'Turning 30' may be the new adulthood

Only 38 per cent of 21-year-olds in Melbourne believe they had definitely reached maturity, a new study has revealed.

The study, which followed all the babies born in two Melbourne suburbs in 1990, also found that another 13 per cent were adamant they had not reached adulthood, while 49 per cent were ambivalent, saying "yes and no".

Janet Taylor, senior researcher at the Brotherhood of St Laurence, said whether they classified themselves as mature adults depended on their personal situation.

"Some are keen on adulthood and their independence and their maturity, but some were saying 'I am not ready'," she said.

"For some, the fact they were earning independent money and making their own decisions made them feel adult and for some they liked that they did not have to take adult responsibilities yet.

"A lot who are studying are also working part-time jobs so there is a mixture of independence and dependence," she said.

Of the 140 subjects in the survey, half were studying at university, 27 per cent were in full-time paid work, 10 per cent were studying at TAFE while 13 per cent were parents themselves, unemployed or working part time.

A surprisingly high 72 per cent were still living at home.

The research was inspired by the 7-Up TV series, which followed a group of children every seven years into adulthood.

"I think the age marker no longer has some of the relevance it did," Taylor said.

"But on the other hand, turning 18 is very important for young people - that is when you can drink or get a driver's licence. Some of the young people indicated turning 21 was not as big as turning 18," she said.

Social researcher and psychologist Hugh Mackay said 30 was the new milestone of maturity. He said the generation of "kidadults" spent more time studying, travelling and had more career choices.

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