Loneliness in a Global Context: Sociodemographic Disparities and Childhood Determinants

Loneliness is a major global challenge with significant individual and societal consequences, yet cross-national patterns in its distribution across sociodemographic groups and life-course determinants remain understudied. Using nationally representative data from the Global Flourishing Study (N = 202,898) spanning 22 countries with diverse contexts, we examined country-specific levels, nine sociodemographic correlates, and 13 childhood predictors of loneliness among adults. Substantial cross-national variation in loneliness was observed, ranging from 2.30 (out of 10; Israel) to 4.56 (Turkey). Meta-analyzed cross-national results provided evidence of sociodemographic disparities in loneliness for age, education, and religious service attendance, with higher loneliness found among those who are younger, have less education, and never or irregularly attend religious services, and the lowest loneliness among those who are older, have more education, and regularly attend religious services. Our results suggest several childhood correlates of loneliness including experiencing abuse, feeling like an outsider, financial insecurity, and poor health. The country-specific findings also demonstrated large between-country variations in these global trends in loneliness. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to mitigate loneliness, particularly among socially disadvantaged groups.