The U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has warned we are experiencing an “epidemic of loneliness” with vast public health consequences, and a new Gallup-Meta poll has provided fresh data to prove it.

The survey, conducted in 142 countries worldwide found that nearly 1 in 4 people feel “very” or “fairly” lonely – which translates into over a billion people.

The survey represents 77% of the world’s adults. The true figure could be even higher, since the survey was not conducted in the world’s second-most populous country, China.

The data on social well-being around the globe underscore what the World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy have been saying: loneliness, which affects both mental and physical health, is a public health crisis.

The following are data excerpted from the poll, as reported on the Gallup blog:

• The highest rates of loneliness? Twenty-seven percent of young adults (aged 19 to 29) reported feeling “very” or “fairly” lonely.

• Older adults (aged 65+) fared the best, with only 17% saying they feel “very” or “fairly” lonely.

• The majority of adults 45+ do not report feeling lonely at all. Less than half of people under age 45 feel the same.

• Thankfully, forty-nine percent of people surveyed reported that they are not lonely at all – roughly 2.2 billion people across the 142 countries surveyed are doing well.

More details are forthcoming in the Global State of Social Connections report launching Nov. 1, 2023.

Read the Gallup news article here.

Read Dr. Vivek Murthy’s report: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation – The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community.