A three-year investigation by the World Health Organization found that loneliness and social isolation contribute to 871,000 deaths worldwide every year, a death toll researchers said places social health in a tier “as damaging as other public health risks” such as air pollution, tobacco and alcohol. 

The landmark report by the WHO Commission on Social Connection, published this week, found that one in six people globally are affected by social disconnection and loneliness, resulting in around 100 deaths per hour. 

“The sheer extent and scale of impact on our health – specifically loneliness – being linked to 870,000 deaths annually was really striking to me,” said Dr Vivek Murthy, co-chair of the commission and longtime champion of the harms of the social isolation “epidemic” in two terms as US Surgeon General.

“I think many people think of loneliness as just a bad feeling,” Murthy said. “But when you see numbers like that, it makes clear that it is massively consequential for our health and well-being.”

The commission found that loneliness and social isolation carry health risks similar to obesity and physical inactivity, increasing the risk of stroke by 32%, heart disease by 29%, and dementia by 50%. The conditions also contribute to diabetes, cognitive decline, and mental health problems including depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide.

“The impact of loneliness is profound. It is often overlooked, despite being just as damaging as other known public health risks,” the commission wrote. “Make no mistake – connection is not just a nice idea. It is fundamental. Our ability to thrive, both as individuals and as nations, depends on our ability to connect with others.”

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WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that “social well-being” has been part of the WHO’s Constitution since the organization’s founding in 1948, “yet the social dimension of health is often overlooked,” a neglect that has persisted for over 75 years despite being fundamental to the WHO’s mission of health for all.

“In this age when the possibilities to connect are endless, more and more people are finding themselves isolated and lonely,” Tedros said. “Apart from the toll it takes on individuals, families and communities, left unaddressed, loneliness and social isolation will continue to cost society billions in terms of health care, education, and employment.”

As an increasing body of scientific evidence surveyed in the WHO report shows the extent of public health harms of social isolation and loneliness, which the Commission determined should be a “third pillar of health” alongside mental and physical health. But stigma stands in the way of main streaming awareness, funding and policy action.

Stigma around social disconnection and loneliness particularly affects people with disabilities, refugees, migrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and indigenous and ethnic minority groups who may face additional barriers to social connection, the Commission said. 

“We may not always see it because of the shame and stigma, but it is there, taking a profound toll on our health,” Murthy said. In his role as Surgeon General, Murthy issued a warning in 2023 on the US “Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” in which he compared the health risks to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

“For too long, we have not recognized the importance of social health. We haven’t seen it for what it is – an essential pillar of our health and well-being,” Murthy said. “That must change.”

Who is hit hardest? 

The causes of social isolation and loneliness found in the report are in many ways features of modern life. They include digital technologies, low income and education, chronic health problems, living alone, lacking community and friendship networks. 

While loneliness affects all countries, demographics and income groups, the report found young people and those in low-income countries are the hardest hit. Contrary to common assumptions about loneliness primarily affecting older adults in the later stages of life, teenagers aged 13-17 reported the highest levels at 21%. 

For young people, the report’s findings reveal a paradox: despite living in the most connected era in history, technology has become a double-edged sword. The Commission warned of the negative health effects of excessive time spent on social media and screens for the mental health of young people – but they aren’t the first. 

During his second term as Surgeon General, Murthy issued a watershed advisory on the same subject, determining that there are “ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”

“At this time, we do not yet have enough evidence to determine if social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents,” the advisory said. The warning was necessary, Murthy said, because up to 95% of youth ages 13–17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.”

“Even in a digitally connected world, many young people feel alone,” said Chido Mpemba, the African Union Youth Envoy who co-chaired the commission. “As technology reshapes our lives, we must ensure it strengthens—not weakens—human connection.”

The findings also revealed significant regional disparities, with African countries reporting the highest levels of loneliness at 24% – more than double the European rate of 11% – surprising researchers. 

“We didn’t anticipate that rates of loneliness were going to be higher in low-income countries,” said one researcher involved in the study. The commission found that poverty may account for this trend, as limited economic opportunities can lead to social exclusion and encourage migration that breaks existing social networks.

While loneliness rates were similar between males and females overall, significant gaps emerged among specific age groups. Female adolescents showed the highest rates at 24.3%, while older men reported the lowest levels at just under 10%, challenging the dominant political discussion around male loneliness in the era of the manosphere. 

Global momentum builds 

The WHO report follows historic action by the World Health Assembly, which in May 2025 adopted its first-ever resolution specifically targeting social connection as a public health crisis. The landmark decision, co-sponsored by Spain and Chile, aimed to establish social connection as a standalone global health priority rather than a footnote in mental health policy.

“Today marks the first time social connection has been formally considered at the WHA,” Ailan Li, Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage at WHO, told the Assembly following the vote. “This marks a crucial step in reframing how we understand mental and social wellbeing as central to health systems.”

The WHA resolution requests that WHO member states integrate strategies fostering meaningful social connections into national health policies through strengthened data collection systems, public awareness campaigns, and targeted support for vulnerable populations including people with disabilities, refugees, LGBTQ+ individuals, and single-parent households.

Currently, only eight WHO member states have adopted comprehensive national social connection policies: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States.

WHO Member States Recognize Social Connection as a Global Health Priority

Billions in economic costs

Jakob Forssmed, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health in Sweden, told reporters the benefits his country’s policies have brought, arguing the public policy approach should recognize the economic costs – and benefits of action.

“When it comes to government [approaches], is critical to realize that this affects the economy, has a severe impact on economic life, because if you build trust between people, this will help the economy to grow,” Forssmed said. 

“If you don’t do these things, if you don’t do the work on social connection, you will find the economy go badly, and you will also have increased health costs. You will have more costs for elderly care. You will have more people, more kids in school, failing and things like that,” he added. “It is an investment, also in hard data. This is not just a soft issue. It’s an issue about societal growth, prosperity and well-functioning societies.”

The commission found that the economic costs of loneliness result from a waterfall effect. At a community level, loneliness undermines social cohesion and costs billions in lost productivity and healthcare spending, while teenagers experiencing loneliness were 22% more likely to achieve lower grades or qualifications, and adults struggling with social isolation face employment challenges and reduced lifetime earnings.

A growing body of research backs up the commission and Swedish minister and WHO commission’s view on the economics.

US employers alone lose $154 billion annually due to loneliness-related absenteeism, productivity losses, and turnover, or $1,685 per employee per year, while Medicare spends an extra $6.7 billion annually. In Spain, the estimated cost of loneliness through health-care expenditure and productivity loss in 2021 was 14 billion euros – 1.17% of Spain’s GDP that year.

“We now see that when children are struggling with loneliness and isolation, it negatively affects their educational outcomes,” Murthy explained. “When people are struggling with loneliness and isolation, it impacts how they perform in the workplace. It has a negative impact on engagement, which can have downstream effects on productivity, and a number of other outcomes that ultimately impact our economy.”

When he first became Surgeon General in 2014, Murthy has stated he “didn’t view loneliness as a public health concern.” Now, with the WHO commission report released, he and his colleagues hope to change that view worldwide.

“We now know that loneliness is a common feeling that many people experience. It’s like hunger or thirst. It’s a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing,” Murthy wrote in his 2023 Surgon General report.

“Given the profound consequences of loneliness and isolation, we have an opportunity, and an obligation, to make the same investments in addressing social connection that we have made in addressing tobacco use, obesity, and the addiction crisis.”