Overview

• The commission finds that one in six people experiences loneliness and that social isolation contributes to over 871,000 deaths each year.
• Loneliness and isolation are linked to higher rates of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, depression and suicide.
• The report highlights that lonely teenagers are 22% more likely to earn lower grades while adults face reduced employment prospects.
• It identifies key drivers of isolation, including poor health, low income and education, living alone, insufficient social infrastructure and overuse of digital technologies.
• It urges governments to adopt its roadmap across policy, research, community interventions, measurement and public engagement, citing Sweden’s school phone ban as an early model.