The Office of National Statistics says loneliness is on the rise in Britain with the number of people living alone expected to increase by a fifth in the next seven years. By 2032 one third (8.57 million) of all dwellings in England will be occupied by a person living on their own – an increase of 1.4 million since 2022. Strikingly, the highest estimated increase of those living alone (40.4%) is amongst those aged 35 to 44. More people may be delaying the decision to get married, or have separated from partners, or are choosing to live single lives. The next biggest increase in single households is amongst those aged 85 and over which is projected to increase by 40.3%. Also, fewer people are having children. Households with children will fall by 8.4 per cent over the ten-year period from 2022.

Older people are especially vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation, and this can have a serious effect on their health. Age UK says there are more than 2 million people in England over the age of 75 living alone, and more than a million older people say they go over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member. Getting older and weaker, leaving the workplace, deaths of spouses and friends or no longer being the hub of their family can contribute to loneliness.

Loneliness can lead to depression and a serious decline in physical health and wellbeing. Getting older and weaker, leaving the workplace, deaths of spouses and friends or no longer being the hub of their family can contribute to loneliness. Recent research has revealed that long-term loneliness can increase the risk of having a stroke by more than half. In 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness to be a significant global health threat saying its mortality effects are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

The Bible tells us that there is one God and that there are 3 persons in the godhead – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. So God is a personal being and we have all been created in God’s image. This is why relationships are so important to us and to our wellbeing, Because God is personal, we can know Him personally through Jesus, His eternal Son. God has also ordained that we are all born into a family. When our families disintegrate or become dysfunctional, we are left very vulnerable. Churches are places where warm relationships can be found. Many lonely people have found a welcome and a sense of belonging to God and his family when they have started going to a church.