Research Reveals Fascinating Insights - In Germany, loneliness is experienced to a great extent.
Solitary individuals, senior citizens, and migrants frequently encounter the emotion of loneliness more than others. Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) has now presented the first-ever comprehensive report on this issue, titled the "Loneliness Barometer," which explores the prevalence of loneliness among Germans.
This is the first comprehensive survey of its kind that focuses on the feeling of loneliness in Germany, tracing its origin back to 1992 and reaching its conclusion in the second pandemic year, 2021. Although the most recent data isn't available until next year, it's clear that loneliness is "an extremely embarrassing" issue, according to Paus. It negatively impacts society as a whole.
Specific groups are especially vulnerable to loneliness, as the study conducted on households, also known as the "Socio-economic Panel," reveals. Single parents, for example, had loneliness rates of 16.4% in 2021, compared to only 10.5% in households without children. In 2020, 2017, and 2013, the difference between these two groups was approximately six percentage points. People who perform care work are disproportionately affected by loneliness. The researchers analyzed the data based on age, gender, and East and West German residences.
Individuals with migration experience are more likely to experience loneliness. In 2021, 16.3% of 18-year-olds and older with a migration background reported feeling alone, compared to only 9.9% of those without a migration background.
Loneliness affects millions of people in Germany, with those over 75 years of age being the most heavily affected. Only during the first year of the pandemic, 2020, did ages 18-29 experience a higher rate of loneliness (31.8%) than the over-75s (22.8%).
The pandemic worsened loneliness, particularly among the young. However, older adults have recovered better than younger people. In 2021, the loneliness rate for 18-29-year-olds was 14.1%, while less than 10% of senior citizens over 75 reported feeling lonely.
Women are more likely to experience loneliness than men, a trend that was present before the pandemic but has worsened in the first pandemic year. In 2020, 33.2% of women were affected, while only 23.1% of men reported loneliness. In 2021, the disparity was slightly narrower (women 13%, men just under 10%).
The urban-rural divide doesn't make a significant difference in perceptions of loneliness, and there were only minor discrepancies between East and West Germany. Landes, director of the Institute for Social Work and Social Pedagogy, highlighted the limitations of the data, stating that it was collected quantitatively and didn't explore how loneliness manifests itself in cities compared to rural areas.
Fighting loneliness is a work in progress, and there's no definite scientific evaluation of possible approaches. However, the need for action is pressing. According to the World Health Organization, loneliness shortens life expectancy as much as smoking, obesity, and air pollution, said Paus.
Loneliness also has a connection to trust. According to Landes, lonely individuals typically experience a loss of trust. This translates into a loss of trust in their environment, which can undermine institutions. Paus described this as "alarming" since it threatens the foundation of democracy.
The federal government is not planning to establish a separate loneliness ministry like in Japan or the UK, at least for now. Paus has expressed no interest in such a move. Instead, they will focus on implementing a comprehensive strategy. Their main objective is to normalize the discussion on the topic. The federal government plans to carry out several awareness-raising campaigns through social media in the coming weeks and is organizing a national week against loneliness from June 17 to 23, aiming to raise awareness of the issue. The battle against loneliness will see the government invest 70 million euros until 2027, partly funded by EU programs.
It's uncertain if this move will appease the detractors of the approach. A few groups and the Union faction pressed for tangible steps on Thursday. Eugen Brysch, who heads the Patient Protection Foundation's board, said to dpa that the Barometer alone won't fix the issue. He described it as a "people's disease," necessitating a more comprehensive response in society.
