According to a 2024 household survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, monthly living expenses excluding rent for single households under 35 were estimated at 136,542 yen. Breaking down these expenses, food costs averaged 40,305 yen, utilities 9,005 yen, medical expenses 8,252 yen, and communication 5,730 yen.
When rent is added on top of these expenses, many young people say that living alone has become increasingly difficult. Compared with ten years ago, the survey showed that the average monthly rent for single households under 35 has risen by about 6,600 yen, and other living expenses have increased by approximately 3,800 yen. This adds roughly 10,000 yen to the monthly financial burden.
Masanori Taito, a real estate appraiser, noted that the surge in condominium prices has pushed up rental costs as well. He expects rents to continue rising gradually in the near future.
A separate survey by real estate information service LIFULL HOMES, which included 1,693 men and women in their 20s from the Tokyo metropolitan area, revealed various living arrangements: 37.7% live with their parents, 27.7% live alone, and 17.0% live with a partner or children. Smaller shares live with relatives (7.3%), with a partner (7.4%), or with friends (1.1%).
Street interviews suggest that many people in their twenties identify with the nearly 40% who remain at home. For example, one 23-year-old from Gunma, who recently started living alone, said most of his peers still live with their parents. Meanwhile, a 22-year-old from Saitama, who still lives at home, said she plans to buy a car this year. Although she has not yet contributed money to the household, she intends to do so in the future. She also acknowledged that sharing a room with her younger brother could become a disadvantage due to a lack of privacy.
The same LIFULL HOMES survey found that the top reasons for staying with parents included the desire to save money, inability to pay rent or living expenses, proximity to the workplace, wanting to spend on hobbies or “oshi-katsu” fan activities, the burden of household chores, and parental requests not to move out.
Ranmaru Kishitani, a 24-year-old, said nearly all of these reasons applied to him except for parental requests. He spends most weekdays at a shared office but returns home about twice a week for meals and family comfort. He estimates that about 80% of his peers also live with their parents.
The benefits of staying at home include help with chores, reliable meals, lower costs, and a sense of security. However, drawbacks range from family rules and interference in daily life to difficulties inviting friends or partners, as well as inconvenient commuting.
Kishitani added that more young people now see living with parents not as a failure of independence but rather as a form of cooperation—especially when they have no pressing need to move out.
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