in shaping the transition to adulthood in Italy.