Prevalence of Loneliness and Social Isolation by Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Other Factors: Estimates From the 2024 Household Pulse Survey.

Loneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognized as population health concerns associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes. However, nationally representative estimates of their prevalence and disparities in the post-COVID-19 period remain limited. We conducted a secondary analysis of data obtained from Phase 4.2 of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Household Pulse Survey, a cross-sectional survey administered between August 20 and September 16, 2024. The analytical sample included 50,900 U.S. adult respondents, weighted to represent approximately 256 million individuals. We focused on two self-reported outcomes: frequent loneliness (“usually or always” experiencing loneliness) and frequent perceived social isolation (“rarely or never” experiencing social or emotional support from others). Our study findings show that approximately one in eight individuals (12.7%) reported experiencing frequent loneliness and approximately one in five (20.6%) reported frequent perceived social isolation in 2024. The prevalence of both outcomes was highest among young adults and individuals identifying as transgender, non-binary, non-heterosexual, or belonging to racial and ethnic minority groups (all P<.001). Higher prevalences were also observed among respondents with lower educational attainment and income, those who were never married, active-duty military personnel or spouses of active-duty military members, individuals disengaged from social activities, and those reporting greater functional impairments (all P < .001). We also noted substantial geographical variation: frequent loneliness ranged from 7.8% in North Dakota to 17.4% in Maine, while frequent perceived social isolation ranged from 13.3% in Idaho to 29.1% in Missouri. Loneliness and perceived social isolation affect a substantial share of U.S. adults and exhibit significant demographic, socioeconomic, and geographical differences. These findings highlight the need for targeted public health strategies to address social disconnection and its downstream implications for population health.