Loneliness in Germany: Low-income earners at highest risk of loneliness

Loneliness poses a serious health risk: Along with negatively impacting life quality, it can even shorten the life span. This Weekly Report investigates loneliness in Germany using Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) data from 2021 on loneliness. The analyses highlight the prevalence of three facets of loneliness (aloneness, isolation, exclusion) as well as regional differences and high-risk groups. The results reveal that 19 percent of people living in Germany feel lonely either some of the time or more frequently. Before the pandemic, this figure was only 14 percent. There are also regional differences without the east-west pattern that has been seen in previous studies: People living in the west and south of Germany feel like they miss companionship more frequently than people living in the east. People earning a low income below the median, especially men with a migration background, are particularly lonely. In light of the health risks, awareness campaigns and measures for preventing loneliness that take these findings into account and are targeted specifically to high-risk groups are needed.