Jönköping - Sweden's 'southern Europe'?

A study by Lucia Naldi, Professor of Business Administration at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) at Jönköping University, shows that many Swedish students in medium-sized towns like Jönköping, Växjö, Kalmar, Örebro, and Karlstad choose to remain living at home during their university years. The research challenges the notion that young Swedes always move out early – contrasting with southern Europe, where young people often stay with their parents well into adulthood.

“In southern Europe, it’s common for young adults to live at home well into their thirties. This phenomenon has even led to some humorous expressions. In Italy, for instance, these young adults are often referred to as ‘bamboccioni,’ or big babies, a term reflecting society’s frustration over their prolonged stay with their parents,” says Lucia Naldi.

In Sweden, young people typically move out when they begin higher education, thanks to a well-established student housing system and a welfare system that provides financial support through grants and loans. However, this study questions whether this picture holds true everywhere. Results from the five municipalities studied show that many students indeed choose to remain at home during their university years.

Almost three out of four continue living at home

In Jönköping and Örebro, nearly three in four locally recruited university students continue living at home, with a balanced gender distribution. The trend is particularly noticeable in Jönköping, where young adults often stay with their parents well into adulthood, resembling the pattern seen in southern Europe.

“Despite the image of Swedish students leaving the parental home early, this data shows that the reality is more nuanced. In certain municipalities, like Jönköping and Örebro, we see that Swedish university students aren’t so different from their peers in southern Europe – many opt to stay at home during their student years if they study in the same town where their parents live,” says Lucia Naldi.

A similar trend is seen in Växjö, where approximately two-thirds of the locally recruited students live at home. Here, too, gender differences are minimal – both women and men make similar choices.

“Although the percentage is slightly lower than in Jönköping, Växjö reflects a strong preference for living at home in early adulthood, continuing a family-oriented lifestyle similar to that in southern Europe,” she explains.

More women move out in Kalmar and Karlstad

In Kalmar and Karlstad, more students tend to move out, particularly women. In Kalmar, about six in ten locally recruited students stay at home, though a larger proportion of men choose to remain. Karlstad has the lowest proportion of students living at home, with somewhat more women opting to move out.

“Our study raises the question of whether Sweden’s self-image truly aligns with reality. At the same time, in municipalities like Kalmar and Karlstad, we observe that more students, particularly women, are taking the step to move out. The future will reveal how these housing trends develop and impact both students and society at large,” says Lucia Naldi.

This study is part of a larger research project on student mobility and entrepreneurship that Lucia Naldi is conducting in collaboration with Karin Hellerstedt (JIBS), Mohamed Genedy (JIBS and the Stockholm School of Economics), and Mattias Nordqvist (JIBS and the Stockholm School of Economics).

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