Measuring Loneliness: The European Union Loneliness Survey Covering 27 European Countries

Abstract

While Chap. 1introduces the concept of loneliness as a negative feeling associated with perceived deficiencies in the quantity and quality of social relationships, this chapter focuses on how this concept is operationalised and measured in surveys. We start by discussing the literature on the measurement of loneliness, which often relies on the use of psychometric scales. In large-scale surveys the use of a direct question on loneliness, in which the respondents self-report how frequently they feel lonely, is also common. The chapter discusses existing measures of loneliness used by different surveys administered in the European Union, together with their limitations. The chapter then addresses how loneliness is dichotomised in the analysis of survey data, both for scales based on indirect questions and for direct questions, and the potential issues associated with presenting results on loneliness. Finally, the chapter introduces the recent European Union Loneliness Survey (EU Loneliness Survey), the first ad hoc survey on the topic of loneliness covering all European Union member states. It discusses how this survey measures loneliness, and the modules and questions included. A methodological section focuses on survey design and choices related to data collection, highlighting unique features of the survey and discussing its limitations. The chapter concludes with a comparison of overall levels of loneliness according to different measures used in the EU Loneliness Survey across all 27 EU countries.