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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.

Date: 02.12.2024

Topics

What we do

What we do

The Robert Koch Institute is the public health institute in Germany. Around 1,500 people including 700 scientists work here. Learn more about the tasks and projects of the institute’s departments and units.

RKI informative film

RKI informative film

Robert Koch – who was he and what does the Robert Koch Institute do today? The RKI informative film provides an overview over the institute in two and a half minutes – in German, English and French.

International Activities

International Activities

The Robert Koch Institute is a global health hub. The institute cooperates closely with partner countries and institution from all over the world in order to investigate pathogens, tackle outbreaks, provide reliable diagnostics, train staff and more.

Acute Respiratory Infections - COVID-19, Influenza and others

Acute Respiratory Infections - COVID-19, Influenza and others

Especially in the cold season, respiratory viruses are circulating in the population, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV and various cold viruses. RKI provides regular information on the current situation in Germany and recommendations.

Health reporting

Health reporting

Robert Koch Institute's federal health reporting continuously informs about the health status of people in Germany - in various reports as well as in the Journal of Public Health (available also in English).

German Centre for Cancer Registry Data

German Centre for Cancer Registry Data

The German Centre for Cancer Registry Data at RKI combines, checks and analyses data from the population-based cancer registries of the German federal states.