Younger generations seem to be lonelier than older ones, while almost half of people in poverty say they feel lonely compared to 15% of high earners. AdvertisementAnd new data from the Belonging Forum’s 2026 Belonging Barometer has found that “people reporting poor mental health are five times more likely to feel lonely” than those with good mental health. It found:Roughly one in five people with poor mental (21%) or physical health (20%) say they have no close friends,Only 27% of those with poor mental health say the things they do in life are worthwhile, compared to 85% in good mental health,Only 33% of people with poor mental health said they feel a strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhood, compared to 65% in good mental health,Nearly two-thirds (64%) of people with poor mental health reported high anxiety yesterday, vs 29% of those in good mental health,Though 76% of those with good mental health say they are satisfied with their friendships, this falls to 52% among those reporting poor mental health,Two in five people with poor mental health report feeling lonely often or always, compared to 3% of people in good mental health. That means about 2.9 million people in the UK with poor mental health say they feel lonely often or always – “roughly the population of Greater Manchester”. “Health and belonging are closely connected”Kim Samuel, founder and chief architect of the Belonging Forum, said: “Health and belonging are closely connected.

Source: Huffington Post March 25, 2026 13:57 UTC