Italian men are the oldest fathers in Europe, according to research by the Universit Cattolica and national institute of statistics Istat. Men are having their first child at an average age of 33, while in other countries their counterparts have started families before hitting 30. The researchers ascribed the trend to men waiting until they have a healthy bank balance to have a child and to the fact that they remain for longer in the parental home than men elsewhere in Europe. Around 40 per cent of Italian men are still living with their parents between the ages of 30 and 34, while elsewhere in Europe most men have left the family home before they are 25. Only 20 per cent of Italian women in the 30-34 age group still live with their parents, however. The average age of first-time mothers in Italy is 27, with research showing that men are marrying women much younger than themselves.