Social Isolation Nearly Doubles in Australia Over 23 Years

Dragon Media News Desk

Australians are becoming increasingly lonely and socially isolated, with new research showing that rates of social isolation have nearly doubled over the past 23 years.

The study, released by the University of Sydney, analysed 23 years of nationally representative data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey, providing some of the country’s first long-term national evidence on trends in loneliness and social isolation.

Researchers found that episodic social isolation, defined as experiencing isolation in at least one survey period, rose from 16.9 percent in 2001 to 29.9 percent in 2023. Chronic social isolation, recorded across at least two consecutive survey periods, approximately doubled from 10.3 percent in 2002 to 20.5 percent in 2023.

Loneliness followed a somewhat different pattern. Rates generally declined during the 2000s before beginning to rise again from the 2010s onward. Chronic loneliness increased from 6.3 percent in 2002 to 8.4 percent in 2023.

Younger adults recorded some of the largest increases in loneliness, while older adults consistently experienced the highest levels of social isolation and showed some of the strongest increases over time.

The study also found that loneliness and social isolation were consistently more common among people who were unemployed, living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, widowed, living alone or had lower levels of education.

Professor Melody Ding of the University of Sydney, senior author of the study, said the findings highlight social connection as an important public health issue requiring sustained policy and public health action throughout different stages of life.

The research was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Its findings underline the need for long-term social and health policies aimed at strengthening community connections and reducing isolation among vulnerable groups across Australia.