In 2025, a nationwide survey of 700 individuals aged 11 to 93 found that 51.1% of respondents reported experiencing some level of loneliness.

The data revealed that 46.3% experienced moderate loneliness, while 4.8% were classified as severely or very severely lonely. Meanwhile, 48.9% reported not feeling lonely.

Loneliness scores, measured using the 11-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, ranged from 0 to 11, with the most frequently reported scores being 0 (17.1%) and 1 (19.6%). Around 60% of participants scored 3 or below, suggesting low levels of loneliness. Just 9% scored 8 or higher, indicating more severe forms.

Gender differences were notable: 7.0% of females reported severe loneliness compared to 2.6% of males, while more males reported moderate loneliness (49.9% vs. 42.9%). Slightly more females (50.1%) said they were not lonely, compared to 47.5% of males.

Severe loneliness was most common among individuals aged 20–34 (5.8%) and those over 55 (5.7%), whereas the 35–54 age group had the highest rate of people who were not lonely (52.5%).

Notably, the percentage of people who are not lonely has declined steadily—from 56.7% in 2019 to 48.9% in 2025. Severe loneliness doubled between 2019 and 2022 (2.0% to 5.4%) before slightly falling.

The study, conducted by Prof. Andrew Azzopardi and team, was supported by The Alfred Mizzi Foundation.

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