Children more likely to feel lonely in city than in country

CHILDREN growing up in cities are nearly four times more lonely than their countryside peers, the first official study of its kind has revealed.

Some 19.5 per cent of children living in a city reported “often” feeling lonely compared to just over 5 per cent of those living in either towns or rural areas, the research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found.

Experts suggested it could be linked to greater urban deprivation with 27.5 per cent of children receiving free school meals saying they were often lonely compared with 5.5 per cent who were not entitled to the benefit.

Urban isolation could also be a factor as parents were more hesitant about letting children out on their own. Children with health problems or poor relationships with friends and family were also more likely to feel lonely.

Dr Bernadka Dubicka, chairman of the child and adolescent faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said it was an indictment of society.

“Despite easier access to people via social media, that doesn’t seem to be helping in terms of loneliness. It emphasises the need for face to face contact and social support in a physical way rather than just online,” she said.

The study also revealed that 14 per cent of children aged 10-12 said they felt lonely as they faced the challenge of making new friends at secondary school and in many cases joined social media for the first time.

By the time they became teenagers aged 13-15, the proportion had dropped but 9 per cent still felt lonely.