调查证据反驳“孤独主要是富裕社会问题”的看法：越贫穷的国家报告越多孤独感，而在2024年受访的非洲人中，超过25%表示自己在前一天感到孤独。世卫组织在6月对23个数据集（含盖洛普世界民调：约15万人、约150个国家）的分析发现，无论跨国还是国内层面，收入越低，孤独感往往越高。
马达加斯加成为最孤独的地方：尽管街头看似热闹，马达加斯加南部有60%的人告诉盖洛普他们在前一天感到孤独；全国约3300万人口，却分布在面积超过英国两倍的国土上。约70%的人每天生活费不足3美元，时间与现金匮乏、外出迁移、污名化以及残疾带来的依赖，都会削弱关系的数量与质量，甚至伴随自杀念头。
孤独与健康风险的量级很大：2010年的估计将社会隔离对寿命的缩短效应比作每天抽15支烟，而基于数百万人数据的荟萃分析把孤独与“在任一时点死亡风险约增加14%”联系起来。面向社交连接的干预也能产生可量化收益：英格兰弗罗姆的“社交处方”在2013—2017年使非计划住院下降14%，而周边萨默塞特上升近30%，并为医疗体系节省超过100万英镑（约130万美元）；类似模式还包括津巴布韦的数百张“友谊长椅”以及安博翁贝每周的残疾人聚会（即便在气旋掀走屋顶之后）。
Survey evidence suggests that loneliness isn't just a rich-world issue; poorer countries, including Madagascar, report high levels of loneliness. In 2024, over 25% of Africans surveyed expressed feeling lonely the previous day. The WHO's analysis reveals that loneliness tends to increase as national and personal income declines. Madagascar particularly stands out, with 60% of respondents from the south feeling lonely, highlighting the role of economic hardships in relationship dynamics.
The health implications of social isolation are significant—it's been estimated that its life-shortening effect is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes daily. Meta-analyses of millions of records indicate that loneliness raises the risk of death by about 14%. Interestingly, targeted social-connection programs have proven successful. For instance, Frome’s "social prescribing" reduced unplanned hospital admissions by 14%, saving over £1 million. Various models exist, from Zimbabwe's "friendship benches" to weekly disability meetups, showing the value of community connection even after disasters.
Survey evidence contradicts the idea that loneliness is mainly a rich-world problem: poorer countries report more loneliness, and in 2024 over 25% of Africans surveyed said they felt lonely the previous day. The WHO’s June analysis of 23 datasets, including the Gallup World Poll (150,000 respondents across roughly 150 countries), finds loneliness rises as national and within-country income falls.
Source: The most friendless place on earth
Subtitle: If you think rich, individualistic societies are the loneliest, think again
Dateline: 12月 18, 2025 05:43 上午 | Ambovombe and Frome