Senior Statistics Hub
Loneliness & isolation
Senior Loneliness & Social Isolation Statistics
How common loneliness is among older adults — and what it costs their health. Current figures from the U.S. Surgeon General, the National Academies, and AARP. Free to cite and embed.
Key statistics
15
cigarettes a day — the mortality risk social isolation is comparable to
The health cost of isolation
The hidden health cost of social isolation
Increased health risk associated with social isolation, vs. socially connected older adults
View chart data
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Heart disease | +29% |
| Stroke | +32% |
| Dementia | +50% |
About this data. U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory (HHS, 2023), Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation — a narrative synthesis of published meta-analyses (not original data collection) quantifying the elevated health risks associated with social isolation among older adults.
Loneliness over time
Loneliness among older adults spiked, then settled
% of adults 50–80 who report lacking companionship, 2018–2024
View chart data
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 34% |
| 2020 | 41% |
| 2024 | 33% |
About this data. University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging — a nationally representative online survey of U.S. adults 50–80 conducted by Ipsos for U-M IHPI (with AARP and Michigan Medicine). Loneliness here = the share reporting they lacked companionship some or most of the time.
Sources
- NASEM — Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults (2020)
- U.S. Surgeon General — Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (2023)
- U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging — Trends in Loneliness, 2018–2024
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