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Diario Euskadi

Rural Youth Emancipation: Housing and Family Support are Key

A new study reveals that 51.9% of young people residing in rural areas of the Basque Autonomous Community prefer to emancipate in their own municipality.

A young person's hands holding a small house model, with a blurred rural landscape in the background.
IA

A young person's hands holding a small house model, with a blurred rural landscape in the background.

The Department of Welfare, Youth and Demographic Challenge, in collaboration with the Bitar-Bask Basque Mediation Association, presented a study today in Urduña on the emancipation of young people in rural areas of the Basque Autonomous Community.

This research analyzes the conditions and needs for emancipation among young people living in rural environments of the Basque Autonomous Community, aiming to provide a working basis for institutions to offer responses tailored to the specific reality of each municipality. The report emphasizes the need to address rural youth emancipation from an inter-institutional and transversal perspective.
The study was conducted in seven regions across Araba, Bizkaia, and Gipuzkoa, through surveys, interviews, and in-person workshops and participatory dynamics involving young people aged 18 to 34, as well as local agents and technicians. The results indicate that, despite situational differences, common characteristics exist in the emancipation process of young people across the three territories. These include housing as the main limitation, employment not being sufficient, dependence on family support, and a strong desire for autonomy and a personal project.
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"There is a need to address rural youth emancipation from an inter-institutional and transversal perspective."

The Counselor
Among the most significant findings, 51.9% of young people would prefer to emancipate in their own municipality, and 20.7% would choose nearby towns with similar characteristics. In contrast, only 6.7% would opt to move to a city. This data highlights the strong connection young people have with their territory, considering rootedness an important element for designing public policies.
Emancipation data for young people in the Basque Autonomous Community are concerning: only 31% of young people are emancipated, achieving it, on average, at nearly 30 years old. Seven out of ten young people acknowledge structural problems in pursuing an autonomous life project, which is even more pronounced in rural areas. There, housing is the main obstacle, as 91.8% of young participants in the research stated they have no options for emancipation.
Among those who do achieve emancipation, family support remains fundamental, assisting more than half of those interviewed. However, the study points out that emancipation should not rely on each family's capacity for assistance, as this can create inequalities. Therefore, the Basque Government believes this diagnosis can serve as a starting point for further progress in youth emancipation policies, with the collaboration of municipalities, provincial councils, and local agents.

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