On Average, Older Adults Spend Over Half Their Waking Hours Alone

A new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data found Americans 60 and older are alone for more than half their daily measured time, including all waking hours other than those spent on personal activities. This totals about seven hours daily, or more than 10 hours daily among those who live alone. Meanwhile, people in their 40s and 50s spend about four hours and 45 minutes alone per day on average, versus about three and a half hours alone for those under 40. Further, 14 percent of older Americans report spending all their daily measured time alone versus 8 percent of people younger than 60. Medical experts think that lifestyle factors may explain a link between social isolation and adverse health outcomes. For example, a socially isolated person may have less cognitive stimulation and more difficulty staying active or taking their medications. Time alone also is closely associated with living arrangements, as 23 percent of adults 60 and older currently live alone, and they say they spend about 10 and a half hours alone each day on average — nearly twice as much time as those who live with a spouse.