MORE adults are living at home with their parents in Dorset than a decade before, new census figures show.

Intergenerational Foundation, a charity which campaigns for fairness across the different generations, said equality between older and younger people is at risk if younger generations are unable to get onto the housing ladder and reach the same milestones their parents and grandparents did.

New census figures from the Office for National Statistics show 26,225 non-dependent children lived in the family home in 2021 – marginally up from 24,287 in 2011, when the last census was undertaken.

A non-dependent child is someone living with their parents and is either over-18 and without a partner or child or a 16-18 year old and not in full-time education.

Of the 15,973 households where non-dependent children stayed with their parents, 9,418 of the parents were married or in a civil partnership, 994 were co-habiting, while a further 5,561 were single parents.

The rise locally follows a trend across England and Wales, where the number of non-dependent children living at home increased by 14.7% in the last 10 years, from 4.2 million to 4.9 million.

There was an increase in the number of non-dependent children of all ages between 20 and 73, while the largest rise was among 24 year olds.

Intergenerational Foundation said fairness between the generations is at risk as young people are unable to emulate the life milestones of their parents and grandparents due to rocketing housing costs.

Angus Hanton, co-founder of the charity, said: "As these figures make plain, a toxic combination of high housing and energy costs, high tax rates, and low wages, has driven millions of young people back to the family home, instead of striking out on their own.

"Intergenerational fairness is at risk if our children and grandchildren are unable to achieve the same milestones enjoyed by previous generations.

"What most parents want is for their children to do better than them: the Census shows that their children face markedly worse prospects."

Further ONS figures show house prices in Dorset have risen by an average of 45%, from £227,000 in December 2011 to £330,000 in December 2021, leaving many first-time buyers struggling to get on the housing market.

Across England and Wales, the average house price climbed by 56% from £176,000 to £275,000 across the same time period.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said it is providing "significant support" to help people through the cost-of-living crisis.

A spokesperson said: "Our Renters Reform Bill will also deliver a fairer deal for renters, abolishing no-fault evictions so that all tenants have greater security in their homes and are empowered to challenge unreasonable rent rises."

They said it is investing £11.5 billion to build affordable homes across the country.