Association of income poverty and wealth with loneliness among young and middle-aged adults: findings based on a nationwide, representative sample from Germany

There is a lack of studies on the association between income poverty, wealth (in particular), and loneliness, particularly among younger and middle-aged individuals. Such knowledge is relevant to better address individuals at risk of greater loneliness. Furthermore, such findings are particularly relevant in light of growing social inequalities and the increasing attention on loneliness as a public health issue. Thus, our study aimed to explore the association of income poverty and wealth with overall, social, and emotional loneliness among young and middle-aged adults (also stratified by sex).

Data were obtained from a large, nationally representative sample of individuals aged 18 to 51 years (German Family Demography Panel Study [FReDA], n = 20,216). Data collection took place from November 2021 to January 2022. The established De Jong Gierveld tool was used to quantify loneliness.

Regressions showed that compared to those with a middle income, those who are income-poor reported higher loneliness levels. The group of income-wealthy individuals had markedly lower loneliness levels compared to the group with a middle income. This was particularly evident for social loneliness. Stratified by sex, these differences were present among women in particular. The findings were insensitive to robustness checks.

Our findings enrich our current understanding regarding the association between income and loneliness. Pending experimental and longitudinal evidence, strategies to increase income may be beneficial for reducing loneliness among young and middle-aged adults, particularly among women.