Living alone linked to greater loneliness in Wales
Survey and administrative records for 43,196 adults linked living alone to 1.9 times the odds of emotional loneliness compared with not living alone.
Our read
Populations- Studied:
- Cross-sectional study of 43,196 adults in Wales, against adults not living alone
- What changed:
- Adults living alone had higher odds of overall loneliness than those not living alone (odds ratio 1.5)
- The catch:
- Loneliness could influence living arrangements, rather than only result from living alone
- In the record:
- The 141st paper on living alone with results in people; 239 on record in all.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In Wales, 43,196 adults aged 16 and older had survey responses linked to administrative records in a two-phase observational study. Its population-wide phase tracked living-alone households from 2008 to 2024. Researchers inferred reasons for living alone from household changes.
Living alone was associated with higher loneliness after accounting for age, gender, health, housing and other factors. The link was strongest for emotional loneliness, measured through feelings of emptiness, rejection or missing company. Compared with not living alone, living alone was linked to 1.9 times the odds of emotional loneliness. The strongest association followed partner loss within two years, including a partner’s death or move into a care home. Younger adults reported the highest overall loneliness. Women reported higher emotional loneliness; men reported higher social loneliness around midlife.
Why it matters
Distinguishing living alone from different forms of loneliness could inform support as people age. The authors say linked indicators could help health and social care services monitor living arrangements and target support.
Caveats
Linking living arrangements with survey reports left open whether loneliness preceded living alone. The survey findings concern adults aged 16 and older in Wales, not children.
Where the evidence stands
Living alone
- 115 independent labs in 31 countries
- 15 findings against
- Funders: National Institute on Aging and others
- 6 of 186 findings with company ties
Built environment
- 33 independent labs in 13 countries
- 4 findings against
- Funders: National Social Science Fund of China and others
From the paper
- Result
In unadjusted analyses, households in the least deprived areas were 24% less likely have an individual living alone than in the most deprived areas (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.76-0.77).
Quoted word for word from the full text on ijpds.org.
The paper
Exploring Loneliness and Living Alone Through Linked Administrative and Survey Data in Wales, UK
International Journal of Population Data Science, Nov 10, 2026, Open access, CC BY
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