One in four Australian adults feel lonely, and the impacts can be dire. Loneliness increases our risks of depression, diabetes, dementia, self-harm and suicide.
According to a global survey, about 33 percent of adults experienced feelings of loneliness worldwide.
Australia is a large country, which can lead to feeling isolated. This is because the country's major cities are spread far apart, making it difficult to leave your town for a day, or even a weekend trip. If you enjoy living abroad for the travel opportunities, Australia may not be right for you.
Research suggests older adults are the most likely demographic to experience feelings of loneliness and social isolation. By numbers, one in four Australian adults experience feelings of loneliness.
A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) points out that more than one-third of adults aged 45 and older feel lonely, and nearly one-fourth of adults aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated.
Most notably, researchers found that loneliness rates peak among people in their 20s, and reach their lowest point among those in their 60s. Many people also experience a spike in lonely feelings around their mid-40s. These findings are as confounding as they are surprising, at least initially.
A study done by Harvard found that 36% of Americans report “serious loneliness,” while our survey of 3,164 participants revealed that 33% of people have no close friends. If you've lost friends over the years, or never really connected with people around you, don't despair!
1 in 4 Australians feel lonely. Many Australians – especially younger Australians – report anxiety about socialising. Thirty per cent don't feel part of a group of friends.
The Australian rate (24%) is similar to those of other English-speaking countries, which all have rates ranging from 22% (New Zealand) to 29% (the UK). Scandinavia has the highest rates of living alone, ranging from 39% in Denmark to 49% in Sweden.
Seventy-three percent of Gen Z report feeling alone either sometimes or always—the highest level of any generation. The mental health challenges experienced by Gen Z are like nothing any other generation has faced.
Kiwirrkurra Community, Western Australia
The Kiwirrkurra Community is known as the most remote in the country and is located in the Gibson Desert, nearly 530 miles west of Alice Springs and over 745 miles west of Port Hedland.
“Perth in Western Australia is allegedly the most isolated city in the world”. It stretches along the Indian Ocean coast. From Mandurah in the South to Two Rocks in the North is about 140 KM.
We all feel lonely from time to time. Feelings of loneliness are personal, so everyone's experience of loneliness will be different. One common description of loneliness is the feeling we get when our need for rewarding social contact and relationships is not met. But loneliness is not always the same as being alone.
Are you lonely? Loneliness is steadily rising in the United States, which has created a loneliness epidemic. Two thousand eighteen loneliness statistics show that 30% of older adults reported loneliness. Survey data from 2019 shows that 58% of Americans often felt like no one in their life knew them well.
As noted, the data suggest single people are happier and more satisfied with their lives than commonly believed.
Marriage Rates in Australia
In Australia, Men (65%) are more likely than women (56%) to be in a committed relationship.
In a 1950 copy of Meanjin, Phillips used the term 'cultural cringe' to define the penchant for Australians to see their artists and writers' work as inferior to anything from overseas, Britain and the United States in particular. As a consequence, many Australians in the cultural field spent time or moved overseas.
Over 8 million (about 32%) Australians reported that they had been diagnosed with a long-term health condition, with 2.2 million (about 9%) reporting a Mental health condition (including depression or anxiety) (ABS 2022b).
Con: High Cost of Living
While the standard of living in Australia is high, so is the cost of living. In fact, Australia is often ranked as one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in. This is due to a number of factors, including the high cost of housing, food, and transportation.
People need at least a little human contact in order to thrive, and true isolation can take a toll on your overall well-being. If you're not totally isolated, though, and your lack of friends doesn't trouble you, it can be perfectly fine to be satisfied with your own company.
(frendləs ) adjective. Someone who is friendless has no friends. The boy was unhappy because he thought he was friendless.
When researchers interviewed adults about making friends in a recent study, the most important challenge cited was a lack of trust. That is, people found it harder to put their trust in someone new and fully invest in them as a friend compared to when they were younger.