Analysis: Public discussion of loneliness still tends to focus on older adults, but much less attention is paid to younger people.
When we think about loneliness, we tend to picture older people living alone after retirement or bereavement. Yet some of the highest rates of loneliness in Europe are found among young adults.
Being around people is not the same as feeling connected to them. Loneliness is the gap between the relationships we have and the ones we want, a feeling that our social needs are not being met. You can feel lonely in a crowded room and perfectly content while spending time on your own. What matters is not just who is around you, but how meaningful those connections feel.
Across Europe, growing numbers of people report feeling lonely. In Ireland, the issue appears particularly acute. An EU-wide survey carried out by the European Commission in 2022 found that 20% of people in Ireland reported feeling lonely most or all of the time during the previous four weeks, well above the EU average of 13%.