The number of Americans reporting no close friends has quintupled since 1990

Social isolation in the United States has reached critical levels, with the number of Americans reporting zero close friends quintupling since 1990. According to a 2021 survey, one in five adults now falls into this category, a sharp increase from the 3% reported three decades ago. This 'friendship recession' is driven by increased geographic mobility, longer working hours, and a digital shift that prioritizes broad, shallow networks over deep, local ones.