Whether they are bamboccioni unwilling to cut mama's apron strings or job-hunters left out in the cold by a grim economy, a growing number of Italians are seeking refuge in the family home.

According to a report published on Wednesday, almost a third of Italian adults (31%) live with their parents. The highest proportion was among 18- to 29-year-olds, for whom unemployment is particularly high, with 60.7% reported living at home.

The joint report by the social and market research firms Coldiretti and Censis underpins how many Italians are weathering the eurozone crisis by sticking close to home and relying on family relationships. Among 30- to 44-year-olds, 25.3% live with their mothers. This drops to 11.8% for those between 45 and 64. Of those of all ages who do not live with their parents, 54% said they had close relatives within a 30-minute walk.

"The solidarity between generations on which the Italian family is founded is a winning model for living and staying well together," said the Coldiretti president, Sergio Marini.

Multiple generations living under one roof is traditionally how Italians cared for children and elderly. When a child lives at home into his or her 30s and 40s, it is not uncommon for them to then take care of their aging parents. When the parents die, the house goes to the child, who has children, continuing the cycle.

But in 2007, the then economy minister, Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, caused anger in Italy by referring to adults living at home as bambiccioni (big babies). The term stuck, and today suggests that some remain at home for the convenience of free room, board and housekeeping by a doting mother.

As Italy's economy has worsened, however, many say they have little choice, given high unemployment and welfare benefit cuts. "We work. We pay our taxes. And then we're left high and dry by the state when we need it," said Maurizio Schiavi, a 38-year-old sound engineer writing in the Guardian about the phenomenon. "Italians have no option but to turn to the family."

While the new report hailed its findings as proof that Italy's traditional family-based social fabric provides a protective buffer against economic hardship, others said the data was a warning. Gianmario Mariniello, national co-ordinator for the youth-wing of the centre-right Future and Freedom party, said the figures reflect a degrading society that failed to offer enough opportunities for its young.

"We need a political, economic and moral reset," he said. "Because like this, the country's going nowhere."

Not surprisingly, it also means more work for Italian women, who spent 21 days of the year cooking, compared with eight by Italian men. A large percentage of Italians cook at home and bring lunch from there to work, the report noted.

Earlier this year, a social survey in Greece showed a spike in those moving to smaller communities where they could count on the help of family and friends and take advantage of cheaper housing and backyard produce. Many Italians appear share a similar outlook, with 54% preferring to live where people know – and help – one another, and the majority saying their doctors, churches, schools, sports centres and other services are within a 15-20 minute walk.