In Sweden, manageable long-term debt may be the most efficient road to early independence. 85% of Swedish students graduate with debt, according to the Education Policy Institute, versus only 50% in the US, where public school can run a cost of USD 24,061 and almost double that for private colleges, according to the US College Board. Swedish graduates have an average 80% debt-to-income ratio, higher than of any group of students in the developed world. This comes down to two main factors. High costs of living when compared to the rest of the developing world, and an almost religious commitment to early independence and parenthood. 2% of Swedish men lived with their parents after the age of 30 versus 25% of in Spain and 32% in Italy. But on the long run, the situation may not be as dire as it seems and may ultimately prove beneficial for developed countries. Low interest rates set by the government and maintained through subsidies have allowed the monthly costs of carrying that debt to be pretty cheap, costing 3.8% of estimated average monthly income of new graduates, according to one study, The Atlantic reports. The length of repayment is long: 25 years or until the student turns 60. This system of manageable debt has allowed Swedes to begin lives as viable adults much longer than their sponge counterparts in the developed world.