The Decision Making Process of Leaving Home in Italy: A Longitudinal Analysis of Young Adults

It is well established that the departure from the parental home of young Italian adults occurs at a particularly late age, especially if compared to northern Europeans countries. Moreover, in Italy a large gap exists between young people’s aspirations and their subsequent realization. This study aims at understanding which factors favor or impede the realization of the behavior of leaving the family of origin, conditioning on intentions. Referring to the Theory of Planned Behavior, we analyze the issue of leaving the parental home as a mid-term decision-making process. Using data from the longitudinal survey “Family and Social Subjects”, carried out by Istat (Italian National Institute of Statistics) in 2003 and 2007, our results suggest that the determinants of actual behavior do not differ much by gender. Young women and men are both more likely to realize their intentions of residential autonomy if they are 25 years old or more and if they are employed. Only religiosity and background factors as parents’ education affect attainment differently for males and females