PARIS, 22 Oct. - (ANA) - Abstract

 

Social connections – how people interact with and relate to one another – have far-reaching effects on health, employment, education and civic engagement. This report builds on findings from the OECD’s flagship well-being publication, How’s Life?, to provide an in-depth overview of social connectedness across OECD countries, expanding the evidence base on this emerging policy priority. Drawing from newly combined, large sample size official data sources, it compares the quantity and quality of social connections across population groups, and tracks how these outcomes have developed over time. Findings reveal that (1) people are meeting in person less frequently than in the past, while self-reported feelings of connection have only recently shown signs of worsening in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) men and young people – groups previously considered at lower risk – have seen some of the largest deteriorations; (3) deprivations in social connection often overlap with socio-economic disadvantage, living alone and older age; and (4) the drivers of social connections are complex and span socio-economic, environmental and structural factors. This report explores social infrastructure and digital technologies as two examples of drivers of (dis)connection that can be targeted by policy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond their intrinsic importance, social connections – the frequency and quality of interactions and relationships between people – play a critical role in advancing broader policy goals in areas such as health, financial well-being, employment, education and civic engagement. Spending little time interacting with others and feeling lonely are independently associated with premature mortality – up to 871 000 global deaths annually – and an increased risk of many physical and mental health conditions. Loneliness is also associated with poorer job performance, a higher likelihood of unemployment or leaving education early, and can shape voting behaviour. In contrast, frequent supportive social interactions are associated with better health outcomes, positive relationships with coworkers are related to greater job satisfaction and creativity, and support from parents, teachers and peers is linked to academic performance. Given their wide-reaching impact, social connections are foundational to societal health and well-being, and their absence incurs significant costs.

 

 

 

 

While policy attention to loneliness and isolation preceded the COVID-19 pandemic, it has accelerated in its aftermath. The United Kingdom and Japan both established new Ministers for Loneliness; Germany, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Spain introduced national strategies to target loneliness; while others implemented local initiatives. In May 2025, the World Health Assembly approved a resolution identifying social connection as an essential issue for the global health agenda. At the international level, both the European Commission and the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Connection identified social isolation and loneliness as public health priorities.

 

Government engagement on the topic reflects an increasing awareness that, although the drivers of social connections are complex, they are also shaped by structural conditions and policy choices. Evidence on what works in promoting connection is growing, but in many ways the field is still in its infancy. Most existing interventions and evidence target disconnected or lonely individuals, but new approaches that focus on community-level solutions show promise. These include improving access to high quality social infrastructure: physical spaces that cultivate connection, including libraries, parks, community organisations or commercial establishments that encourage socialising. Other strategies prioritise establishing safe and enriching online spaces for building community, particularly for young people. Regardless of the intervention chosen, effective policy responses require an understanding of which communities are most vulnerable to social disconnection to tailor responses to specific risk profiles. Regular monitoring is also essential to assess whether outcomes are improving or deteriorating both at the population level and in direct response to interventions.

 

This is the first international report to provide a comprehensive comparative assessment of the state of social connections across OECD countries. Drawing from high quality, large sample size official data sources, it enables the comparison of both the quantity and quality of social connections across diverse population groups, and – importantly – tracks how these connections have developed over the medium- and short-term.

 

 

 

 

Social connections are strong overall across OECD countries: over two-thirds of respondents interacted with friends or family at least daily over the past week and 90% have someone to count on in times of need. Nevertheless, 10% of people feel unsupported by others, 8% of respondents in 22 European OECD countries say they have no close friends and 6% of respondents in 23 OECD countries felt lonely most or all of the time over the past four weeks. Moreover, strong outcomes in one area – such as frequent socialising – do not necessarily translate into high-quality relationships, highlighting the importance of incorporating both social connections quantity and quality in intervention and monitoring efforts.

 

The share of people who interact with others in person has been falling for over a decade, while self-reported feelings of connection have shown signs of decline only recently – possibly in relation to the pandemic

 

In 21 European OECD countries, daily face-to-face interactions with friends and family fell consistently between 2006, 2015 and 2022 while remote contact increased. In contrast, and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, between 2018 and 2022 people began to feel less supported and less satisfied with their relationships; similarly, fewer people “never” felt lonely. While small in magnitude, these consistent downward trends should be monitored further. Supplementary evidence from national data indicate that social connections outcomes have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels in some countries.

 

 

 

 

While men have traditionally reported lower rates of feeling lonely and better relationship quality than women, between 2018 and 2022 they experienced larger deteriorations in both. Despite younger people generally experiencing better social connections outcomes than older cohorts, those aged 16 to 24 saw the largest increase in feeling lonely over this period – with the pandemic possibly compounding a longer-term trend. Young people also reported rising relationship dissatisfaction and worsening social support, while meeting with friends in person less frequently. Many of these deteriorations are driven by younger men. The underlying drivers and potential consequences of these shifts for younger generations are likely complex: understanding and addressing them should be a priority.

 

 

 

Compared to the general population, unemployed individuals and those in the lowest income quintile are around twice as likely to report feeling lonely. People living alone are 1.5 times more likely to be dissatisfied with personal relationships, while the elderly are most at risk for social isolation: 11% report never meeting friends in person in a typical year, more than double the rate for the general population. In the context of rising rates of single person households across many OECD countries and aging societies more generally, the social connections of these groups – and especially older people who live alone – warrant attention.    - (ANA) -

 

 

To download the full report, visit: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2025/10/social-connections-and-loneliness-in-oecd-countries_d6404192/6df2d6a0-en.pdf

 

AB/ANA/23 October 2025 - - -