Wakefield named as one of England’s least lonely areas in new national study

The research into England’s “social fitness”, by Audley Villages, analysed new data from a Public Health England survey of 172,957 people and found that just 16.71 per cent of people in Wakefield regularly feel lonely – significantly below the national average.

The study found that Wakefield is the sixth most “socially fit” – or one of the least lonely - areas in England, behind East Riding of Yorkshire, Medway, Sefton, Torbay and Croydon.

In England overall, 24.69 per cent of people regularly feel lonely, meaning Wakefield is almost 10 per cent under the national average.

East Riding of Yorkshire was named the least lonely place with only 13.86 per cent of residents claiming to feel lonely always, often, or at least some of the time.

Another study by Audley Villages of 2,000 UK adults also found that 36 per cent of people would choose to spend more time with family and friends if they could, reflecting people’s desire for stronger social connections in their lives.

Ross Mounsey, group operations director at Audley Villages, said: “Taking care of your physical health is of course important, however research shows that relationships are a crucial aspect of self-care that too often gets overlooked.

"How satisfied we are with our interpersonal relationships is a very powerful driver of our overall health, highlighting the importance of investing in friendships at all stages of life.”