Shocking: 1 in 4 Adults are Suffering from Loneliness across the World

The new survey, taken across 142 countries, found 24% of people aged 15 and older self-reported feeling very or fairly lonely in response to the question, “How lonely do you feel?”

‍So how big is this ‘loneliness’ problem? Let’s find out

The Concern

Nearly one in four people worldwide, which translates into more than a billion people, feel very or fairly lonely, according to a recent Meta-Gallup survey of more than 140 countries.

Notably, these numbers could be even higher. The survey represents approximately 77% of the world’s adults because it was not conducted in the second-most populous country in the world, China.

‍Has been declared an epidemic

Many countries including the United States have declared ‘loneliness’ as an epidemic in their respective regions.

Now The World Health Organisation (WHO) is looking to bring in experts to treat Loneliness. The experts will join its newly announced technical advisory group on the topic which will address the unanswered questions on the rising loneliness amongst people.

‍How is this affecting people?

The WHO has stated that people suffering from social isolation or loneliness, which are symptoms of a lack of social connections, are affected negatively when it comes to their mental and physical health.

WHO has also said that people from all ages can be impacted from this epidemic, which increases the risk of suicide and death by almost 25-30%.

‍Being alone is not lonely

“Being alone does not necessarily mean loneliness, and many people need to be aware of it,” said Rokach, who is currently working on an academic paper that will address ways to cope with loneliness.

While being alone could be refreshing and energizing, Rokach said, other people could be a buffer against loneliness or help people not feel lonely anymore.

‍Case is different with elders

Global results indicate that the lowest rates of feeling lonely are reported among older adults (aged 65 and older), with 17% feeling very or fairly lonely.

While the highest rates of feeling lonely are reported among young adults (aged 19 to 29), with 27% feeling very or fairly lonely.

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