From Emerging to Established: Longitudinal Patterns in the Timing of Transition Events Among Australian Emerging Adults

The timing and sequencing of completing education, leaving home, beginning full-time work, forming intimate relationships, and parenting are evolving rapidly worldwide. This study describes patterns of transition in a population-based longitudinal study of Australians at ages 20 and 29 (N = 1,366). Latent class analysis and latent transition analysis identified four categories of emerging adulthood in both age-groups. At age 20, 41.8% were in the category of students living in their parents’ home; at age 29, most were categorized as “established young adults” with (25.7%) or without children (51.1%). A majority of “young independents” at age 20 went on to become “established parents” at 29, and most students living independently at age 20 were “established young adults without children” at 29. Findings suggest that the directions of emerging adulthood are largely set in place by age 20. Programs and policies may be needed to support transitions into stable life partnerships and parenthood.