In June 2020, more than half of U.S. adults aged 50-80 years felt isolated from others due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In comparison, 27 percent of older adults felt so before the pandemic in October 2018. This statistic portrays the percentage of older adults in the U.S. who reported feeling lonely or isolated before and during the COVID-19 pandemic as of June 2020.

A survey of U.S. adults from December 2021 found that 57 percent of men and 59 percent of women felt lonely. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the United States who reported feeling lonely as of December 2021, by gender.

According to a global survey, about 33 percent of adults experienced feelings of loneliness worldwide. Brazil had the highest percentage of people experiencing this, with 50 percent of respondents declaring that they felt lonely either often, always, or sometimes. Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia followed, with 43 percent to 46 percent of respondents having experienced loneliness at least sometimes. On the contrary, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, and Russia registered the largest share of interviewees which did not feel lonely.

Coping with loneliness during the pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly cut off people from all over the world from their social life, and the lack of companionship has been a difficult situation for many to cope with. In the United States, people who experienced lack of company were, unsurprisingly, individuals living alone, and unemployed, disabled, or unemployed people. In relation to mental health, Americans who reported more symptoms of depression were by far more likely to feel lonely.

Impact of mental health According to a survey conducted in 2021 among G7 countries, about seven in 10 people experienced a worsening of their psychological health during the pandemic. A study on clinician-reported changes in selected health behaviors in the United States showed that during the pandemic patients have suffered more from feelings of loneliness, depression or anxiety, and burnout. Also nutrition and other habits have been impacted. The study reported an increase in alcohol consumption, smoking cigarettes, poor nutrition, and use of other substances.

A survey from 2022 found that around 52 percent of adults in the United States aged 18 to 29 years felt anxious always or often in the past 12 months. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the United States who stated they always or often felt anxious, depressed, or lonely in the past 12 months as of 2022, by age.

This statistic shows the specific reasons given for feelings of loneliness and social isolation in the United States in 2018. In this year, 18 percent of those who reported experiencing loneliness or social isolation attributed their feelings to the death of a loved one and 12 percent gave the reason of physical/health problems.

Of the U.S. adults surveyed, most agreed to some extent that social media usage is related to feelings of loneliness or social isolation. This statistic shows the percentage of U.S. adults who completely or somewhat agree or disagree with the statement "social media usage is related to feelings of loneliness or social isolation" as of 2019.

This statistic shows the percentage of people engaging in specific coping behaviors when they feel lonely or socially isolated in the U.S. as of 2018. Among those reporting loneliness and social isolation, 78 percent indicated that they almost always or sometimes distract themselves with TV, computer, or video games when they are feeling lonely.

In 2018, 58 percent of people who reported feeling lonely or socially isolated stated that feeling lonely has had a negative impact on their mental health. This statistic shows the negative impacts of feeling lonely and socially isolated in the U.S. in 2018.

In the United States, 40 percent of people who say that they have a debilitating disability or chronic disease report experiencing loneliness and social isolation. This statistic shows the proportion of people experiencing loneliness and social isolation in the U.S. in 2018, by their physical or mental health condition.

A survey conducted in March 2021 among U.S. adults found that around 21 percent reported feeling lonely a few times a month since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Women were more likely than men to report feeling lonely since the pandemic began. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the United States who felt lonely with select frequency since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as of March 2021, by gender.

A survey from 2022 found that around 39 percent of adults in the United States with a household income of less than 40,000 U.S. dollars a year felt anxious always or often in the past 12 months. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the United States who stated they always or often felt anxious, depressed, or lonely in the past 12 months as of 2022, by household income.

In February 2023, around 20 percent of U.S. adults in the region of New England stated they felt lonely a lot of the day yesterday, compared to 16 percent of those who lived in the West South Central. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the U.S. who experienced loneliness a lot of the day yesterday as of February 2023, by region.

Among those reporting loneliness and social isolation, 63 percent indicated that they have talked to anyone about their feelings of loneliness, 47 percent of whom have confided in a close friend. This statistic shows the percentage of people feeling lonely or socially isolated who have talked to someone about their feelings in the U.S. in 2018, by confidant.

In August 2024, some 20 percent of U.S. adults stated they felt lonely a lot of the day yesterday. This was a decrease from the share of U.S. adults reporting loneliness in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the U.S. who experienced loneliness a lot of the day yesterday from March 2020 to August 2024.

A survey from 2022 found that around 60 percent of LGBT adults in the United States felt anxious always or often in the past 12 months. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the United States who stated they always or often felt anxious, depressed, or lonely in the past 12 months as of 2022, by LGBT identity.

Between March and June 2020, among U.S. adults aged 50-80 years who got enough sleep just one day a week or less, 55 percent reported feeling a lack of companionship some of the time or often. In comparison, among those who got enough sleep every day or several times a week, while still high, just 38 percent felt a lack of companionship. This statistic depicts the percentage of older adults in the U.S. who reported feeling lonely or isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic from March to June 2020, by amount of sleep.

A survey conducted in March 2021 among U.S. adults found that around 22 percent reported feeling lonely a few times a month before the COVID-19 pandemic. Those aged 18 to 34 years were most likely to report feeling lonely. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the United States who felt lonely with select frequency before the COVID-19 pandemic as of March 2021, by age.

In February 2023, around 17 percent of U.S. adults stated they felt lonely a lot of the day yesterday. For the entire period under consideration the share of adults reporting loneliness was higher among those with lower annual household incomes. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the U.S. who experienced loneliness a lot of the day yesterday from March 2020 to February 2023, by annual household income.

A survey of U.S. adults from December 2021 found that those aged 18 to 24 years were much more likely to report feeling lonely than older adults. This statistic shows the percentage of younger and older adults in the United States who reported feeling lonely as of December 2021.

Between March and June 2020, four in ten U.S. adults aged 50-80 years felt a lack of companionship. However, this rate was much higher among women (47 percent) than men (35 percent) and among those who reported more depression symptoms (84 percent) than those with fewer symptoms (36 percent). This statistic illustrates the percentage of older adults in the U.S. who felt a lack of companionship some of the time or often during the COVID-19 pandemic from March to June 2020, by select demographics and characteristics.