Data Shows Gen Z Adults Are the Most Likely to Feel Lonely in the U.S.
- Jonathan H. Westover, PhD
- 15 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Younger adults, lower-income households, and never-married individuals report the lowest levels of emotional support
New analysis of U.S. Census data reveals a clear emotional support gap across the United States, with younger adults - particularly those in Gen Z - significantly more likely to report loneliness and less likely to say they receive the social and emotional support they need.
The findings, based on the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey, highlight sharp divides across age, income, and marital status.
One of the most pronounced differences appears across age groups. Among adults aged 18-29, 22.9% reported that they often or always feel lonely. By contrast, just 6.1% of adults aged 70–79 reported the same.
Income shows a similarly strong pattern. Nearly a quarter (24.2%) of individuals earning under $25,000 reported frequent loneliness, compared with only 4.0% of those earning $200,000 or more.
Several additional trends reinforce the scale of the gap:
Never-married adults are nearly four times as likely as married adults to report loneliness (23.6% vs. 6.4%)
Adults under 30 are among the least likely to say they usually or always receive the support they need
The highest loneliness rate recorded 26.7% appears among individuals living in households of seven or more people
The last finding challenges a common assumption that being surrounded by others reduces loneliness. The data suggests that proximity alone is not enough.
“One of the deepest human needs is not simply to be around others, but to feel that we matter to one another in some meaningful way,” said Fabrizio Enea, spokesperson for Mondo Cattolico. “These findings show that loneliness depends less on how many people are around us, and more on whether those connections feel real, stable, and dependable.”
Sources
U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey, Table 6a:https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2024/demo/hhp/cycle08.html
Supporting dataset and analysis:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_vuJik36iqzUt7FTI9pRprvA_8L17JyfLHFW3rXWTYs/edit?usp=sharing
