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.
The source adds the following information:
"The sample consists of approximately 1,000 individuals in each of Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, mainland
China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Spain and the U.S., and 500 individuals in each of Argentina, Chile, Hungary, India, Malaysia, Mexico, the
Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, and Turkey."
and
"The samples in Brazil, Chile, mainland China, India, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, and Turkey are more urban,
more educated, and/or more affluent than the general population. The survey results for these markets should be viewed as reflecting the views of the more
“connected” segment of their population."
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Ipsos. (February 28, 2021). How often do you feel lonely? [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1222815/loneliness-among-adults-by-country/
Ipsos. "How often do you feel lonely?." Chart. February 28, 2021. Statista. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1222815/loneliness-among-adults-by-country/
Ipsos. (2021). How often do you feel lonely?. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1222815/loneliness-among-adults-by-country/
Ipsos. "How Often Do You Feel Lonely?." Statista, Statista Inc., 28 Feb 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1222815/loneliness-among-adults-by-country/
Ipsos, How often do you feel lonely? Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1222815/loneliness-among-adults-by-country/ (last visited August 24, 2024)
How often do you feel lonely? [Graph], Ipsos, February 28, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1222815/loneliness-among-adults-by-country/