Spatial Opportunity Structures and Final Home Leaving Among Young Adults in Norway

Abstract

Previous studies in Norway found that leaving the parental home in young adulthood was facilitated by a generous welfare state coupled with cultural and normative values emphasising early independence and residential stability. Nonetheless, little is known about how spatial opportunity structures in Norway have contributed to recent patterns of home leaving. Using longitudinal register data for the period between 1991 and 2018, we assess the influence of spatial opportunity structures on final home leaving for four cohorts of Norwegian young adults (N = 216,778). For most Norwegian young adults, median age at final home leaving was 23 years but varied by gender, country background, and centrality level. Accelerated Failure Time models found predicted median age at final home leaving to be 12−18 months younger for women across all country background groups and reduced for young adults whose independent households were established in either more rural or urban municipalities in Norway. Our methodological approach clearly reveals the importance of interregional differences in spatial opportunity structures on patterns of home leaving. Future research should ascertain what the spatial drivers are that facilitate or delay independent household formation, which should be of interest to policymakers trying to promote a national ethos of equality of opportunity.