Contemporary observation

One person in six feels lonely worldwide, according to the WHO — with no established global trend

**Illustrative image** Illustration photo (2013): an older man, alone on a bench in a park. Being alone is not necessarily feeling lonely: the WHO measures the feeling, not the situation. — Photo: jaocampoz (Pixabay), Wikimedia Commons · CC0

undetermined · Observation ≠ proven fulfilment

2014 → 2023 · Monde

See the full entry: sources, objections, answers

What is reported

The report of the WHO Commission on Social Connection (30 June 2025) estimates that one person in six feels lonely, and links loneliness to more than 871,000 deaths a year (about 100 per hour). It affects 17 to 21% of 13-29-year-olds, about 24% of people in low-income countries against 11% in high-income countries; social isolation affects up to one older person in three. The same report states that data on change over time are “limited” and give “a mixed picture”: a rise among young adults in North America, not in Europe or Asia; a fall among American students from 1978 to 2009; stable or declining trends among older people in Northern Europe.

Main objection (in French for now)

The WHO itself writes that no global estimate makes it possible to know whether loneliness is rising: “trends appear to differ across countries and age groups”.

The text (World English Bible)

Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.
Matt 24:12

Sources

Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death — Organisation mondiale de la santé
From loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies — Report of the WHO Commission on Social Connection — Organisation mondiale de la santé