According to the Uniting Communities’ survey, 88 per cent of young people (18-24) report feeling lonely ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’, compared to 48 per cent of the general population. This finding aligns with other Australian research that found young adults are the loneliest age group.

Rachael Pearse, Advocacy Project Officer says Uniting Communities has been a leading voice in advocating to reduce loneliness since 2020.

“Even before the pandemic, our surveys consistently highlighted that young people reported the highest rates of feeling lonely, isolated and left out,” said Rachael.

“We recognise that for young people, finding their place in the world while transitioning to adulthood is extremely daunting. In a post-pandemic world, a whole generation of young people make this leap without strong social networks and reduced societal support.”

"We are proud of the proactive work of our services to help overcome loneliness and this campaign is another step towards addressing this significant issue in our community.”

Uniting Communities wants to provide visibility to young people and the increasing levels of loneliness they experience and encourages others to join this important conversation.

Find out more on our young people loneliness page.