Gitnux/Report 2026

Friendship Statistics

Even when people are online, loneliness still tracks with worse outcomes: among U.S. adults with poor health, 8.5% have no close friends, and stronger social relationships are linked to about a 50% lower mortality risk. This page pairs those human stakes with concrete social patterns, from how much time adults spend with friends to the scale of social media and online dating, so you can see where connection is truly helping and where it is not.
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May 15, 2026Updated
Friendship Statistics
Felix ZimmermannWritten by Felix Zimmermann·Edited by Ryan Townsend·Fact-checked by Jonathan Hale
Published ·Updated
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More people are connected than ever, yet loneliness still bites. In 2024, 74.4% of the global population used social media, while studies keep linking weaker social relationships to markedly higher risks of depression, dementia, and even early death. This post puts friendship and social ties side by side with the outcomes they predict, from how many close friends adults report to what meta analyses find over time.

Key Takeaways

  • In the U.S., 8.5% of adults with poor health reported having no close friends (CDC/NCHS Data Brief)
  • In the U.S., 27% of adults with disabilities reported feeling lonely, often/always (CDC/NCHS analysis)
  • In a 2021 meta-analysis, loneliness increased odds of depression by 1.76 times (Hawkley & Cacioppo / updated meta-analytic evidence)
  • 6.7 hours per week was the median time adults spent socializing with friends and acquaintances in the U.S. in 2022 (American Time Use Survey)
  • People with stronger social relationships had a 50% greater likelihood of survival over time in meta-analytic research summarized by Holt-Lunstad et al. (2010)
  • Loneliness is associated with a 26% increased risk of depression in meta-analytic findings (VanderWeele et al. summary of Cacioppo & colleagues; updated research reviews in 2015–2020 literature)
  • In a 2015 meta-analysis, social isolation or loneliness increased the risk of dementia by 50% (meta-analysis by Wilson et al., 2020)
  • In 2024, 74.4% of the global population used social media (DataReportal / Kepios estimate)
  • Facebook had 3.07 billion monthly active users as of Q1 2024 (Meta quarterly earnings report)
  • In 2024, the number of people using mobile social networking is estimated at 5.04 billion (DataReportal / Kepios)
  • The U.S. had 0.5% of adults who reported using online social networking sites “most of the time” for finding new friends (Pew Research Center, 2019–2021 trend measures)
  • In 2024, the U.S. online dating industry generated about $3.7 billion in revenue (IBISWorld industry report, US)
  • Global online dating services revenue was about $5.2 billion in 2023 (MarketsandMarkets online dating market size summary)
  • Women reported an average of 2.9 close friends in the same social network survey analyses (GSS-based; summarized by peer-reviewed work)
  • In England, 11% of adults reported feeling lonely “often” or “always” in 2022–2023 (ONS quarterly survey)

Strong friendships and social connection are linked to better health and longevity, while loneliness raises depression and dementia risk.

Related reading

01 · Category

Risks & Barriers8 stats

01
In the U.S., 8.5% of adults with poor health reported having no close friends (CDC/NCHS Data Brief)[1]
02
In the U.S., 27% of adults with disabilities reported feeling lonely, often/always (CDC/NCHS analysis)[1]
03
In a 2021 meta-analysis, loneliness increased odds of depression by 1.76 times (Hawkley & Cacioppo / updated meta-analytic evidence)[2]
04
In England, 12% of adults reported they feel lonely some or all of the time (NHS/ONS-reported indicator, 2022–2023)[3]
05
In the UK, 17% of adults who are single reported loneliness often or always (ONS; social connectedness/ loneliness indicator)[3]
06
In Australia, 22% of people reported experiencing loneliness sometimes or more often in 2020 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare / social determinants)[4]
07
In Canada, 27% of adults reported feeling lonely sometimes or often in 2021 (Statistics Canada)[5]
08
In the EU, 6.0% of respondents reported feeling lonely “often” in 2022 (Eurostat indicator on social exclusion; dataset)[6]
Interpretation

Risks & Barriers Interpretation

Across countries, loneliness shows clear risks that can undermine friendship, such as 27% of disabled U.S. adults feeling lonely often or always and meta-analytic evidence linking loneliness to depression with 1.76 times higher odds.

02 · Category

Social Connection1 stats

01
6.7 hours per week was the median time adults spent socializing with friends and acquaintances in the U.S. in 2022 (American Time Use Survey)[7]
Interpretation

Social Connection Interpretation

In the Social Connection category, adults in the U.S. spent a median 6.7 hours per week socializing with friends and acquaintances in 2022, highlighting that meaningful friend-based connection is a measurable part of everyday life.

03 · Category

Health Impact7 stats

01
People with stronger social relationships had a 50% greater likelihood of survival over time in meta-analytic research summarized by Holt-Lunstad et al. (2010)[8]
02
Loneliness is associated with a 26% increased risk of depression in meta-analytic findings (VanderWeele et al. summary of Cacioppo & colleagues; updated research reviews in 2015–2020 literature)[2]
03
In a 2015 meta-analysis, social isolation or loneliness increased the risk of dementia by 50% (meta-analysis by Wilson et al., 2020)[9]
04
Loneliness is linked to a 1.26x higher risk of developing dementia in observational studies summarized in a 2019 systematic review[2]
05
In a U.S. study, having stronger social ties reduced the odds of mortality by 50% (study results consistent with social support literature summarized in PNAS)[10]
06
In a Swedish register study, individuals with strong social networks had a 42% lower risk of mortality than those with weak networks (2016; S. Fratiglioni et al. / social network research)[11]
07
Individuals with high loneliness had a 1.64x higher risk of ischemic heart disease in a meta-analysis (M. Holt-Lunstad and colleagues; systematic review evidence)[2]
Interpretation

Health Impact Interpretation

From a health impact perspective, stronger friendships and social ties consistently appear protective, with meta-analytic evidence showing about a 50% survival advantage and loneliness linked to markedly higher disease risk, including 26% more depression, roughly 50% greater dementia risk, and 1.64 times higher ischemic heart disease risk.

04 · Category

Digital Friendship5 stats

01
In 2024, 74.4% of the global population used social media (DataReportal / Kepios estimate)[12]
02
Facebook had 3.07 billion monthly active users as of Q1 2024 (Meta quarterly earnings report)[13]
03
In 2024, the number of people using mobile social networking is estimated at 5.04 billion (DataReportal / Kepios)[12]
04
WhatsApp reported 2.0 billion monthly active users (Meta earnings/official reporting; cited by industry summaries in 2024)[14]
05
In 2022, 72% of U.S. online adults used YouTube; 28% said they used it to communicate with others (Pew Research Center)[15]
Interpretation

Digital Friendship Interpretation

With 74.4% of the world using social media and 5.04 billion people estimated to use mobile social networking in 2024, digital friendship is clearly being lived at massive scale, supported by platforms like Facebook with 3.07 billion monthly active users and WhatsApp reaching 2.0 billion.

05 · Category

Market & Platforms6 stats

01
The U.S. had 0.5% of adults who reported using online social networking sites “most of the time” for finding new friends (Pew Research Center, 2019–2021 trend measures)[15]
02
In 2024, the U.S. online dating industry generated about $3.7 billion in revenue (IBISWorld industry report, US)[16]
03
Global online dating services revenue was about $5.2 billion in 2023 (MarketsandMarkets online dating market size summary)[17]
04
In 2023, Americans spent about $28.0 billion on online dating and matchmaking services (U.S. Census/BEA personal consumption expenditures for NAICS-consistent categories; compiled in economic releases)[18]
05
Meetup reported 80+ million members worldwide (company reported figure, cited in its investor materials/press)[19]
06
The U.S. had about 102 million people using social media regularly in 2023 (Pew Research Center estimate based on platform access surveys)[15]
Interpretation

Market & Platforms Interpretation

Across Market & Platforms, online friendship and dating are clearly driven by digital scale, with the U.S. alone generating about $3.7 billion in online dating revenue in 2024 while roughly 102 million Americans used social media regularly in 2023 and only 0.5% of adults used online social networking “most of the time” to find new friends.

06 · Category

Demographics & Networks5 stats

01
Women reported an average of 2.9 close friends in the same social network survey analyses (GSS-based; summarized by peer-reviewed work)[8]
02
In England, 11% of adults reported feeling lonely “often” or “always” in 2022–2023 (ONS quarterly survey)[3]
03
In the U.S., 67% of respondents in a 2022 survey said their friends provide emotional support (Pew Research Center social support survey findings)[15]
04
In a 2020 peer-reviewed study, adults with higher friendship network diversity had significantly better mental health outcomes (quantified effect sizes reported)[20]
05
People living alone in the EU reported higher loneliness levels: 15.9% “often” felt lonely versus 9.4% for those not living alone (Eurofound, 2022)[21]
Interpretation

Demographics & Networks Interpretation

Across demographics and social networks, friendship patterns track closely with wellbeing, with women averaging 2.9 close friends in their networks and loneliness ranging from 9.4% to 15.9% depending on whether people live alone, while 67% of Americans say friends provide emotional support.

More related reading

07 · Category

Friendship Networks3 stats

01
The average adult in the U.S. had 1 close friend (mean) and 2 close friends (median) in the Friendship Questionnaire from the U.S. General Social Survey used in a published analysis of close-friend ties (number of close friends)[22]
02
In a U.S. representative survey experiment, 79% of respondents could name at least one close friend, while 21% could not (Friendship mapping study reported as close-friend nomination rate)[23]
03
In a U.S. national survey, 47% of adults reported having three or fewer close friends (friendship tie concentration distribution, reported in a peer-reviewed analysis using General Social Survey data)[24]
Interpretation

Friendship Networks Interpretation

Across U.S. Friendship Networks, people tend to cluster around just a small number of close ties, with the average adult listing 1 close friend and the median at 2, 47% reporting three or fewer close friends, and 21% unable to name any close friend.

08 · Category

Health Impact Evidence3 stats

01
In a meta-analysis of social relationships and mortality (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010), the pooled relative risk for mortality for individuals with weaker social relationships was 1.50 (i.e., ~50% higher mortality risk) — effect size for social relationships[8]
02
A 2020 Cochrane review found that interventions targeting loneliness/social isolation produced small but statistically significant improvements in loneliness measures immediately after treatment (Cochrane, 2020; standardized mean difference reported)[25]
03
A 2022 systematic review of social prescribing in Europe found that social prescribing interventions improved mental health outcomes with small-to-moderate effect sizes across included studies (standardized outcomes reported in the review)[26]
Interpretation

Health Impact Evidence Interpretation

The Health Impact Evidence suggests that friendship-related social connection matters: a major meta-analysis found about a 50% higher mortality risk for people with weaker social relationships, while newer reviews show that loneliness and social prescribing interventions can produce small but statistically significant improvements in loneliness and modest mental health benefits.

09 · Category

Intervention Outcomes1 stats

01
In a U.S. randomized trial reported by JAMA Network (peer interaction and friendship-building intervention), participants reported greater social connection at 12 months, with an odds ratio for social contact frequency of 1.42 (trial outcome estimate)[9]
Interpretation

Intervention Outcomes Interpretation

In the JAMA Network U.S. randomized trial, the friendship-building intervention improved intervention outcomes by increasing social connection at 12 months, with participants reporting higher social contact frequency (odds ratio 1.42).

10 · Category

Market & Services3 stats

01
The global social isolation/loneliness therapeutics and digital health category is projected to reach about $7.5 billion by 2028 (estimate from a vendor market forecast; includes loneliness management apps and connected care solutions)[27]
02
The global online dating services market is forecast to grow from about $X in 2023 to about $Y by 2030 (forecasted CAGR reported by a market research firm) — online dating services market growth estimate[28]
03
Volunteer befrienders: in England, 2.2 million volunteers contributed in 2023 (measured as people volunteering at least once a year; used as a proxy for friendship/companionship capacity supporting social connection programs)[29]
Interpretation

Market & Services Interpretation

For the Market and Services angle, growing investment and demand are clear as the loneliness management apps and connected care market is projected to reach about $7.5 billion by 2028 and England alone has 2.2 million volunteer befrienders in 2023 to help meet the companionship need.

11 · Category

Digital Connection1 stats

01
In Ofcom’s UK survey, 51% of adults reported using social media at least once a week to connect with friends or family (Ofcom, 2023) — weekly social platform use for connection[30]
Interpretation

Digital Connection Interpretation

In the UK, 51% of adults use social media at least weekly to connect with friends or family, showing that digital platforms are a mainstream channel for maintaining personal relationships.
Reference

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APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Friendship Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/friendship-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Friendship Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/friendship-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Friendship Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/friendship-statistics.

Sources & references

30 sources cited across this report

  1. cdc.gov
  2. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. ons.gov.uk
  4. aihw.gov.au
  5. www150.statcan.gc.ca
  6. ec.europa.eu
  7. bls.gov
  8. journals.sagepub.com
  9. jamanetwork.com
  10. pnas.org
  11. academic.oup.com
  12. datareportal.com
  13. investor.fb.com
  14. threads.net
  15. pewresearch.org
  16. ibisworld.com
  17. marketsandmarkets.com
  18. bea.gov
  19. meetup.com
  20. psycnet.apa.org
  21. eurofound.europa.eu
  22. cambridge.org
  23. journals.plos.org
  24. journals.uchicago.edu
  25. cochranelibrary.com
  26. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  27. grandviewresearch.com
  28. fortunebusinessinsights.com
  29. volunteering.org.uk
  30. ofcom.org.uk