You’ve got a friend in me

At every stage of life, the friendships and connections that we form with others are an important part of what makes us who we are. July 30 is International Day of Friendship. On this day, we celebrate the connections that we share with those around us and honour the friendships that we have made and will continue to make throughout our lives.

In the third quarter of 2023, 68% of people in Canada rated their satisfaction with friend relationships as 8, 9 or 10 on a scale of 0 to 10. A higher percentage of women (70%) rated their satisfaction with friend relationships as 8, 9 or 10, compared with men (67%).

Conversely, 12% of people in Canada rated their satisfaction with friend relationships from 0 to 5 on a scale of 0 to 10.

Let’s take a look at the quality of social connections among people in Canada and the effect that these connections have on our overall well-being.

Someone to count on

Our social connections and personal relationships are an important contributor to our overall well-being. Factors such as sense of belonging to our local community and life satisfaction are often influenced by the quality of our social connections and relationships.

In the first quarter of 2022, three-quarters (76%) of people in Canada said they always or often had people to count on when needed. Seniors aged 75 years and older (83%) and youth aged 15 to 24 years (82%) reported higher levels of support compared with other age groups.

People who said they had someone to count on were more likely to report a strong sense of belonging to their local community in the first quarter of 2022. Of those who said they always or often had someone to count on, 53% reported a very strong or somewhat strong sense of belonging to their local community. By comparison, of people who rarely or never had someone to count on, 20% reported a very strong or somewhat strong sense of belonging to their local community.

Over half of people with someone to count on reported excellent or very good health in the first quarter of 2022. Of those who said they always or often had someone to count on, 59% reported excellent or very good general health and 53% reported excellent or very good mental health. By comparison, of people who rarely or never had someone to count on, 37% reported excellent or very good general health and 31% reported excellent or very good mental health. 

Loneliness

Life can get tough sometimes. Loneliness is a feeling that many of us will experience at some point throughout our lives. In the first quarter of 2024, more than 1 in 10 people aged 15 years and older (13%) said that they always or often felt lonely.

Young people in Canada reported experiencing loneliness more frequently in the first quarter of 2024 than older people. Among youth aged 15 to 24 years, close to one in five (17%) said they always or often felt lonely. This compared with 14% of those aged 25 to 54 years. Those aged 55 to 64 years (11%) reported always or often feeling lonely slightly more often than did those aged 65 years and older (10%).

Among all age groups, LGBTQ2+ people (27%) were the most likely to report always or often feeling lonely in the first quarter of 2024, followed by persons with a disability, difficulty or long-term condition (20%).

Without social connections and supports, people’s health and overall well-being can suffer. Frequent feelings of loneliness are associated with poorer mental health and lower levels of overall life satisfaction.

Although we all experience periods of unhappiness or become temporarily down when life throws us a curveball, feeling lonely for extended periods of time may have greater health implications. About 11% of men and 16% of women in Canada will experience major depression in the course of their lives; such mental health issues often contribute to increased feelings of loneliness. Talking to your family doctor or a mental health professional is essential if you or someone close to you suffers from depression.

Staying connected

A strong sense of belonging to local community and support from social connections are correlated with an increase in overall happiness and well-being.

Support from family and loved ones is especially valuable during hard times, but no matter the circumstances, time spent with family, friends and those around us is always important. So, take the time today, and every day, to show gratitude to your loved ones and kindness to everyone around you.

For more information on factors such as social connection, sense of belonging to local community and satisfaction with personal relationships, visit Statistics Canada’s Quality of life domain: Society page.