Loneliness impacts over five million Australians and is a significant risk factor for poor physical health, mental health problems and decreased quality of life.
One in four Australian adults experience loneliness. It's a growing problem, and some of us are more at risk of feeling isolated than others.
The dreary northern wastes isolated Australia from contact with Asia. This isolation was partly responsible for the late discovery of the country. It accounted in part for the relatively slow growth of settlement and handicapped the continent in its competition for settlers.
It has been argued that, for Australian-born persons, emigration is more likely to be a result of increasing internationalisation of labour markets and increasing global demand for skilled workers.
Australia is a fantastic place to live, even for foreigners. There aren't only advantages to living in Australia, but they outweigh the disadvantages. I love the climate, work-life balance, safety and the wide range of outdoor activities that I can enjoy every weekend.
1 in 4 Australians feel lonely.
The truth is that many single people often feel lonely, even if they aren't lonely all the time. Single loneliness is actually common and a chance for growth.
Loneliness appeared to be more common among men. The survey found 63% of men to be lonely, compared with 58% of women.
Loneliness and disabled people
Younger Brits report higher levels of loneliness (April 2023) Our analysis of the latest ONS statistics reveal that those aged between 16-29 are over two times as likely to report feeling lonely often or always than those over 70, with those aged between 30-49 close behind.
What causes loneliness? There is not one single cause of loneliness. Loneliness can often be a result of life changes or circumstances that include living alone, changing your living arrangements, having financial problems, or death of a loved one.
Eight in 10 (80%) Australians are describing themselves as happy, however this is a fall from 85% in December 2021, according to Ipsos's latest Global Happiness survey. On average globally, nearly three in four (73%) adults across 32 countries describe themselves as happy.
Just 11% of people have a large friendship group they see at least once a month, while 8% don't see any friends regularly. About one fifth never or seldom have a relative available to talk to.
What are Australians like? Australians are very friendly and easy-going people. In fact, Australians are renowned for their laid-back nature and unique sense of humour. Another thing Australians are known for is their love of sport, recreation and the great outdoors.
Making friends with Aussie locals is not too hard, so be brave and have a go. Making friends with people from another country sometimes might not feel easy sometimes. After all, Australia has a different culture to many countries, and even if you speak English, Australia has its own dialect or slang.
In their lifetimes, about one in five Australians will experience depression. Around the world, depression affects around 300 million people.
In 2016, families made up 71% of Australia's households; in 1986 it was 77%. Over this same period, the number of single-person households increased from 19% to 24%.
Biologists have shown that feelings of loneliness trigger the release of stress hormones that in turn are associated with higher blood pressure, decreased resistance to infection and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Living alone is increasingly on the public radar. One in four Australian households is a lone-person household, and rates have increased sharply since the 1970s. Throughout the Western world lone-person households have become increasingly common, and this trend is spreading to non-Western countries.
If you've experienced ongoing feelings of loneliness, it can have negative effects on your physical health. It could lead to weight gain, sleep deprivation, poor heart health, and a weakened immune system. Loneliness can also put your body under more stress than normal.
Australia has a much more laid-back culture than England. Australians are known for their mate ship and easy-going attitudes. There is a strong focus on enjoying life and having a good time. This doesn't mean that Australians don't work hard, but they definitely know how to enjoy their leisure time.