Number of the month: 19 per cent of people over 65 years of age are lonely

Approximately one in five people over 65 years of age in Germany feel lonely. Older women are more often lonely (22 per cent) than older men (15 per cent). Women aged 80 and over are particularly affected (29 per cent). In this context, the term loneliness means that people desire more social relationships than they have. Loneliness not only affects well-being, but also has a negative impact on health.

These are the findings of the ‘Health 65+’ study conducted by the Robert Koch Institute. For the study, 3,694 older and very old people throughout Germany were interviewed and examined with regard to their health and the challenges of their everyday lives.