One in six adults in England report persistent loneliness, major study finds

A large proportion of adults in England report regularly feeling lonely and socially isolated, with some of the highest levels clustered in cities, and the problem being worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The findings come from a study led by researchers at Imperial College London which surveyed more than 135,000 people across England, and provides a detailed picture of loneliness, social connection and neighbourhood trust in the country. 

Almost one in six adults reported feeling lonely “often or always”, and more than one in five people frequently felt a lack of companionship or had feelings of being left out or isolated. The team also found lasting effects associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 44% of respondents said the pandemic increased their loneliness, while 48.2% reported increased feelings of isolation. 

The team believes their study, called INTERACT, is one of the world’s largest dedicated studies of loneliness and the largest of its kind conducted in a single country. They call on policymakers to treat loneliness as a public health issue that affects people throughout adulthood, rather than viewing it solely as a problem of older age. They highlight the need for health and social care interventions to tackle the issue – which can have lasting impacts on physical and mental health.

However, they caution that while the findings offer a valuable snapshot, the study cannot be used to estimate the scale of the problem at the population level. Nevertheless, they believe INTERACT could provide new insights into patterns, geographic clustering, drivers and potential solutions for those affected by loneliness and could provide an important benchmark for future international studies on the issue. The findings are published in the journal BMC Global and Public Health.

Professor Azeem Majeed, from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London and senior author of the study, said: “As an NHS GP, I see how loneliness affects both the mental and physical health of my patients. It contributes to problems such as anxiety and depression, increases the risk of long-term conditions, and often leads to more frequent GP consultations. These findings reinforce what we’re seeing in primary care: loneliness affects people of all ages, not just older adults, with many people reporting that the COVID-19 pandemic increased their feelings of loneliness and isolation.

“Loneliness is not just a healthcare challenge. If we want to tackle the problem in our communities, we need joined-up, place-based approaches that go beyond the consulting room and help people build stronger social connections and support networks. By strengthening community connections and social capital, we can help prevent loneliness and enable people to live healthier, happier and more connected lives.”

Loneliness and isolation

Loneliness and social isolation have profound and lasting impacts on physical and mental health, impacting quality and length of life. In 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness was a global public health problem across all age groups, and successive UK governments have introduced strategies to try and tackle the issue.

The INTERACT study builds on a growing body of research – including the 2018 BBC Loneliness Experiment, which surveyed 55,000 people worldwide – but goes further by examining how loneliness, social isolation, neighbourhood trust and social capital[1] vary across England and cluster geographically.

In the latest analysis, researchers recruited a total of 135,725 volunteers aged 16 and older to complete an online survey over a five-month period in 2023. 

Respondents were largely female (62%), White (83%), and the largest age group represented was over-65s (32%).[2] Close to half (45%) were married or in a civil partnership, while almost 20% were single. One third of respondents (33%) were retired, and almost two-thirds (62%) had children. Additionally, almost half (46%) reported having a long-term health condition. 

Analysing the geographic spread of data, the team found that some of the loneliest people were clustered in major urban centres, including London, Birmingham and Manchester. The researchers say this finding is consistent with the ‘urban paradox’ theory – where major cities which offer greater economic, cultural and social advantages often report lower life satisfaction, connectivity and happiness, compared to rural areas. 

The researchers highlight several limitations to their study, including over-representing highly educated individuals and under-representing minority ethnic groups. Importantly, they highlight the inherent self-selection bias of this type of online survey, where those more interested or affected by an issue are more likely to take part. In context, this means the findings do not provide an accurate picture at the population level, and are also likely miss those most affected by loneliness, who may be less likely to engage.

Dr Austen El-Osta, also from the School of Public Health at Imperial, and study lead for INTERACT, said, “Loneliness is often treated as a private experience, but our findings reinforce that it is also a public health and community issue. INTERACT gives us one of the largest & most detailed descriptive datasets on loneliness & social connection in England, helping us understand not only who reports loneliness, but how it relates to neighbourhood trust, social capital & place.

“The key message is not simply that many people feel lonely, but that loneliness is strongly influenced by people’s surroundings, social network, and their environment. Public health responses need to look beyond individual resilience and consider the environments, services & community assets that help people feel connected, supported & able to participate.”

The researchers were supported in part by funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). 

More than 40,000 of the participants on the INTERACT study signed up through Be Part of Research. This free online service - run by the NIHR - matches users to studies they can take part in. Anyone in the UK aged 18 and over can sign up to Be Part of Research online or via the NHS app.

For more information and support on loneliness, visit the NHS UK website, the Tackling Loneliness Hub, Mind website, or the Campaign to End Loneliness.

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‘Measuring loneliness at a national scale: The measuring loneliness in England (INTERACT) study’s approach and initial findings’ by Austen El-Osta, Aos Alaa, Mahmoud Al-Ammouri, Sami Altalib, Agustin Tristán-López and Azeem Majeed, is published in the journal BMC Global and Public Health. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-026-00296-5 

Image credit: Shutterstock / Josep Suria

[1] Social capital is defined as: ‘The relationships and networks and interactional norms within a social group, a resource to which its members have access and which supports social cohesion’. (Source: Oxford Reference)

[2] Ages of survey respondents 

·        16–25 years old – 8352 (6.2%) 

·        26–35 years old – 13,057 (9.6%) 

·        36–45 years old – 5,006 (11.1%) 

·        46–55 years old – 22,031 (16.2%) 

·        56–65 years old – 33,235 (24.5%) 

·        >65 years old – 43,927 (32.4%)

·        Unknown – 117 (0.1%)