Men are the most concerned: more and more “Tanguy” in France, symptom of the housing crisis, according to a study

Outre 2,4 millions d'étudiants, 1,3 million de jeunes salariés continuent ainsi d'habiter chez leurs parents. PeopleImages/Getty Images

The number of young adults staying with their parents, mainly students, increased by 250,000 between 2013 and 2020, a return of "Tanguy" symptom of the housing crisis, according to a study by the Abbé Pierre Foundation (FAP) published Thursday.

Approximately 4.92 million adults lived with their parents in 2020 compared to 4.67 million in 2013, the majority aged 18-24 (+13.5%), according to the latest FAP investigation "Les Tanguy: the return", reference to the eponymous comedy by Etienne Chatiliez released in 2001 narrating the explosive cohabitation of a couple with their almost thirty-year-old son.

A major obstacle to autonomy

In addition to 18-24 year olds, 25-34 year olds are also increasing (+3.6%), while those over 35 are declining (-19.5%), representing a total of 1.26 million people over 25 years old.

"The fate of adults staying with their parents varies greatly. Some are satisfied with their housing conditions, especially when they are young", but "when this situation drags on, it constitutes a major obstacle to their autonomy, in particular when they are no longer students, working, or even already living as a couple", underlines the study, which is ' draws on the latest "National Housing Survey" of 2020.

Wages too low and rent levels too high

This phenomenon reflects above all "the largest number of young people in France, the children of the "baby boom of the year 2000" gradually arriving at adulthood", recognizes FAP.

But it is also an "additional signal (…) of the seriousness of the youth housing crisis& quot;, she continues by calling for "more proactive housing policies, in particular towards precarious young people".

In addition to 2.4 million students, 1.3 million young employees continue to live with their parents, which "may reflect salaries that are too low and rent levels that are too high or social housing that is too rare to be able to live alone", according to the Foundation.

Young men more numerous

The number of unemployed living with their parents decreased by 32.2%, to 588,000, due to the drop in youth unemployment over the period.

Note that young men are much more numerous (2.8 million) than women (2.1 million), a difference which is ’not new" , and which can be explained, among other things, "by young women entering into a relationship earlier, in relationships where the woman is on average younger than her partner< /em>", notes the FAP.