Signal Unwanted loneliness estimated to cost Spain about 4 percent of GDP

Summary

Some studies cited in the report estimate the economic losses from unwanted loneliness in Spain at around 4 percent of GDP. The figure combines higher health spending, more premature deaths, lower labour productivity and a steadily worsening quality of life. It rests on survey data showing that 10.5 percent of Spaniards aged 16 and over reported unwanted loneliness in 2022. The report describes this experience as a sense of emptiness born of the gap between desired and actual relationships. It also sees loneliness as closely bound up with anxiety and depression, adding to the mental health burden. The scale of the cost is presented as a reason for growing interest in new responses such as AI companion chatbots.