The Loneliest Countries in the World According to Survey Data

Which countries are the loneliest depends on what a survey asks and when it asks it. In a Meta–Gallup survey of adults in 142 countries and areas, fielded from June 2022 to February 2023, respondents were asked whether they felt very, fairly, a little or not at all lonely. The figures below show the highest shares who answered “very” or “fairly” lonely. They describe that survey period, not a current 2026 ranking.

The survey found that 24% of adults globally felt very or fairly lonely. Lesotho and the Philippines recorded the highest shares in this measure, but percentages that are only a few points apart should not be treated as precise differences in everyday experience. Responses can also be shaped by language, culture and survey methods.

A different Gallup World Poll question asked whether people felt lonely “a lot of the day yesterday” in 2023. Comoros had the highest reported share on that measure, at 45%, while the global figure was 23%. This does not contradict the Meta–Gallup table: the question and time frame were different.

The World Health Organization’s 2025 report estimated that about one in six people worldwide experiences loneliness. It describes loneliness as a public health concern, but does not turn these surveys into a single definitive league table of nations. For readers, the strongest conclusion is that loneliness is widespread and that country rankings need a clearly stated measure and date.