Gallup survey finds 1 in 5 U.S. adults reports daily loneliness

One in five U.S. adults reports feeling lonely on a daily basis, according to new survey results (Source: “1 in 5 US adults reports daily loneliness: Gallup,” ABC News, Oct. 15).
 
The new Gallup survey found the rate of reported loneliness is up slightly from earlier this year, when 17% to 18% of survey respondents reported feeling a lack of social connection, but it's lower than the peak of 25% of respondents who reported feeling lonely during the three-year stretch of the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2021.
 
Gallup did not collect stats on loneliness prior to the pandemic, so it’s unclear if the latest numbers are a return to normal or indicative of a growing problem.
 
In 2023, the U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, declared Americans were in the midst of a “loneliness epidemic.” Gallup estimates that 52 million U.S. adults still feel a sense of disconnect.