The World Health Organization has raised alarm over the growing global health threat posed by loneliness, revealing that approximately 871,000 deaths occur each year as a result of loneliness and social isolation.
In a report released on Monday, the WHO noted that one in six people globally are affected by loneliness—a condition linked to serious health challenges including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and even suicide.
“Loneliness is not just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health,” said Dr. Vivek Murthy, WHO Commission Co-chair.
“It’s a painful, subjective experience that arises when the relationships we have fall short of what we need emotionally and socially.”
The organization explained that while loneliness is the feeling of lacking desired relationships, social isolation is the objective condition of having few or no social connections.
Both, it warned, are dangerous and widespread, particularly among older adults and teenagers. The report estimates that one in three elderly individuals and one in four adolescents experience social isolation globally.
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The WHO report further highlighted the far-reaching consequences of loneliness on economic productivity and national healthcare systems, noting billions in annual losses due to increased health expenditures and reduced workforce participation.
“Lonely adolescents are 22 percent more likely to get lower grades,” the report stated. “Adults facing loneliness also struggle significantly in finding or maintaining employment.”
Among the root causes of loneliness, the WHO listed factors such as illness, poor education, low income, lack of social opportunities, and excessive dependence on digital technologies.
Dr. Murthy emphasized how technology is contributing to social disconnection:
“For millennia, human connection was built on face-to-face cues—tone, gestures, expressions. These are lost when we over-rely on mobile phones and social media.”
The report spotlighted Sweden as a model for tackling loneliness through deliberate national strategies. Swedish Social Minister Jakob Forssmed said the country views loneliness as a societal issue, not just a personal one.
“We are introducing prepaid activity cards for children and teens that can only be used for group activities,” Forssmed explained. “Additionally, mobile phones will soon be banned in public schools to foster more real-life interaction.”
He added that early outcomes from such interventions show increased social engagement, better sleep among teens, and reduced incidents of cyberbullying.
“Even children are frustrated when their parents are constantly glued to their phones,” Forssmed noted. “We must create opportunities for genuine, in-person interactions.”
In its final recommendations, the WHO urged countries to invest in building social infrastructure—spaces and policies that encourage human connection.
“We must reclaim spaces in our lives where face-to-face connection is possible—without digital distractions,” Dr. Murthy concluded.
The WHO emphasized that addressing loneliness is not just a mental health priority, but a global imperative to prevent early deaths and improve quality of life across generations.
