Jo Cox Commision on Loneliness: the data
We conducted a survey in association with the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, and the results reveal worrying findings when it comes to the older generation. Below you can find the results of that survey on the silent epidemic that is loneliness.
We'd like to explore the topic of loneliness. To what extend would do agree or disagree with the following statements?
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 1014 |
| I feel lonelier now than I did when I was younger | |
| Net agree | 59% |
| Net disagree | 38% |
| Strongly agree | 29% |
| Tend to agree | 30% |
| Tend to disagree | 23% |
| Strongly disagree | 14% |
| No idea/no answer | 4% |
| People of any age can feel lonely | |
|---|---|
| Net agree | 97% |
| Net disagree | 2% |
| Strongly agree | 79% |
| Tend to agree | 18% |
| Tend to disagree | 1% |
| Strongly disagree | 1% |
| No idea/no answer | 1% |
| Sometimes an entire day goes past and I haven’t spoken to anybody | |
|---|---|
| Net agree | 39% |
| Net disagree | 58% |
| Strongly agree | 21% |
| Tend to agree | 18% |
| Tend to disagree | 24% |
| Strongly disagree | 35% |
| No idea/no answer | 3% |
| Social media helps me to feel less lonely | |
|---|---|
| Net agree | 59% |
| Net disagree | 33% |
| Strongly agree | 13% |
| Tend to agree | 45% |
| Tend to disagree | 23% |
| Strongly disagree | 10% |
| No idea/no answer | 9% |
| It’s possible to feel lonely even when you have a partner/family | |
|---|---|
| Net agree | 93% |
| Net disagree | 5% |
| Strongly agree | 48% |
| Tend to agree | 45% |
| Tend to disagree | 4% |
| Strongly disagree | 1% |
| No idea/no answer | 2% |
| Talking about feeling lonely is much easier when you’re anonymous and online | |
|---|---|
| Net agree | 82% |
| Net disagree | 10% |
| Strongly agree | 34% |
| Tend to agree | 48% |
| Tend to disagree | 8% |
| Strongly disagree | 2% |
| No idea/no answer | 8% |
What do you think would be the best way to combat loneliness in the UK these days?
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 1014 |
| Greater public awareness of the problem and what we can do to help | 43% |
| Greater awareness amongst health professionals | 6% |
| More money for services and activities for older/ more vulnerable people | 28% |
| Improved access to digital services | 2% |
| Better transport | 7% |
| Other | 6% |
| No idea/no answer | 8% |
How often, if at all, do you feel lonely?
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 1014 |
| Net lonely | 73% |
| I'm constantly lonely | 5% |
| I'm often lonely | 25% |
| I occasionally feel lonely | 38% |
| I feel lonely but only at evenings/at weekends/over holidays such as Christmas | 5% |
| Not lonely | 27% |
How long have you felt this way?
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 741 |
| Not long; the feeling of loneliness comes and goes | 29% |
| Days | 1% |
| Months | 10% |
| Years | 49% |
| I've always felt lonely | 11% |
| No answer | 0% |
In which of the following scenarios is your loneliness most acute. Please tick one.
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 741 |
| When physically on my own | 21% |
| In large groups | 6% |
| In the company of someone (partner/family) with whom I no longer connect | 9% |
| When everyone else around me seems to be in couple or groups | 18% |
| My loneliness is more to do with my own state of mind than with the other people around me (or not around me) | 33% |
| At weekends/holidays/birthdays/other special occasions | 9% |
| Other | 3% |
| No answer | 1% |
Can you pinpoint a stage in your life when you began to feel lonely? please tick all that apply.
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 741 |
| After bereavement | 22% |
| When I retired | 18% |
| I’ve always felt lonely/not after a specific event or time | 18% |
| When my children left home | 16% |
| After experiencing problems with my health | 16% |
| After separation/divorce | 15% |
| When I moved away from established friends and close family | 14% |
| When friends or close family moved away | 10% |
| When I had young children | 5% |
| Other | 12% |
| No answer | 0% |
Do any of the following factors contribute to your loneliness? please tick all that apply.
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 741 |
| I'm shy | 31% |
| I live alone | 30% |
| Health or mobility issues make it difficult for me to socialise | 21% |
| I'm single | 20% |
| I live far away from family | 20% |
| Low income | 20% |
| Bad experience with friends | 13% |
| My relationship with my partner/spouse is not good | 11% |
| I live in an isolated location | 9% |
| I don’t get on well with family members | 8% |
| I’m not great with technology | 3% |
| None of the above | 16% |
| No answer | 0% |
Have you ever told people (either face to face or in another way)
Total
No. of cases
741
No, I’ve never spoken about it to anyone
56%
Yes, I’ve mentioned it to people in ‘real life’
36%
Yes, I have called a helpline
1%
Yes, I’ve talked about it online
4%
No answer
1%
If you have told other people that you feel lonely - in real life or online - which of the following apply? Please tick all that apply.
Total
No. of cases
304
I've told members of my family
41%
I've told my partner
24%
I’ve told my GP or other healthcare worker
16%
I’ve posted on Gransnet about it
6%
I’ve told someone quite ‘random’ in real life, eg a fellow passenger on
public transport13%
I’ve posted elsewhere on the internet about it (not Gransnet)
8%
I’ve called telephone helplines such as The Silver Line
4%
I’ve contacted charities such as Age UK for help and support
3%
I’ve spoken to local sources of support in my community (eg,church/religious
staff or volunteers, social services, local charities)6%
Other
25%
No answer
0%
If you have never told anyone that you feel lonely, how surprised do you think close friends and family would be to hear that you feel this way?
Total
No. of cases
418
I think they would be astonished
17%
I think they would be quite surprised
54%
I think they would be neither surprised nor unsurprised
17%
I don’t think they would be very surprised
9%
I don’t think they would be surprised at all
3%
No answer
0%
What, if any, have you found are the most effective ways to combat loneliness?
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 1014 |
| Making a big effort to contact existing friends and family members | 39% |
| Joining local, community, religious or hobby groups and activities | 37% |
| Doing paid or voluntary work | 30% |
| Making a big effort to find and make new friends | 28% |
| I have not found an effective way to combat it | 26% |
| Joining Gransnet | 22% |
| Making a big effort to be friendly with my neighbours | 21% |
| Doing ‘random acts of kindness’ | 21% |
| Planning my time carefully | 18% |
| Joining other internet sites (not Gransnet) | 12% |
| Finding a partner (if you were/are single) | 10% |
| Re-connecting with partner (if you were/are in a relationship) | 6% |
| Seeking advice from official sources (eg healthcare workers or social services) | 3% |
| Using other befriending services | 3% |
| Other | 8% |
| No answer | 0% |
Are you male of female?
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 1014 |
| Male | 3% |
| Female | 97% |
| Other | 0% |
| No answer | 0% |
Which of the following best applies to you?
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 1014 |
| Full time paid employment | 10% |
| Full time self employed | 1% |
| Part time paid employment | 11% |
| Part time self employed | 5% |
| Retired | 62% |
| Student | 0% |
| Looking for work | 3% |
| Carer - children/grandchildren | 4% |
| Carer - adult | 3% |
| No answer | 1% |
What is your current relationship status?
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 1014 |
| Other | 1% |
| Single - not in a relationship | 9% |
| In a relationship but not co-habiting | 3% |
| Co-habiting but not married/in a civil partnership | 6% |
| Married/in a civil partnership | 54% |
| Divorced | 12% |
| Separated | 2% |
| Widowed | 11% |
| Prefer not to say/no answer | 1% |
How many adults or children live in your home, including yourself? (Adults 18+)
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 1014 |
| 1 | 35% |
| 2 | 55% |
| 3 | 6% |
| 4 | 2% |
| 5 | 0% |
| 6 or more | 0% |
| No answer | 2% |
How many adults and children live in your home (please include yourself)? (Children under 18)
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 1014 |
| 1 | 4% |
| 2 | 3% |
| 3 | 1% |
| 4 | 0% |
| 5 | 0% |
| 6 or more | 0% |
| No answer | 92% |
Please tell us which of the below best describes your ethnicity
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 1014 |
| White british | 93% |
| White Irish | 2% |
| Any other white ethnic group, please describe* | 2% |
| Any mixed or multiple ethnic groups, please describe* | 0% |
| Pakistani or Pakistani British | 0% |
| Indian or Indian British | 0% |
| Bangladeshi or Bangladeshi British | 0% |
| Chinese or Chinese British | 0% |
| Any other Asian, please describe* | 0% |
| African | 0% |
| Caribbean | 0% |
| Any other African, Black or Caribbean, please describe* | 0% |
| Arab or Arab British | 0% |
| Any other ethnic group, please describe* | 1% |
| No answer | 1% |
Where do you live?
| Total | |
|---|---|
| No. of cases | 1014 |
| North East | 4% |
| North West | 11% |
| Yorkshire & The Humber | 8% |
| East Midlands | 8% |
| West Midlands | 8% |
| East of England | 9% |
| London | 7% |
| South East | 20% |
| South West | 12% |
| Isle of Man | 0% |
| Wales | 4% |
| Scotland | 6% |
| Northern Ireland | 1% |
| Channel Islands | 0% |
| No answer | 1% |
To see our breakdown of the results, and for more information on how you can help, click here.