Madrid, Andalusia and the Basque Country are the communities where there are the most cases of unwanted loneliness. According to the “Map of unwanted loneliness in Spain” carried out by the Father Angel and Messengers of Peace Social Foundation, of the total cases recorded on Community of Madrid concentrate the 21.5%, Andalusia he 19.7% And the Basque Country he 10.4%.
The study was carried out with data collected by the service Golden phonewho in 30 years received more than 7.2 million calls. The analysis of these calls allowed us to trace this map.
According to the foundation’s analysis, the fast lifeTHE constant mobility and the urban anonymity They explain the high number of cases in Madrid; while in Andalusia factors such as aging rural areas and urban environments lacking a close family network. As for the Basque Country, “with one of highest life expectancy in Europeshows loneliness associated with longevity and the gradual loss of traditional community networks.
Likewise, the Valencian Community, Galicia and Castilla y León are territories where the migration and depopulation. In the Valencian Community (10% of cases), “loneliness predominates both in elderly people living alone as in people arriving from other regions looking for new opportunities”. Regarding Galicia (3%) and Castile and León (4.8%), both reflect the impact of the depopulation and “thousands of the elderly “They live in villages or small towns where distance, lack of services and the departure of young people leave a deep social void.”
Catalonia (4.8%) And Murcia (2.5%) show a pattern marked by the urban areaswhere the fast paceTHE constant mobility and the individualism make it difficult to create stable links. Many people – both young people and adults in professional transit– describe a life surrounded by people, but without communityaccording to the study.
Social factors
Concerning social factors, data from Golden phone reveal that the unwanted loneliness is linked to aspects such as coexistence: he 64% of Spaniards who seek support live alone, the 51% is identified as middle class and a 27% as lower class. Regarding the education levelhe 45% has secondary educationhe 39% with primary education and only the 7% with higher education.
There is also a relationship between physical and emotional stateAnd four out of ten people they mention persistent physical ailmentswhile the 23% recognizes symptoms of depression and 11% anxiety or distress. Additionally, unwanted loneliness hits women particularly hard, who make up 55% of those seeking emotional support.
As for the agehe 64% of elderly people who calls Golden phone These are people who they live alone and a 30% acknowledges not having received visits in weeks. But this is not a problem exclusive to older ages: Generation X or “baby boomers”of 40 to 65 years oldsuffers from a “silent solitude“often associated with separationTHE job instabilitycaring for elderly parents and lack of time for social life. “People in this age group feel lonely even at home after devoting themselves to family and work,” the study says.
Concerning Generation Z and Millennials, more and more young people called “looking for a friendly voice“. He Golden phone detected in 2024 A sustained growth in calls young people (under 35 years old), especially after situations of breakup, migration to another city or loss of family ties. “Many admit to feeling overwhelmed by digital hyperconnection, but without a real person to talk to,” the study indicates.
This report was published as part of an initiative led by the Padre Ángel Social Foundation to make December 16 the International Day of Unwanted Loneliness.
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