Italians are notorious across Europe for staying at home longer than any other nationality but according to a new report their parents could be the ones to blame.
The study, by two Italian researchers at the London School of Economics, suggests that Italian mums and dads would do anything to keep their kids at home, even resorting to bribery.
"Italian parents like having their children around them and will try to 'corrupt' them with favours and bribes," said Marco Manacorda and Enrico Moretti. The report, published in the Centrepiece magazine, breaks the stereotype of lazy Italian youths who choose to stay in the nest simply because they can't be bothered doing their own cooking or cleaning.
Instead, it claims, parents are the ones who get the benefits, with constant company, help around the house, and the chance to control their offsprings' daily lives. The children, on the other hand, are often unemployed, travel less than their European counterparts, and find it tough to eventually settle down with a partner outside the family home.
"The price that young Italians pay is a lack of independence and, in the long run, little satisfaction in their lives," said the researchers.
"In conclusion, we believe that Italian parents are making a great deal of effort to win their offsprings' love but in a certain sense, they're buying this love in exchange for their children's own independence".
A whopping 80% of Italians between the ages of 18 and 30 still live with their parents, compared to 50% in the UK and just 40% in the US.
