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Census: More Grown Men Are Living With Their Parents

The Census has some news for parents who thought they had an empty nest, only to find their grown child is back in the basement: You are not alone.

According to new analysis of Census numbers released today, the proportion of young adults living with their parents has increased from 2005 to 2011. "The percentage of men age 25 to 34 living in the home of their parents rose from 14 percent in 2005 to 19 percent in 2011 and from 8 percent to 10 percent over the period for women," the Census reports.

And on that male prominence: Over the past year, the percentage of men ages 25 to 34 who live with their parents jumped 2.2 percent in the past year, while it actually dropped 0.8 percent for women.

Here's the Census' historical chart:

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Census

The explanation, reports The Los Angeles Times, is almost certainly the economy but the upward trend started before the recent recession and has outlasted it.

There are plenty of jokes to be made. But we'll let you click over to the blog Jezebel, which titles its story: "Report Suggests Recession Has Turned Men Into Losers." They also throw in an Italy joke for good measure.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.