One-Third Of Older Adults Report Frequent Loneliness & Social Isolation

About one-third (33%) of adults ages 50 to 80 in 2024 said they lacked companionship and frequently felt lonely and socially isolated. The prevalence of loneliness among this age group has remained relatively steady between 2018 and 2024, with an uptick to 41% in 2020 and 2022 during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Loneliness was most commonly reported among those who were unemployed (37.5%), living alone (58.3%), and had an income of less than $60,000 per year (43.7%). Rates of loneliness were also higher among those with self-reported fair and poor physical health . . .