Nearly one in five Australians have lived with an ex to save on housing costs: Finder survey

A new survey by Finder reveals that rising living costs are forcing many Australians to continue living with former partners due to financial constraints.

Key findings:

• 17% of respondents have remained living with an ex-partner after breaking up due to affordability concerns.
• 4% (equivalent to over 800,000 people) are currently living with an ex to save on housing costs or avoid a costly move.
• 13% have lived with an ex in the past but have since moved out.
• Gen Z is most likely to share a home with an ex due to financial worries, with 33% admitting to doing so, compared to 11% of Gen X and 5% of Baby Boomers.
• 19% of women have remained living with an ex, compared to 16% of men.
• Western Australia has the highest rate (22%) of people who have lived with an ex after breaking up, followed by NSW (18%) and Victoria (17%).

Graham Cooke, head of consumer research at Finder, commented on the findings:

“Thousands of Australians decide to separate but remain living together for a prolonged period because they can’t afford to go their separate ways,” Cooke said.

He noted that facing the housing market as a single person is daunting, especially when mortgages and children are involved.

Cooke urged Australians to build emergency funds to safeguard against unexpected relationship breakdowns:

“An emergency fund helps people to be financially prepared for the good and the bad,” he said.

The survey, part of Finder’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker, was conducted in July 2024 with 1,049 respondents.