Young people opt to move out of parents' house

Nguyen Hoang Phu, 29, works in an office in Hanoi’s Cau Giay District. He moved out of his parents' house in Long Bien District and rented an apartment near his workplace this summer.

"I want to be independent and have time for myself, so I decided to move out," he says.

"Spending VND6 million ($264) a month to rent this apartment is one of the best decisions I have made this year."

In the past many Vietnamese moved out of their parent's house after getting married, but now many choose to leave even earlier.

According to real estate agents in cities like Hanoi and HCMC, there has been a sharp increase in the number of single people looking to buy apartments in the last few years.

Sociologist Trinh Hoa Binh confirms this trend, saying more and more young singles are moving out of their parents’ houses even if they do not live very far away.

"It is an unavoidable trend in modern society as young Vietnamese are more financially independent and influenced by Western culture," he tells VnExpress International.

Nguyen Huy Hoang, who lived by himself in an apartment in HCMC’s District 1, says he moved out because he wanted to spend his evenings with friends or partners "instead of going home to have dinner with my parents every day as a responsibility.

"Sometimes I feel like my parents care for me too much and interfere in my personal life, so living alone is [ideal]."

Psychologist Che Dao Thao says younger generations are more financially and emotionally independent with more choices to provide them with happiness.

After returning from the U.S. where he studied, Nguyen The Anh is looking for a studio apartment to "enjoy my freedom" after living with his parents for a few months.

"I often have conflicts with my parents, so I want to have my own space."

Speaking about the cultural shift, Binh says the idea of living with their parents is dissipating among Vietnamese youths due to socio-economic changes and international integration, and is inevitable since young people are now exposed to international cultures online.

In the past ‘tu dai dong duong’ families (four generations in one house), where children and grandchildren took care of the elderly, were the norm. But no longer.

The trend of young people moving out is seen in many Asian countries. In South Korea, as of 2020, over 1.26 million people in their 20s were living alone, a 43 percent increase since 2015. In Singapore, between 1990 and 2020, the number of Singaporeans and permanent residents under 35 who are either living alone or away from their parents has risen from 33,400 to 51,300, according to the country’s Department of Statistics.

Nguyen Huynh Dang Nam, 30, who rents an apartment in HCMC’S District 10, says: "I moved out of my parents’ house in May. I love my family, but I do not want to depend too much on my parents."

Binh says another major social change is that youngsters now want to be accepted as independent individuals within their families sooner than before when people were only considered adults when they got married.

"Being financially independent and having a job are crucial criteria to become adults among Vietnamese youngsters nowadays rather than getting married".

Hoang agrees, saying he wanted to have complete control over his life when he moved out.

"As long as I am living in my parents’ house, I still depend on them and my decisions are heavily influenced by them".

Phu says: "I plan to save money and buy an apartment next year. I am more responsible when living on my own, and my parents know that and are happy about it".

He had never cooked while living with his parents, but says, "Now I can cook delicious food when I visit my parents".