Credit: STATEC
On Monday 19 May 2025, Luxembourg’s national statistics institute, STATEC, published a report examining the long-term impact of institutional care during adolescence, entitled "Living in an Institution During Adolescence: A Factor Contributing to Poverty in Adulthood”.
According to STATEC, 4.1% of adults aged 25 to 59 in Luxembourg in 2023 experienced adolescence marked either by the loss of both parents or time spent in institutional care. The national statistics agency reported that these early life experiences have long-term effects on individuals’ living conditions and opportunities.
Findings from the 2023 EU-SILC survey showed that adults who grew up without parental figures were significantly more likely to face financial, housing and social difficulties. For example, 41.2% of those in this category reported having lacked personal housing at some point, compared to 6.6% of those who grew up with both parents.
Moreover, 64.9% of adults without parental support during adolescence were living below the poverty threshold in 2023, more than four times the rate observed among those who grew up with both parents (14.2%).
STATEC attributed these inequalities in part to limited access to education, precarious social integration and a lack of material and emotional support. Only 25.1% of those affected obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 51.3% among individuals who had both parents during their teenage years.
The full version of the report can be found at the following link: https://statistiques.public.lu/en/publications/series/regards/2025/regards-02-25.html
