Mel Templeton, general manager of RaboDirect New Zealand - the online savings business - said young people remained optimistic about getting a foot on the property ladder despite concerns about rising house prices.
"It shows they're committed to the New Zealand dream of owning their own home, but have admitted they will call on financial assistance from their parents to help cover the costs."
Around a quarter of young people surveyed expected to receive direct financial assistance from their parents.
While 26 per cent of adult children living at home were waiting to save enough to buy their first home before moving out parents were more realistic and were simply waiting for their kids to be financially independent.
Parents believed the average age their children would move out was 25.
The optimism of being able to buy a home also appears to wane as people grow older with a third of non-homeowners aged 50 to 65 stating they had given up on ever owning their own home.
Of those who did own their own home 19 per cent of those aged 50 to 65 expected to retire with a mortgage.
Just under half of people who expected to retire with a mortgage planned to down-size their home to pay it off while 24 per cent were not sure how they would pay it off.
Templeton said the figures showed the importance of continuing to save and invest even after people had got on the property ladder.
"..this can go a long way to help address concerns later in life about retiring with a mortgage," Templeton said.
The online survey questioned 1882 people.
See the RaboDirect research here:
