Loneliness Linked to Over 800,000 Deaths Each Year: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a dire warning, stating that loneliness is now a major global health threat contributing to more than 800,000 deaths annually. Labelled as the “public health challenge of our time,” the WHO is urging governments and communities to prioritize social connection.

In its latest report, WHO defines loneliness as the painful gap between desired and actual social relationships. Alarmingly, it estimates over 871,000 deaths every year are linked to loneliness and isolation — that’s more than 100 deaths every hour.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasized the irony of the digital age: “Despite being more connected online, people feel more isolated than ever.”

Young people and those in lower-income countries are most vulnerable, the report notes. Social isolation is now linked to serious physical and mental health risks including depression, anxiety, diabetes, heart disease, and even suicide.

To counter this, WHO has proposed a global strategy focused on policy, community engagement, evidence-based programmes, and reshaping attitudes toward social connection.

“Social connection is not a luxury,” the report concludes. “It is a fundamental human need — vital for survival.”