If you feel lonely, you are not alone. Social isolation and loneliness are a stark reality in the EU. A 2022 EU-wide survey found that, on average, 13 % of EU citizens feel lonely more than half of the time, and over a third suffer from loneliness at least some of the time.

Loneliness and social isolation are not just emotional challenges — they have profound health implications. Loneliness is associated with depression and suicide and linked to a higher heart disease or stroke risk. Particularly for the elderly, loneliness seems to hasten physical and mental decline.

While often perceived as a private, individual problem, loneliness is a societal issue. Recognising this, the EU is taking steps to combat loneliness through numerous social, health and regional policies. Following a European Parliament pilot project, 'Monitoring loneliness in Europe', the European Commission's Joint Research Centre has mapped all 27 EU countries' loneliness interventions in an interactive online repository. The multiple initiatives range from projects for community building, to events where you can make new friends, to helplines. While most initiatives target older adults, some are geared towards young people. You can sort by country, target group, intervention and organisation type, to find the initiatives most relevant to you – where you can take the next step, to get involved and maximise your chances of meeting like-minded people.