Among 16- to 24-year-olds, the proportion of those having daily contact with friends fell from 44% in 2015 to 36% in 2022, after an earlier nine-percentage-point decline between 2006 and 2015, the OECD reported last week.

The study found that between 2018 and 2022, young people were the group most affected by the perception that social relationships had deteriorated. Among those aged 65 and above, the strongest increase in social isolation was observed across all age groups.

Between 2015 and 2022, the proportion of people who said they never meet friends rose by 5.5 percentage points to 11.4%. The OECD cautioned, however, that these figures likely reflect reluctance to engage in direct contact during the pandemic.

Overall, the study found that in industrialised countries, face-to-face interactions have steadily declined over the past 15 years, while frequent contact with friends and family through phone calls or social networks has increased.

“Spending little time interacting with others and feeling lonely are independently associated with premature mortality – up to 871 000 global deaths annually – and an increased risk of many physical and mental health conditions,” the OECD outlined.

“In contrast, frequent supportive social interactions are associated with better health outcomes; positive relationships with coworkers are related to greater job satisfaction and creativity; and support from parents, teachers and peers is linked to academic performance.”