On the eve of World Loneliness Day, the Fondation de France unveils its 14th study on isolation in France. This survey reveals a worrying situation: 12% of French people over 15 years old are today without any sociability network, a figure up compared to 2023. This form of isolation, defined by the almost total absence of contact social, particularly affects precarious populations, workers and people at home.
Relational isolation is far from just a number. Behind the statistics lie complex realities, notably a close link between economic precarity and social isolation. Thus, 17% of low-income people are isolated, compared to only 7% of wealthy households. This social divide is increasing: in one year, the gap between these two groups has increased by four points.
Growing loneliness, especially among young professionals
Among intermediate ages (40-59 years), isolation is particularly visible. This period of life, often marked by ruptures such as divorces or professional changes, but also by the accumulation of responsibilities (dependent children, aging parents), constitutes fertile ground for relational isolation.
If relational isolation remains stable, the feeling of loneliness continues to grow. A quarter of French people say they are alone, with an increased intensity among young working people aged 25 to 39: more than a third of them (35%) say they feel frequent loneliness, twice as many as those aged 60- 69 years old. This feeling is exacerbated by often difficult life transitions, such as entry into working life, unemployment or separations.
Winter and the holidays: high-risk periods
The unemployed and self-employed appear particularly vulnerable. Forty-four percent of unemployed people and 32% of self-employed people, such as artisans or traders, regularly feel alone. These figures demonstrate the challenges associated with isolating work environments or loss of professional status.
Solitude also seems to be punctuated by the seasons. In winter, 38% of French people feel alone, compared to 29% in summer. Festivals and vacations amplify this unease, particularly among the most economically fragile populations. More than half of the unemployed (52%) and 45% of people on low incomes experience increased loneliness during these supposedly festive periods.
The Fondation de France calls for action
For single-parent households, loneliness is especially felt during weekends. Fifty-three percent of single parents say they have difficulty experiencing these moments, forced to prioritize their presence with their children to the detriment of their social life.
Our file on mental health
Faced with this alarming observation, the Fondation de France is intensifying its actions to rebuild social ties. Each year, it supports more than 1,000 initiatives, whether they are places of mutual aid, cultural and sporting activities, or even community housing. The objective: to offer concrete solutions to isolated people and to combat the deep roots of relational isolation.