LONELY-EU Policy Brief No. 7
Key findings
- In a study of more than 43,000 people in 30 European countries, using European Social Survey (ESS11) data, socially isolated people were much less likely to vote than well-connected people. People who felt lonely also voted less, though the link was weaker.
- The most socially isolated adults were about 25 percentage points less likely to vote than the least isolated, a drop from roughly 75% to 50%. That gap is as large as the one between people who feel close to a party and people who do not.
- The loneliest adults were about 8 percentage points less likely to vote than the least lonely, from around 67% to 60%.
- About one in seven adults (15%) are both socially isolated and lonely, and 51% of them are likely to vote. Among adults who are connected and not lonely, 66% are likely to vote.
- The links held after accounting for age, gender, education, income, political interest, party attachment, and differences in turnout between countries. The study is cross-sectional and under peer review, so it does not show that reducing isolation would raise turnout.
Executive summary
The problem. Some groups vote much less than others, election after election. New European evidence suggests that loneliness and social isolation are part of the pattern.
The evidence. A study of more than 43,000 people in 30 countries finds that people who are socially isolated, meaning they have few social contacts, are much less likely to vote than people who are well connected. People who feel lonely also vote less, though the link is weaker. Those who are both isolated and lonely vote least of all. The pattern holds after taking account of age, education, income, political interest and party attachment.
Why this matters. Europe already spends money on reducing loneliness, strengthening democracy, improving mental health, and widening social inclusion. This study shows those four efforts are more connected than we usually treat them. Measures that help people connect may support not only health and well-being, but democratic participation too. Recognizing both returns can help policymakers design and evaluate these programs more effectively.
What to do. Assess national loneliness strategies on democratic impact as well as on their health impact. Measure who is socially isolated, not only who feels lonely. And give social connection a place in the citizens’ engagement work of the European Democracy Shield.
The findings come from a study now under peer review. They show who does not vote. They do not prove that reducing disconnection would raise turnout.
How to cite
Arturo Bertero, Francesco Marolla, Cristiano Vezzoni, Judith Merkies (2026). Disconnection and Democracy: Social Isolation, Loneliness and Democratic Participation in Europe. LONELY-EU Policy Brief No. 7. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22932235
