SURGE IN LONDON'S 'BOOMERANG KIDS'

) ONE IN FOUR FAMILIES HAS ADULT OFFSPRING AT HOME AS COST OF LIVING SQUEEZE BITES

LONDON is seeing a surge in “boomerang kids” as a growing number of young adults cannot afford their own homes, official figures revealed today.

More than one in four (26.8 per cent) London families had at least one adult child in their home, the largest proportion of any English region, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The capital saw the fastest rate of increase in families with adult children in England and Wales between 2011 and 2021, with a jump of 24.5 per cent, twice the 12.2 per cent rise seen across all other regions. The trend is expected to have continued during the cost-of-living crisis, with rents and mortgage bills soaring for millions of people, particularly in the capital.

Nick Bowes, chief executive of the Centre for London think tank, said: “These deeply worrying statistics indicate that London’s future as a liveable city is at stake. Younger adults risk being permanently priced out of affording life in the capital without intervention.