Loneliness, obesity and health in England in nine charts

A significant number of people feel lonely and this has a negative impact on both mental and physical health. Nesta is interested in how reducing loneliness could improve wellbeing and overall health, in order to identify solutions that may significantly improve the overall wellbeing and health of the population and increase the number of healthy years lived.

The latest Health Survey for England data reveals links between loneliness, obesity, and other health outcomes. This data story draws insights from the survey, focusing particularly on the relationship between loneliness, weight status and health indicators. It builds upon our previous analysis of the Health Survey for England, which focused on the latest BMI data and trends in obesity and its implications for Nesta’s focus on reducing obesity prevalence in the UK.

Main findings:

• Approximately 2,561,392 adults in England are chronically lonely (meaning they often or always feel lonely). This is 6% of the adult population.
• 30% of people living with obesity report feeling lonely at least some of the time – around ten points higher than those not living with obesity.
• There is a strong link between loneliness and general health, with 28% of adults who report bad health saying that they often or always feel lonely compared to 4% in good health and 9% in fair health.
• 10% of adults living in the most deprived neighbourhoods are chronically lonely compared to 3% in the least deprived neighbourhoods.

This is the first time that the Health Survey for England has included a measure of loneliness. The survey employs the recommended direct measure of loneliness by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), ensuring comparability with other surveys such as the Community Lives Survey. The recognition of loneliness as an official health statistic in England underscores its significance within the health context. Its inclusion enables the tracking of loneliness alongside other health data across different demographic groups, regions, and over time. It also enables exploration of the connections between loneliness and other vital health indicators.

1. 22% of people in England said they feel lonely at least some of the time and as many as 6% say they often or always feel lonely – characterised as chronic loneliness

As many as 22% of all adults in England feel lonely at least some of the time. And chronic loneliness affects 6% of adults, more than 2.5 million people. Chronic loneliness is associated with an increased risk of dementia and with a range of mental health problems including anxiety, stress and low mood.

Although this is the first time the Health Survey for England includes this data, the figures are consistent with other surveys that measure loneliness, such as the Community Life Survey (6%,2021/22) and the Active Lives Survey (7%, 2021/22). Together, these surveys reveal that loneliness levels have not decreased despite government initiatives.

The pandemic may have had an enduring impact on how lonely we’re feeling. The Active Lives Survey has been tracking loneliness since before the pandemic and reported an increase in chronic loneliness to 7% 2021/22 compared to 5% in 2019/20. 

2. There are differences between levels of self-reported loneliness by sex and age

The Health Survey for England 2021 reveals that men (32%) are more likely than women (22%) to report that they never feel lonely. Women (24%) are more likely than men (20%) to report that they feel lonely at least some of the time. 

When it comes to the experience of chronic loneliness men and women are broadly similar (5% and 6% respectively). 

There is variation in how people understand the term ‘loneliness’ and some people may be reluctant to disclose that they feel lonely. The Department for Culture Media and Sport recently published new evidence on loneliness stigma. 

The evidence is mixed about the impact of gender on loneliness stigma, but age does seem to be a factor. Younger people are more likely to feel embarrassed about feeling lonely and be inclined to hide their loneliness. There is evidence of loneliness stigma among older adults too – driven by concerns about losing independence or burdening family.

3. There are differences between how men and women experience loneliness by life stage

Women report being much more likely to feel lonely at least some of the time than men at 35 to 44, 55 to 64 and 75+. 

The highest share of men feeling lonely at least some of the time is among 16-34 year olds (26%) – about the same as young women. The highest share of women feeling lonely at least some of the time is between the ages of 55 and 64. 

4. There is a strong link between loneliness and general health

Nearly two thirds (62%) of adults who report bad or very bad health said they feel lonely at least some of the time compared to 18% of adults who report that their general health is good or very good. Seven in ten men who report bad or very bad health report feeling lonely at least some of the time – the highest share of any demographic.

Health is much more strongly associated with chronic loneliness than living alone. One in ten adults who live alone report chronic loneliness, while nearly three in ten adults in bad health are chronically lonely.

6. Loneliness levels vary by region and are linked to household income and neighbourhood deprivation

After controlling for age, the proportion of adults who report feeling lonely at least some of the time ranges from 15% in the East Midlands to 27% in the North East. 

The region with the highest share of men who feel lonely at least some of the time is the North West (25%). For women, the highest share is in the North East where over a third (35%) feel lonely at least some of the time. 

People in lower income households are more likely to report feeling lonely. Among those in the two lowest income quintiles, 7% and 9% often or always feel lonely, while this is the case for 4% of adults in better-off households.

Comparing loneliness levels by area deprivation reveals that 32% of adults report feeling lonely at least some of the time in the most deprived areas (fifth quintile) compared with between 19% and 24% in other areas (all other quintiles). Adults living in the most deprived areas are most likely to report experiencing chronic loneliness (10%, compared with between 3% and 6% in other areas). 

Loneliness and poor health are linked – but further investigation is needed to understand how, so that we can design solutions that work

The latest Health Survey for England reaffirms existing trends observed in other surveys.  However, the crucial aspect is the recognition of loneliness as an official health measure. This acknowledgment enables us to monitor loneliness alongside other significant health factors over an extended period, a development that Nesta welcomes.

The very high proportion of people who experience loneliness while also reporting poor health starkly highlights the need to better understand the interaction between these two variables. There is currently a significant gap in evidence on the causal relationship between health and loneliness and although many organisations are delivering interventions to reduce loneliness, there is much work to be done to build the evidence base on what works and for whom, and whether reducing loneliness can also improve health. Nesta’s strategy on loneliness is to strengthen the evidence on the mechanisms that link loneliness and health through collaboration with the health and loneliness research community and then build from this to design, test and scale solutions to  reduce loneliness in a way that has a positive impact on people’s health.