The International Longevity Centre’s (ILC) latest briefing document published today shines a light on what it describes as a worrying fragmentation of communities across the UK, with those living in the most deprived communities at greatest risk of falling into a trap of long-term loneliness.

The ILC’s “A life less lonely?” briefing is released as part of work, supported by Aviva, on a new “Longevity White Paper” highlighting the solutions needed to capitalise on the opportunities of an ageing society.

New analysis by the ILC of the Understanding Society data shows that people in the most deprived communities are at significantly greater risk of becoming lonely (21%) than people in the least deprived areas (14%).

People in deprived areas are also less likely to escape loneliness than those in wealthier areas:

• 74% of lonely people living in the most deprived areas reported still feeling lonely the following year, compared to 71% in the least deprived areas.

One reason for this may be that people in the most deprived communities have significantly worse access to community facilities.

ILC analysis of the Community Life Survey showed that:

• People in more deprived areas report significantly fewer local amenities, such as grocery stores, pubs, parks, and community centres compared to people in wealthier areas.

Recent studies have confirmed the link between loneliness and numerous physical and mental illnesses, ranging from depression and dementia to cardiovascular diseases. The Campaign to End Loneliness found that over half a million people feel lonelier now than they did before the pandemic. Alarmingly, loneliness among 16-29-year-olds has surged, making them twice as likely to feel chronic isolation compared to those over 70.

However, these are not new trends. Before the pandemic, people’s sense of belonging and their positive interactions were already dwindling.

While politicians on all sides have extolled the importance of community, the reality is that the social fabric of our communities, particularly in deprived areas, is deteriorating. Research by New Philanthropy Capital shows there are far fewer charities operating in Levelling Up priority areas than in other areas. At the same time, community facilities are being lost – Hospitality Market Monitor reports a 13% drop in the number of licensed venues operating since the pandemic began.

The ILC’s analysis of data from the Community Life Survey (2021/22) shows less social mixing in deprived areas and a diminished sense of community.

• 22% of people in the most deprived areas don’t feel their local area is one where people from different backgrounds get on well together, compared with 9% of people in the least deprived areas.

David Sinclair, Chief Executive at the International Longevity Centre UK, said:

“It’s been five years since the cross-departmental strategy for tackling loneliness, but the figures show we’re lonelier than ever.

“The pandemic gave most of us an unwelcome taste of social isolation, but for some, the experience was far more serious – trapping them in a downward spiral of loneliness. Even before 2020, the risk of loneliness was increasing, especially in poorer areas where there are fewer parks and pubs and fewer chances for people to interact with each other.

“The US Surgeon General has sounded the alarm about the growing threat of isolation – recognising that leaving societies to fragment is not an option. It’s time for more concerted action here in the UK too.

“Rebuilding our social infrastructure and investing in communities will be vital to ensuring that we all have the tools we need to build connection right across the life course.”

Aviva is supporting the ILC’s research into longevity. Doug Brown, CEO of Aviva UK & Ireland Life, said:

“The fragmentation of communities in the UK is a worrying trend and we support the ILC’s campaign to raise awareness of the growing issue of loneliness. Combatting the problem will require collaboration between Government and industry, to build greater connections between communities, through investment in amenities and facilities.

“At Aviva, our insights into healthcare show human connections are vital for physical and mental wellbeing. Those who feel they belong to a community of people, either through volunteering or in the workplace, are significantly healthier throughout their lives.

“We have seen the benefits of active community involvement through our Aviva Community Fund. This encourages fundraising and volunteering for local projects, including those dedicated to combatting loneliness. Volunteering itself inspires a sense of connection and community among volunteers and fundraisers, giving a vital boost to mental and physical health.”

Ends

Media contacts

ILC – Press@ilcuk.org.uk or +44 (0) 7736 124 096. Spokespeople are available on request.

Aviva – fiona.whytock@aviva.com or +44 (0) 7800 692299.

Notes

The ILC, the UK’s leading authority on demographic change, has embarked on a programme of work to develop a new Longevity White Paper, identifying the changes we need to make to grasp the opportunities of population ageing, and longer lives. The development of our Longevity White Paper, which is supported by Aviva, will identify new evidence-based solutions for an ageing society.

This is the sixth in a series of thematic briefing papers setting out the issues of concern, sharing compelling new statistics, and inviting solutions.

You can send any comments or ideas for solutions to info@ilcuk.org.uk

Sources

The Understanding Society study, or the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), which began in 2009, is conducted by the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER), at the University of Essex. The sample analysed here covered the period from 2017 to 2019 for England only, and included roughly 30,00o adults aged between 16 and 103 (the exact numbers depend on the question being analysed). Two waves of data were analysed (2017-2018 and 2018-19). Each wave spans two years, with respondents being re-interviewed on an annual basis (though not everyone completes every interview) – so someone interviewed in the first wave in 2017 might have been reinterviewed in the second wave in 2018.

Most deprived quintile; pre-pandemic period (2017-2019):

Least deprived quintile; pre-pandemic period (2017-2019):

University of Essex, Institute for Social and Economic Research. (2023). Understanding Society. [data series]. 9th Release. UK Data Service. SN: 2000053, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-Series-2000053

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. (2023). Community Life Survey. [data series]. 6th Release. UK Data Service. SN: 2000100, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-Series-2000100

New Surgeon General Advisory Raises Alarm about the Devastating Impact of the Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation in the United States | HHS.gov

Half a million more people are lonely all or most of the time | Campaign to End Loneliness

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/bulletins/socialcapitalintheuk/2020

https://www.ambitionforageing.org.uk/sites/default/files/Resilience%20in%20an%20ageing%20Greater%20Manchester%20Full%20Report.pdf

https://alixpartners.pagetiger.com/hospitality-market-monitor-july-2023/1

About Aviva

• We are one of the UK’s leading Insurance, Wealth & Retirement businesses and we operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada. We also have international investments in India and China.
• We help our 18.7 million customers make the most out of life, plan for the future, and have the confidence that if things go wrong we’ll be there to put it right.
• We have been taking care of people for more than 325 years, in line with our purpose of being ‘with you today, for a better tomorrow’. In 2022, we paid £23.2 billion in claims and benefits to our customers.
• Aviva is a market leader in sustainability. In 2021, we announced our ambition to become Net Zero by 2040, the first major insurance company in the world to do so. This plan means Net Zero carbon emissions from our investments by 2040; setting out a clear pathway to get there with a cut of 25% in the carbon intensity of our investments by 2025 and of 60% by 2030; and Net Zero carbon emissions from our own operations and supply chain by 2030.  Find out more about our climate goals at aviva.com/climate-goals and our sustainability ambition and action at www.aviva.com/sustainability
• While we are working towards our sustainability ambitions, we acknowledge that we have relationships with businesses and existing assets that may be associated with significant emissions. More information can be found at https://www.aviva.com/sustainability/climate/
• Aviva is a Living Wage, Living Pensions and Living Hours employer and provides market-leading benefits for our people, including flexible working, paid carers leave and equal parental leave. Find out more at https://www.aviva.com/about-us/our-people/
• As at 30 June 2023, total Group assets under management at Aviva Group were £358 billion and our estimated Solvency II shareholder capital surplus was £7.8 billion. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE 100 index.
• For more details on what we do, our business and how we help our customers, visit aviva.com/about-us
• The Aviva newsroom at aviva.com/newsroom includes links to our spokespeople images, podcasts, research reports and our news release archive. Sign up to get the latest news from Aviva by email.
• You can follow us on:
  • Twitter: twitter.com/avivaplc/
  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/aviva-plc
  • Instagram: instagram.com/avivaplc
• For the latest corporate films from around our business, subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/aviva