By James Aitchison

Even before the COVID pandemic and harsh lockdowns, loneliness was already a global phenomenon.  Today, one in every three adults worldwide feels they are constantly “lonely” or “very lonely”.  Despite digital connectivity, or arguably because of it, more people are experiencing loneliness than ever before.  Nor is loneliness experienced mainly by the elderly; it can affect anyone, anywhere, young or old.

Loneliness has alarming consequences.  According to a Harvard study conducted as early as 2010, loneliness has the same effect on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.  Sleep disorders, diabetes, dementia, coronary heart disease, hypertension and obesity are just some of the physical threats facing people who lack friendship and social connections.

Nations are reacting differently around the world.  In Britain, where more than one in ten people feel isolated and disconnected, the government appointed a Minister for Loneliness.  Meanwhile in China, a companionship economy is booming, where the lonely young generation pays for “friends” to go shopping and gaming with. 

In the United States, new research reveals that around half of all Americans feel lonely always or sometimes; 47% say their relationships with others are not meaningful, and a staggering 57% eat all their meals alone.  Digitally-connected Gen Z — adults aged between 18 and 22 — is the loneliest generation of all; 79% of Gen Z adults and 71% of millennials report being lonely.   Additionally, those with lower incomes are most likely to be lonely, as are parents and guardians.

In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called loneliness “a public health epidemic”.

In a recent Omnipoll survey of 1200 Australians, respondents said they had 3.9 close friends on average.  In 2015, a similar survey showed Australians had 6.4 friends on average.  The decline has signalled health warnings for government.  Another Australian survey conducted by crisis support organisation Lifeline in 2016 reported that 82.5% of Australians felt lonely.  A new report titled Social Connection in Australia 2024 confirmed that one in six Australians experience severe loneliness.  The nation’s leading scientific expert on loneliness, Associate Professor Michelle Lim, believes meaningful connections are vital.  She warns, “Loneliness can have huge ramifications for people’s physical and mental health, can have an impact on communities and workplaces, and create a real burden on the economy too.”

Globally, young adults aged 18 to 24 were the most likely group to feel lonely (59%).  Age groups 25 to 34 had the second highest share of lonely respondents, while older adults aged 65 and over had the lowest share.  By gender, men and women score fairly equally, with men more prone to experiencing loneliness.

Country by country, loneliness is becoming the greatest public health challenge of the future.

Brazil.  How can the home of Carnival, where the streets are filled with spectacular costumes and music, earn the rating as the world’s leading country for loneliness?  Nevertheless, more than half of all Brazilians report feeling lonely regularly.

Turkiye.  Ranked second behind Brazil, 46% of all Turks report being lonely.

India ranks third in the list of countries where loneliness is most experienced: by 43% of the population.  India Today described loneliness in February 2024 as “the silent epidemic sweeping India and the world”.  Loneliness is a public health concern, the report said, quoting many other mental health disorders such as depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia and substance abuse that have seen a steady rise.  In the report, psychiatrist Dr. Valli Kiran, SPARSH Hospital, Bangalore, pointed to “the breakdown of traditional family structures.  Shifts from joint to nuclear families, increasing divorces, and single-parent households impact both parents and, notably, children.  This trend towards individualism is further fuelled by the waning influence of social values”.

Between 2017 and 2018, the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India revealed that 20.5% of adults aged 45 years and over experienced moderate loneliness, while 13.3% reported severe loneliness. 

Saudi Arabia, Italy, South Africa and Malaysia are next on the list, with Russia, Poland, Japan and the Netherlands amongst the countries reporting the least loneliness, with levels as low as 15%.  Interestingly, one Dutch supermarket chain has a Kletskassa, a “chat checkout”, a slow lane for people who want to take more time shopping and chatting.

China.  One-third of older Chinese adults feel lonely, and experts warn that loneliness increases the risk of dementia, depression and mortality.  Worryingly, in 2020, China had more than 264 million people aged 65 and above, accounting for more than 18% of the total population.  Years of rapid urbanisation accelerated the advent of smaller families; in a country steeped in Confucian values, many elderly have been left living alone, often in isolated rural areas, without the traditional support of their children.  This link between social isolation and loneliness is compelling; so too is the fact that the psychological expectations of the elderly and the quality of their social interactions have not been met.

It is not just China’s elderly who experience loneliness.  China’s previous one-child policy has produced a young generation dubbed “China’s loneliest generation”.  With a sharp downward trend in marriages, many young Chinese now lead increasingly solitary lifestyles.  And, unlike previous generations concerned with food and housing, today’s young Chinese are concerned with fulfilling emotional and psychological needs.

China has produced a unique solution to loneliness: the “Pei ban jing ji”, the companionship economy.  Estimated to be worth 50 billion yuan (US$7 billion) by 2025, the “buddy business” offers companionship at a price for chatting, shopping and gaming.  The industry is hailed as the country’s next big business opportunity.