Never in history has it been easier to send a message across the world in an instant. Yet never, it seems, have so many people felt alone. In June 2025, the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Connection released its first global report on the problem, concluding that loneliness and social isolation are a serious and widespread threat to health.
The Commission found that one in six people worldwide experiences loneliness. It estimated that loneliness is linked to about 871,000 deaths each year — roughly 100 every hour. Young people are among the hardest hit, with around one in five adolescents and young adults reporting loneliness, and in low-income countries the figure approaches one in four.
Loneliness and Isolation (WHO, 2025):
- Prevalence: 1 in 6 people worldwide experiences loneliness.
- Deaths: About 871,000 deaths a year — around 100 every hour.
- Youth: Around 1 in 5 adolescents and young adults report feeling lonely.
- Health risks: Higher risk of stroke, heart disease, depression, anxiety and dementia.
- Low-income countries: Nearly 1 in 4 people report loneliness.
Technology Cannot Fill the Gap
Governments have appointed ministers for loneliness and launched public campaigns, and WHO is calling for national policies to strengthen social connection. These are welcome steps. But the causes run deep: fractured families, long working hours, urban anonymity, and digital habits that replace real conversation. Many people have hundreds of online contacts and no one to call in a crisis.
— Matthew 24:12
Jesus foretold a time when love would "grow cold" in many people. A world where millions feel invisible, even in crowded cities, is one evidence of that chilling of human affection.
A Friend Who Never Leaves
The Bible teaches that we were created to have a close relationship with our Creator and with one another. That friendship with God is available even now, to anyone who seeks it.
— James 4:8
Those who come to know God find that they are never truly alone. And among his worshippers, they find a worldwide family united by genuine love — the very mark Jesus said would identify his disciples.
— John 13:35
A World Where No One Is Forgotten
Under God's Kingdom, the earth will be filled with people who have learned to love their neighbor as themselves. The elderly will not be abandoned, the young will not be isolated, and no one will be overlooked.
— Psalm 68:6
The WHO's report is a valuable call to rebuild human connection. But policies cannot command people to care. The Bible describes a government that will transform hearts, creating a global family in which loneliness will become a memory of the past.