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Late-Life Loneliness in 11 European Countries: Results from the Generations and Gender Survey

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  • Thomas Hansen

    (Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences)

  • Britt Slagsvold

    (Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences)

Abstract

This study explores country differences in late-life loneliness in Europe among men and women and establishes the role of micro-level differences in socioeconomic status, health, and social variables in these patterns. We use cross-sectional, nationally representative data from the Generations and Gender Survey. The analysis comprises 33,832 Europeans aged 60–80 from 11 countries. A six-item short version of the de Jong-Gierveld Scale is used to measure loneliness, yet we employ a different method of calculating loneliness scores than in prior work. Findings show considerable between-country heterogeneity in late-life loneliness, especially among women. The rate of a quite severe level of loneliness is 30–55 % among men and women in Eastern Europe, compared with 10–20 % among their peers in Western and Northern Europe. Loneliness is strongly associated with lower socioeconomic status, poorer health, and not having a partner. More than half of the country variance in loneliness is mediated by health, partnership status, and socioeconomic disparities across countries. Differences in societal wealth and welfare and cultural norms may account for some of the unexplained country variance in loneliness.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Hansen & Britt Slagsvold, 2016. "Late-Life Loneliness in 11 European Countries: Results from the Generations and Gender Survey," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 129(1), pages 445-464, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:129:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-015-1111-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-015-1111-6
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    Cited by:

    1. Kung, Claryn S.J. & Pudney, Stephen E. & Shields, Michael A., 2022. "Economic gradients in loneliness, social isolation and social support: Evidence from the UK Biobank," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
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    3. Glenn Sandström & Lena Karlsson, 2019. "The educational gradient of living alone: A comparison among the working-age population in Europe," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(55), pages 1645-1670.
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    5. Barjaková, Martina & Garnero, Andrea & d’Hombres, Béatrice, 2023. "Risk factors for loneliness: A literature review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    6. Thijs van den Broek & Emily Grundy, 2017. "Loneliness among Polish migrants in the Netherlands: The impact of presence and location of partners and offspring," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 37(23), pages 727-742.
    7. Thomas Hansen & Marcela Petrová Kafková & Ruth Katz & Ariela Lowenstein & Sigal Naim & George Pavlidis & Feliciano Villar & Kieran Walsh & Marja Aartsen, 2021. "Exclusion from Social Relations in Later Life: Micro- and Macro-Level Patterns and Correlations in a European Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-16, November.
    8. Szanyi-Nagy, Sára & Vaskövi, Ágnes, 2021. "Hogyan élnek az európai nyugdíjasok? Egyéni szintű különbözőségek vizsgálata SHARE-adatok alapján [European quality of life in retirement. Analysing personal differences through SHARE data]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(12), pages 1336-1363.
    9. George Pavlidis & Thomas Hansen & Andreas Motel-Klingebiel & Marja Aartsen, 2022. "Network and solitude satisfaction as modifiers of disadvantages in the quality of life of older persons who are challenged by exclusion from social relations: a gender stratified analysis," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 2859-2875, October.
    10. Young Bum Kim & Seung Hee Lee, 2022. "Gender Differences in Correlates of Loneliness among Community-Dwelling Older Koreans," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-11, June.
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    12. Puxiang Ren & Jakob Emiliussen & Regina Christiansen & Søren Engelsen & Søren Harnow Klausen, 2022. "Filial Piety, Generativity and Older Adults’ Wellbeing and Loneliness in Denmark and China," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 3069-3090, October.
    13. Hawkley, Louise C. & Steptoe, Andrew & Schumm, L. Philip & Wroblewski, Kristen, 2020. "Comparing loneliness in England and the United States, 2014–2016: Differential item functioning and risk factor prevalence and impact," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    14. Nancy Phaswana-Mafuya & Karl Peltzer, 2017. "Prevalence of Loneliness and Associated Factors among Older Adults in South Africa," Global Journal of Health Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 9(12), pages 1-1, December.
    15. Lara, Elvira & Moreno-Agostino, Darío & Martín-María, Natalia & Miret, Marta & Rico-Uribe, Laura Alejandra & Olaya, Beatriz & Cabello, María & Haro, Josep Maria & Ayuso-Mateos, José Luis, 2020. "Exploring the effect of loneliness on all-cause mortality: Are there differences between older adults and younger and middle-aged adults?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    16. Janosch Schobin, 2022. "Loneliness and Emancipation: A Multilevel Analysis of the Connection between Gender Inequality, Loneliness, and Social Isolation in the ISSP 2017," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-23, June.
    17. Pagan, Ricardo & Malo, Miguel, 2021. "Dynamic analysis of loneliness and disability at older ages in Europe by gender," MPRA Paper 110616, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Bayat, Neda & Fokkema, Tineke & Mujakovic, Suhreta & Ruiter, Robert A.C., 2021. "Contextual correlates of loneliness in adolescents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    19. Celia Fernández-Carro & Jordi Gumà Lao, 2022. "A Life-Course Approach to the Relationship Between Education, Family Trajectory and Late-Life Loneliness Among Older Women in Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 1345-1363, August.
    20. Thijs van den Broek & Marco Tosi, 2020. "The More the Merrier? The Causal Effect of High Fertility on Later-Life Loneliness in Eastern Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 733-748, June.
    21. Laura Alejandra Rico-Uribe & Francisco Félix Caballero & Natalia Martín-María & María Cabello & José Luis Ayuso-Mateos & Marta Miret, 2018. "Association of loneliness with all-cause mortality: A meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(1), pages 1-21, January.

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