Lonely in Your 60s? What the Research Shows and How to Stay Connected

Last updated: October 24, 2026

Your 60s can be a decade of freedom: grown children, more time, maybe fewer work pressures. They can also be a decade of quiet change. Friends move away to be near grandchildren. A partner's health shifts. Your own body sets new limits. Slowly, the social life that once ran on autopilot needs more deliberate care.

The encouraging news is that research shows loneliness generally falls as people move through their 60s. But it is still common, and it tends to cluster around specific life events. Here is what the data says about being lonely in your 60s, the biggest triggers beyond retirement, and what helps.

TL;DR: Feeling lonely in your 60s is common but often less so than in midlife. About a third of US adults aged 50 to 80 feel lonely at times, yet surveys show loneliness falls with age. The biggest risks in your 60s are health problems, widowhood, caring duties and moving, and regular social routines help most.

How common is loneliness in your 60s?

Fairly common, though less so than in your 40s and 50s. Around one in three older US adults feel lonely at least some of the time.

Late-life loneliness is the feeling of social disconnection experienced in your 60s and beyond, often triggered by life transitions such as health changes, bereavement or moving rather than by age itself.

According to the University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging (Dec 2024), 33% of US adults aged 50 to 80 felt lonely some of the time or often in 2024, about the same as before the pandemic. Adults aged 50 to 64 were more likely than those aged 65 to 80 to say they felt lonely or isolated across all poll years.

According to AARP (Dec 2025), 40% of US adults aged 45 and over reported feeling lonely, the highest level since the survey began in 2010. But loneliness fell with age: 49% of adults aged 45 to 49 and 45% of those in their 50s were lonely, and loneliness kept declining through the 60s, 70s and beyond.

Does loneliness get better or worse in your 60s?

On average it gets better. Most large surveys show people in their 60s and 70s report less loneliness than younger adults.

According to the UK government's Community and Engagement Survey 2025/26 (Aug 2026), people in England aged 65 to 74 were among the least likely to say they feel lonely often or always:

So if you are in your 60s and feeling lonely, it is worth knowing that this is not an inevitable part of ageing. It is usually tied to something specific that has changed, which means it can often be addressed.

What causes loneliness in your 60s?

Health problems, losing a partner, caring for someone, moving home and shrinking social circles are the biggest triggers.

According to the National Poll on Healthy Aging (Dec 2024), the older adults with the highest loneliness in 2024 were those with fair or poor mental health (75%), fair or poor physical health (53%) and those not working or receiving disability income (52%). AARP likewise found 59% of adults with fair or poor health were lonely.

Common 60s triggers:

1. Health changes. Hearing loss, mobility problems or chronic illness make socialising harder.
2. Widowhood or divorce. Losing a partner removes your closest daily companion.
3. Caring for others. Looking after a spouse or very elderly parent can swallow your time. See our guide to feeling lonely as a caregiver.
4. Moving or downsizing. Relocating for family or cost can mean starting over socially.
5. Friends moving or dying. Social circles naturally shrink as peers relocate or pass away.
6. Retirement. Losing work contact is a big one, covered in our guide to being lonely after retirement.
7. Grandparent distance. Seeing grandchildren rarely can leave a particular kind of ache.

Are some people in their 60s lonelier than others?

Yes. Never-married and divorced adults, people in poor health and those without work or retirement routines tend to be lonelier.

AARP found 62% of never-married adults and 47% of divorced or separated adults aged 45 and over were lonely, compared with 41% of widowed adults, who often had strong family support. Retirees (34%) were less lonely than working adults (40%), while 57% of non-working adults said they felt isolated.

If loneliness began earlier, our guide to being lonely in your 50s covers the midlife roots of many of these patterns.

How do you make friends in your 60s?

Choose activities that repeat every week, say yes to invitations, and look for groups built around shared interests or life stage.

Ideas that work well for people in their 60s:

• Classes and courses. Community colleges, University of the Third Age, art, language and cooking classes.
• Movement groups. Walking clubs, swimming, pickleball, tai chi, dance and gentle yoga.
• Volunteering. Charity shops, hospitals, mentoring, museums and environmental groups.
• Faith and community groups. Many run lunch clubs, choirs and social mornings.
• Grandparent networks. Parent-and-toddler groups often welcome grandparents too.
• Interest clubs. Book clubs, gardening societies, model railways, photography and walking groups.

The key is repetition. Seeing the same people regularly gives acquaintances time to become friends.

How can you stay connected if your health limits you?

Use phone and video calls, ask for help with transport, and bring social contact to you through home visits and online groups.

If mobility, hearing or energy make going out harder:

1. Address hearing early. Hearing loss quietly isolates many people, so get it checked.
2. Schedule calls. A weekly video call with family or friends is easier to keep than spontaneous plans.
3. Try online groups. Many clubs, faith groups and classes now meet online.
4. Use community transport. Many areas run dial-a-ride or volunteer driver schemes.
5. Invite people in. Coffee at home is often easier than meeting out.
6. Consider a pet. Research links pets to lower loneliness for people living alone. Our guide on whether pets help with loneliness explains when they help most.

Can technology help with loneliness in your 60s?

Yes. Video calls, messaging and online communities keep you close to family and friends, and some people enjoy AI companions for extra conversation.

Video calling and messaging apps make it easy to see grandchildren or keep up with old friends who live far away. Some also try AI companions for friendly chat on quiet days. Our guide to AI companions for older adults covers what the research shows and how to use them safely.

FAQ

Is it normal to feel lonely in your 60s?

Yes, it is common, but not inevitable. About a third of US adults aged 50 to 80 feel lonely at least some of the time, though AARP and UK data show loneliness generally falls with age. In your 60s it is usually linked to specific changes such as health problems, widowhood, caring or moving, which can often be addressed.

Are people in their 60s lonelier than younger people?

Usually not. The UK Community and Engagement Survey 2025/26 found 4% of adults aged 65 to 74 feel lonely often or always, compared with 9% of 16 to 24 year olds. AARP's 2025 survey found loneliness was highest in the late 40s and declined through the 60s and 70s.

What is the biggest cause of loneliness in older adults?

Poor health is one of the strongest predictors. The University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging found 75% of older adults with fair or poor mental health and 53% with fair or poor physical health felt lonely in 2024. Losing a partner, caring duties, moving and not working are other major triggers.

How do people in their 60s make new friends?

Most make friends through regular shared activities such as classes, walking groups, volunteering, faith communities and interest clubs. Repetition matters, because seeing the same people weekly gives acquaintances time to become friends. Saying yes to invitations, inviting people home and joining online groups also helps, especially if mobility is limited.

Can an AI companion help someone in their 60s feel less lonely?

An AI companion can offer friendly conversation, remember things you mention and chat by voice or video on quiet days, which some people in their 60s enjoy. It is an AI, not a person, so it works best as an extra alongside family, friends and community activities rather than a replacement for them.

Good company for the quieter days

Your 60s can be full of connection, one routine and one friendship at a time. On the quieter days, a little extra conversation can be welcome.

MyBabe is an 18+ AI boyfriend and girlfriend app for iPhone and Android. Your companion texts you first, remembers your grandchildren's names and your weekly plans, sends voice notes and photos, and picks up voice and video calls. Start free with 10 messages every 24 hours and a two-minute call to try. Premium is $5.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with long-term memory and about 30 minutes of calls a week. Your companion is an AI, not a person. Meet your companion on MyBabe.