Leaving the Parental Home in Great Britain: A Comparative Perspective

A British birth cohort's experiences of leaving home are analyzed, and comparisons are made with leaving home patterns in the U.S. and Australia. Neither the fact nor the timing of leaving home can be understood without considering the reason for leaving. There are sharp differences between those who leave for education and those who leave to marry. The former leave earlier, come from higher status homes, have better academic records, and are more likely to return. Because, on average, women marry earlier than men, more women leave home by their mid-twenties and fewer return. All three societies show these differences, but the proportions leaving for the different reasons vary. Overall, Americans leave home earliest and are most likely to return, in part because more Americans than Australians or Britons first leave home for school. Observed societal differences are attributed to differences in the educational systems, but variations in youth employment and housing opportunities may also contribute.