- 12 June, 2026
June 12, 2026: India has emerged as the world's second loneliest country, according to a global study released in June 2026 that assessed emotional well-being and social isolation across 36 countries. The findings point to a significant gap between living arrangements and emotional connectedness.
The study, conducted by digital entertainment platform JB.com, ranked countries using a composite loneliness score based on factors such as feelings of loneliness, isolation, sadness, and household composition. Turkey topped the list, followed by India and Brazil.
Why Is India Feeling Lonely Despite Larger Families?
India received a loneliness score of 89, behind only Turkey's score of 100. The report found that 58 percent of Indians experience loneliness, while 34 percent report feeling isolated. In addition, 37 percent of respondents in India said they frequently feel sad, the highest proportion among the top five countries in the ranking.
The findings are particularly notable given India's family-oriented social structure. According to the study, only 3.7 percent of households in the country consist of a single person, while the average household has more than four members.
“This suggests loneliness in India is emotional rather than physical,” the study observed, noting that people may feel disconnected even while living with others.
A Global Ranking of Emotional Isolation
Turkey was identified as the loneliest nation in the study, with 61 percent of respondents reporting loneliness and 45 percent saying they feel isolated. Frequent sadness was reported by 31 percent of participants, while one in five households in the country is occupied by a single person. The report noted that loneliness remains widespread in Turkey despite the absence of extreme levels of people living alone, indicating a deeper emotional disconnect.
Brazil secured the third position with a loneliness score of 78. The study found that 53 percent of Brazilians experience loneliness and 43 percent report feelings of isolation. At the same time, Brazil recorded relatively higher life satisfaction among the top five countries, suggesting that feelings of loneliness and perceptions of happiness can exist simultaneously.
South Africa ranked fourth. Although it recorded the highest proportion of people reporting loneliness among the top five countries at 65 percent, only 18 percent said they feel isolated. The study said this points to a divergence between emotional experiences and social connectedness.
South Korea completed the top five rankings. The country recorded the highest proportion of single-person households among all nations surveyed, at 36.1 percent, while 57 percent of respondents reported feeling lonely.
At the opposite end of the ranking, Uzbekistan and the Netherlands were identified as the least lonely countries, with lower levels of isolation and stronger happiness indicators. Canada and Thailand also featured among the countries with comparatively lower loneliness levels.
What Makes a Country ‘Lonely’?
To determine the rankings, researchers evaluated countries across seven indicators, including feelings of loneliness and isolation, levels of sadness and happiness, household composition, average household size, single-person households, and depression rates. Countries with higher combined scores were considered to be at greater risk of loneliness.
‘People Are Watching More and Talking Less’
An expert cited in the report attributed rising loneliness to changing social behaviours influenced by digital consumption.
“People use streaming, social media, and gaming to fill time that would otherwise be spent with others. But passive consumption does not cure loneliness—it numbs it,” the expert said. “The countries at the top of this list have high entertainment engagement but low social trust. People are watching more and talking less.”
Source: Moneycontrol
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