You may have noticed that loneliness is now discussed alongside heart health and other public-health concerns. In June 2025 the World Health Organization (WHO) explained why: it says social connection affects health at a population level, and that it deserves attention from governments and communities as well as individuals.
The WHO Commission on Social Connection published its first global report, and WHO announced it on 30 June 2025 in a news release. The release followed the first World Health Assembly resolution on social connection, adopted in May 2025. WHO also announced a campaign called Knot Alone and a series on lived experiences of loneliness and isolation.
The report is a policy document that brings together estimates from existing research. It is not a new experiment or a single study, and the news release does not describe the methods, sample sizes or years of the underlying data. Everything below comes from the WHO summary rather than the full report.
The WHO separates two ideas that are often mixed up. Loneliness is a painful feeling that arises when the connections a person has fall short of the connections they want. Social isolation is an objective lack of sufficient social connections. A person can be isolated without feeling lonely, and can feel lonely while surrounded by people.
WHO estimates that about one in six people worldwide experience loneliness. It links loneliness to an estimated 100 deaths every hour, which it puts at more than 871,000 deaths a year. These are estimates, and they should be read as modelled figures rather than a direct count of deaths caused by loneliness.
The release reports differences between groups. Between 17 and 21 per cent of people aged 13 to 29 report loneliness, with the highest rates among teenagers. About 24 per cent of people in low-income countries report loneliness, around twice the roughly 11 per cent in high-income countries. Social isolation is estimated to affect up to one in three older adults and one in four adolescents, although WHO notes that data on isolation are more limited.
WHO describes loneliness and isolation as linked with higher risks of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and early death. It says people who are lonely are twice as likely to become depressed, and that loneliness can contribute to anxiety and thoughts of self-harm. It reports that teenagers who felt lonely were 22 per cent more likely to get lower grades or qualifications.
The report lists contributing factors including poor health, low income and education, living alone, and a lack of community infrastructure and supportive policy. It also raises concern about excessive screen time and negative online interactions for young people. People with disabilities, refugees and migrants, LGBTQ+ people, Indigenous groups and ethnic minorities may face extra barriers to connection.
The proposed response has five parts: policy, research, interventions, better measurement including a proposed global Social Connection Index, and public engagement. Ideas range from investing in parks, libraries and cafes to psychological support. Individual steps mentioned include contacting a friend, putting phones away during conversations, greeting neighbours and joining local groups.
The figures in the news release are summaries of other research, and the page does not say how each was measured. The links between loneliness and conditions such as depression or heart disease are associations. The release does not give the baseline or study design behind figures such as the 22 per cent or the twofold depression estimate, so it cannot show that loneliness causes these outcomes. Poor health can also make connection harder, so influence may run in both directions.
Averages may not describe you. A global figure tells you little about a particular neighbourhood, family or person, and the data are less complete for isolation than for loneliness. The release also reports country-level rates that may reflect different ways of asking about loneliness.
This was a WHO report, not an Australian one, and it does not tell any individual what to do. It is general education and not medical advice. If loneliness is affecting your mood or safety, a GP or counsellor can help. In Australia you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 in an emergency.
Illustration of social connection as a community concern. AI-generated editorial illustration. This article summarises published research in our own words and is general information, not personal health advice.
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