If you're a young person in England and your social circle is looking a little sparse, you're not alone - literally. According to a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), one in 20 people aged 11-24 now say they have no close friends at all, a fivefold increase from one in 100 in 2014. The thinktank has dubbed this generation "the loneliest generation," which sounds like a band name but is actually just a sad statistic.

The report, which analyzed data from 150 interviews and official datasets like the National Centre for Social Research's Understanding Society, found that among 16- to 21-year-olds, the share with at least three close friends dropped from 85% in 2012-14 to 72% in 2023-25. Meanwhile, the proportion of 14- and 15-year-olds who were completely or very happy with their friendships fell from 86% to 76% over the same period. So, yes, young people are feeling the friendship squeeze.

But before you blame it on "snowflake" youth, IPPR associate director Avnee Morjaria has a different take: "Kids aren't snowflakes. This is a rational response to a bleak world we have left for them." The report points fingers at a familiar lineup of culprits: austerity, the pandemic, social media (TikTok, we're looking at you), youth club closures, unaffordable housing, and a general loss of self-esteem. It also notes that the traditional markers of adulthood - buying a house, starting an apprenticeship - are happening later or not at all, leaving young people in what IPPR calls "a longer, hollower and more precarious adolescence."

For instance, the average age of a first-time buyer is now 34, and nearly one in five young people spend half their income on rent. The number of 16- to 24-year-olds starting apprenticeships has declined, and the ranks of "Neets" - young adults not in education, employment, or training - are growing. So instead of becoming independent adults, many are stuck in a kind of extended limbo, which is great for their mental health, obviously.

The report also highlights the rise of doomscrolling as a "fundamentally solitary activity" that has become a daily pastime, and notes that young people feel disconnected from services that aren't designed for them. IPPR blames this on a political shift away from collectivism toward privatization and "deference to unaccountable tech oligarchs." Because nothing says 'there is no such thing as society' like a generation with no close friends.

These findings echo research from December by Prof Eamon McCrory, chief executive of the Anna Freud mental health charity, who attributed the rise in anxiety, depression, and self-harm among youth to "social thinning" - the loss of real-world social interaction. Andy Bell, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, called the report "a very worrying picture," adding that "isolation and loneliness are toxic to our mental and physical health."

So, if you're under 25 and feeling lonely, rest assured: it's not you, it's the system. And also maybe put down your phone and go outside, but we know that's easier said than done.