1 in 10 people feel severely lonely; stable for 5 years

In 2025, 10 percent of people aged 15 and over in the Netherlands felt severely lonely. This percentage has remained unchanged for five years. People aged between 35 and 55, people who were not born in the Netherlands, and people receiving social benefits felt the loneliest.

Since 2019, the study by Statistics Netherlands (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, CBS) has examined how people feel. The questions concern sadness because someone is alone (emotional loneliness), and missing friends or support (social loneliness). When someone experiences both types of loneliness, this is referred to as overall loneliness.

The number of people who felt somewhat lonely was lower in 2019 than in 2025. In 2019, that figure was 26 percent. In 2025, 30 percent felt somewhat lonely.

People aged between 35 and 55 feel severely lonely most often. The figure was 13 percent among those aged 35 to 45, and 12 percent among those aged 45 to 55. Older people aged 55 and over are less likely to feel severely lonely.

People who were not born in the Netherlands (migrants) feel severely lonely more often than people who were born in the Netherlands. In particular, migrants from Europe experienced social loneliness more often in 2025. In 2019, that figure was 17 percent; in 2025, it had risen to 27 percent.

People receiving social benefits feel severely lonely most often. The figure is 23 percent. People who work, receive a pension or student financial aid, or have no personal income are much less likely to feel lonely (9 percent).