New Delhi, July 1 || Nearly 17 per cent or one in six people worldwide is affected by loneliness, and the condition was linked to an estimated 100 deaths every hour -- more than 8,71,000 deaths annually between 2014 and 2023, according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday.
The report showed that while loneliness has significant impacts on health and well-being, strong social connections can lead to better health and longer life.
The WHO defines loneliness as the painful feeling that arises from a gap between desired and actual social connections, while social isolation refers to the objective lack of sufficient social connections.
On the other hand, social connection is the way people relate to and interact with others.
The report noted that the highest rate of loneliness was reported among adolescents and young adults (20.9 per cent among 13-17-year-olds and 17.4 per cent among 18-29-year-olds).
The feeling of being lonely was also more common in low-income countries, where nearly one in four people (24 per cent) report feeling lonely.