Loneliness among young Europeans: An alarming study reveals the facts!

Loneliness among young Europeans: An alarming study reveals the facts!

An alarming study by the Bertelsmann Foundation shows that more than half of the young Europeans are suffering from loneliness in the age of 18 to 35. About 57 percent report from moderate to strong loneliness, with 51 percent determined in Germany a slightly lower rate. Young people in France are particularly affected, where 63 percent indicate to feel lonely, as in the reports of Zeit.de can be read.

loneliness in Europe: an urgent problem

The survey and analysis of the Bertelsmann Foundation show profound differences between the EU member states. Younger adults are particularly affected, while older age groups, such as those between 36 and 39 years, only report 37 percent of feelings of loneliness. In contrast, only 19 and 21 percent of those surveyed suffer from loneliness for over 40 years. A worrying trend that has been in the corona pandemic and shakes social structures.

A central problem is also the level of education of the respondents. Experts from the foundation explain that people with a higher level of education often cultivate more social relationships and are better able to cope with stress. Furthermore, the scientists are calling for targeted measures to combat loneliness, especially for younger people, since previous interventions are often geared towards older people. The special urgency to address this topic is underlined by Leander Berner, a youth expert at the foundation: "Loneliness can reduce the feeling of belonging to society and thus become a political problem." These findings were summarized in the comprehensive examination "Loneliness of young people in 2024 in a European comparison" based on data from a survey by Eupinions, in which over 23,500 people were interviewed.