Loneliness in UK increases as more people live alone

Research by the Co-op also revealed that residents in Norwich feel least lonely.

The survey of 2,000 adults found that 57% of people in the Norfolk city said they never felt lonely, compared with 37% in Bradford and Belfast.

In the UK as a whole, 44% of people said they did not feel lonely.

The Co-op said its findings followed increases in the number of people living alone, and of a third of marriages breaking down before the 20th anniversary.

Richard Pennycook, the Co-op’s group chief executive, said: “Whilst Norwich has fared well in our research, loneliness is a problem that does not discriminate.

“It affects young and old, fit and unwell, those living in cities, but also those living in rural communities.

“Our partnership with the British Red Cross will see us raise the profile of loneliness and highlight the impact it has day in and day out on people’s lives.”

People were also likely to feel less lonely in Edinburgh, Coventry, Newcastle, Southampton and York, said the report.