The Summary
- In a survey, nearly a quarter of U.S. adults without a college degree said they had no close friends.
- People without a college degree also reported less participation in social activities like going to parks or restaurants than college-educated adults.
- The findings come amid a documented rise in loneliness and social isolation.
Nearly all U.S. adults used to have close friends.
In 1990, the share of the population that said they didn’t was low and roughly the same no matter one’s education level: just 2% for people with college degrees and 3% for those without.
But a recent survey suggests that share has risen overall, particularly among those who did not graduate college — creating a kind of class divide in people’s level of social engagement and connection. Nearly a quarter of U.S. adults with a high school diploma or lower education level said they had no close friends. The number was even higher for Black adults…
