Study finds childlessness exacerbates loneliness among aging communities
March 16, 2026
Studies show that older adults’ loneliness rates have increased in recent years, and a trend of childlessness is only exacerbating the problem, according to a recent report from the Institute of Family Studies.
Sociology professor emerita and author Rosemary Hopcroft wrote that loneliness among adults aged 45 or older reached 40% in 2025 — five percentage points higher than levels recorded in 2010 and 2018 — according to an AARP poll. She noted that “loneliness has always been a risk of growing older” in developed countries like the U.S. but said that the chances of being alone are becoming heightened in modern society.
