Slovenia Bulletin: Survey finds more than half of Slovenes aged 25-35 live with parents

ponedeljek, avgust 30, 2004

Survey finds more than half of Slovenes aged 25-35 live with parents

Results of a survey released by the Student Organization of the University of Ljubljana (ŠOU) show that 57 percent of Slovenes aged 25 to 35 live with their parents because they do not have enough of their own resources to buy or rent their own apartment.

Young families try not to have their first child until they have a stable income and housing, which has contributed to the drop in the national birth rate, according to the survey results. At least 45 percent of respondents said that their housing situation was a factor in when or whether they would have their first child.

Around 90 percent of respondents say that the government has not done enough to ensure there is enough housing available for young people and young families. Among the biggest complaints is that there are too many restrictions which limit the availability of credit and social or nonprofit housing to young people (only seven percent of applications were approved in 2001). Even when young people can manage to get credit, interest rates are prohibitively high.

ŠOU ordered the survey to draw policymakers’ attention to the problems of current housing situation among young Slovenes. The survey results are to be disseminated among all political parties, and ŠOU will organize a round table next month where experts will discus the survey and share their opinions.

For its part, ŠOU founded a free housing service in May called m2 to help students find high quality and inexpensive housing in Ljubljana. The service not only identifies available housing but also assists foreign students and advises in rent agreement negotiations once young people have identified appropriate housing. So far, about 200 students have used the service.

The CATI research center executed the telephone survey for ŠOU in August 2004, and had 302 respondents between the ages of 25 and 35. More on the study can be found at the SOU website [STA / 30.08.04 / Večina mladih med 25. in 35. letom v Sloveniji živi pri starših].