According to a survey conducted among adults in the United States in May 2021, 59 percent of respondents said they had a person they considered their best friend. This marked a drop from the 75 percent share of American adults who said they had a best friend in 1990. The decrease in Americans enjoying the perks of having a best chum went hand in hand with a surging share of adults stating they have no close friends to speak of.
Share of adults having a person they consider their best friend in the United States in 1990 and 2021
* Count and date for 1990 survey not provided by source. The 1990 survey was conducted over the telephone. Both surveys were based on random samples, delineated to represent the country's adult population.
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Survey Center on American Life. (June 8, 2021). Share of adults having a person they consider their best friend in the United States in 1990 and 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 25, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1359250/share-of-adults-having-best-friend-us/
Survey Center on American Life. "Share of adults having a person they consider their best friend in the United States in 1990 and 2021." Chart. June 8, 2021. Statista. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1359250/share-of-adults-having-best-friend-us/
Survey Center on American Life. (2021). Share of adults having a person they consider their best friend in the United States in 1990 and 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1359250/share-of-adults-having-best-friend-us/
Survey Center on American Life. "Share of Adults Having a Person They Consider Their Best Friend in The United States in 1990 and 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 8 Jun 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1359250/share-of-adults-having-best-friend-us/
Survey Center on American Life, Share of adults having a person they consider their best friend in the United States in 1990 and 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1359250/share-of-adults-having-best-friend-us/ (last visited August 25, 2024)
Share of adults having a person they consider their best friend in the United States in 1990 and 2021 [Graph], Survey Center on American Life, June 8, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1359250/share-of-adults-having-best-friend-us/
