Demographic trends Research recommendation Several people have suggested that the A discrepancy between reported feelings of prevalence of loneliness could increase in the loneliness in direct and indirect surveys makes coming decades. One of the key factors is the it difficult to assess the levels of isolation and ageing population. Older age is associated with loneliness in the UK. None of the literature disability-related obstacles to social interaction as well as with longer periods of time living reviewed showed reliable, geographical as widows or widowers. Moreover, delayed breakdowns of loneliness or social isolation marriage, increased dual-career families, across the UK. However, it may be possible to increased single-residence households, and get a regional picture of loneliness with analyses reduced fertility rates may also contribute to of existing survey data (see Appendix 1), or by an increased prevalence of loneliness and its identifying areas in the UK with a high prevalence associated health effects (Masi et al. 2010). of some of the risk factors associated with Data from the 2011 census has shown that the isolation and loneliness. proportion of people at retirement age living on their own has dropped from 34% to 31% in the In general, women seem to be more likely to last decade. More than a quarter of a million report feelings of loneliness than men (see people over the age of 65 in England and Wales below), but this does not necessarily mean that are living unmarried with a partner – double the women are lonelier than men. Surveys which number recorded a decade earlier, according assess loneliness indirectly (i.e. without using to the Office for National Statistics. By 2021, the term “lonely”) generally find that men however, it is projected that the proportion of feel lonelier than women (and this difference divorced men over 65 will increase rapidly to is statistically significant). The research also 13%, while the proportion who are widowed will suggests there is a slight U-shape in terms of fall to 13%, mainly because of improvements in age, with younger people (under the age of 25) mortality, and eight per cent will be never married and older people (above the age of 75) most (Davidson et al. 2003: 81-2). likely to experience loneliness. However, findings looking at long-term trends concerning loneliness in Europe showed the opposite trend: levels of loneliness have been decreasing over time, albeit slightly, or they have remained unchanged, depending on the studies that are considered (Veenhoven and Hagerty 2006). Loneliness is not the only outcome showing a change for the better; in so far as they are available, trend data reveal that since the 1950s average happiness has increased slightly in rich nations and considerably in developing nations. However, if the proportion of loneliness remains fairly constant, we can expect an increase in the absolute number of people experiencing loneliness over the next few years as a result of population growth and ageing. Isolation and loneliness 7