On the occasion of World Loneliness Day, the annual study by the Fondation de France analyzes the feeling of isolation in our society.
More than a third of young people aged 25 to 39 feel particularly alone, twice as many as those aged 60-69, according to the annual study by the Fondation de France published Wednesday on the eve of World Loneliness Day. 12% of those over 15 “are in a situation of relational isolation” (+1% compared to 2023), i.e. “that they have no or very little physical contact with other people” (family relationships, friends, work environment, associations, neighborhood).
But the “feeling of loneliness”subjective emotional state, is higher: a quarter (24%) of French people over 15 say “regularly feeling alone”according to this study of 3,000 people interviewed by Credoc in July 2024. It varies depending on the age of the respondents and has a marked peak between 25 and 39 years old, where 35% of people questioned say they frequently feel alone, compared to 16% of 60-69 year olds.
“Relational isolation” is particularly present among people aged 40 to 59: 15% of them are objectively isolated compared to 7% of those under 25. A period of life which “often corresponds to major changes (departure of children from home, change of job) or ruptures (unemployment, divorce) which can lead to isolation”according to the Fondation de France.
-LGBT people hit harder by loneliness
The accumulation of responsibilities, between work, dependent children and aging parents, can reduce the time available for external sociability. People who head single-parent households feel a greater sense of loneliness (53%) on weekends. Another survey carried out by Ifop for the Astrée association, at the origin of this world day of solitudes, notes that “young adults” (18-24 years old) are “more affected by chronic loneliness” (40%) that “people aged over 65” (7%).
The “loneliness hits disproportionately” LGBT people (33% compared to 16% of heterosexuals) and single people (24% compared to 13% of people in a relationship), according to this survey carried out among 1,504 people in December 2024. 76% of people feeling “always or often alone” declare themselves unhappy (compared to 34% of the entire population). Teleworking “has an impact on the feeling of loneliness” among 37% of those who telework (who form 18% of the sample).
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