More than two in three young adults in Ireland between the ages of 24 and 30 are still living at home.
And the number has doubled in the past decade as the housing crisis intensified.
The latest Eurostat figures show that 68 per cent of Irish adults aged between 25 and 29 were still living at home last year.
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That is in sharp contrast to rates in other European countries, such as Denmark (4.4 per cent), Finland (5.7 per cent) and Sweden (6.3 per cent), while the EU average is 42 per cent.
Opposition politicians are blaming the Government’s failed housing policies for the shortage of affordable homes for young people which means they must stay at home longer.
Social Democrats housing spokesman, Cian O’Callaghan, said that young people are having to put their lives on hold because of Government failures.
He said: "The latest data from Eurostat paints a very bleak picture of what it’s like to be a young adult in Ireland today.
"The figures show that a staggering 68 per cent of those aged between 25 and 29 are still living in their parents’ home.
"This is significantly higher than the EU average of 42 per cent.
"The number of young adults stuck in their childhood bedrooms has almost doubled since Fine Gael took office 12 years ago and continues to skyrocket under this Government.
"Young people are forced to choose between sacrificing their independence or paying astronomical amounts to live in an insecure rental sector.
"This is a result of a monumental failure to provide people with access to affordable housing.
"There are good examples of solutions in other European countries. In Denmark, for instance, young people have access to a wide range of high-quality social, affordable and student accommodation options.
"It is hardly a coincidence that 25 to 29-year-olds in Ireland are now 15 times more likely to be still living with their parents than those in Denmark.
"The Minister for Housing must stop acting as if he is a mere bystander to this crisis.
"If high-quality, affordable housing is not provided, emigration will increasingly become the only option for young adults who want to set up a life of their own."
Labour leader, Ivana Bacik, was also highly critical.
She said: "Having your own home, a place to call your own is a fundamental human right.
"It provides a sense of stability and independence which is being denied to this generation of young people.
"It is impossible to live a fully empowered life as a young person from a childhood bedroom.
"Despite record employment levels, too many young adults in Ireland today are barely getting by.
"They are working hard, paying taxes and contributing to society, yet for far too many, Ireland feels like no country for young people.
"In order to address this crisis, we need to see a structural revolution in housing. Government representatives have displayed dismissive attitudes in response to Labour’s constructive proposals to increase housing supply.
"Time for a change of approach."
