Lonely Nation – Ending loneliness among older people

Britain is a lonely nation. This report shows that nearly six in 10 adults feel lonely at least some of the time.

This equates to 31.4 million people. But older people buck the trend. Just over four in 10 adults over the age of 65 say they feel lonely at least some of the time, falling to over three in 10 of over 75s. This contrasts sharply with the 18-24 cohort, where 70 per cent say they feel lonely at least some of the time. Older people are the least lonely age cohort in Britain.

Accordingly, there is much to be learned from older people. Older people are more likely to have conversations with their neighbours, see members of their extended family, attend a community event, volunteer and have a meaningful conversation with a friend or family member than the rest of the adult population. All these activities help to protect against loneliness.

Despite being less lonely than the population average, there are acute and complex challenges that can cause and perpetuate loneliness in later life. The CSJ predict that 5.8 million people over the age of 65 feel lonely at least some of the time. Britain is also ageing rapidly. The total number of adults aged 65 plus in the UK is predicted to increase from 13.2 million in 2023 to 17.4 million in 2043. Respectively this represents a rise in the 65 plus population from 19.4 per cent to 24 per cent of the total population over two decades.

The ageing population presents multiple challenges to the nation across all areas of society. Less considered is the impact on loneliness. Removing obstacles to social connection in later life will be critical for ensuring a healthy and prosperous older population in the decades to come.

Loneliness in old age is also an issue of social justice. Analysis by Brunel University has shown that people aged 50 plus who live in the poorest areas are significantly more likely to suffer from loneliness than those who live in the wealthiest. This association is independent of other factors.

The CSJ has identified six challenges that cause and perpetuate loneliness amongst older people. The first three challenges, regarding public transport, digital exclusion and housing, present immediate problems for the government and can begin to be solved within the current parliament.

The following three challenges, regarding family, intergenerational engagement and retirement, are decades in the making and will require cultural shifts, in addition to policy changes.

These challenges will be more complex for government to solve and should be considered as part of its long-term strategy for national renewal.

The CSJ recommends 20 policy solutions for government to adopt that span the six challenges outlined in this report. Adopting these recommendations would help to end loneliness among older people and prepare the nation for the oncoming demographic change.