A recent survey of 3,000 individuals has revealed that nearly 10% of British people do not have any real-life friends. Instead, this group, comprising eight percent of Brits between the ages of

18 and 70, relies solely on the internet for their social interactions. When extrapolated to the wider population of approximately 55 million in the UK, this translates to a staggering 4.4 million individuals who lack tangible friendships they can rely on.

The respondents who reported having no real-life friends explained that they maintain relationships with "online" friends, with whom they communicate through social media platforms, online gaming, or email. In contrast, the remaining 92 percent of respondents claimed to have, on average, eight friends each.

Breaking down the data further, the study found that men have an average of nine friends, while women have an average of seven. Age also played a role in the number of friendships, with those aged 35-54 having the fewest real-life friends, averaging seven, while individuals under 35 boasted an average of ten friends. Britons over the age of 55 reported having an average of eight friends each.

The study also explored the concept of a "best friend," with 55 percent of participants indicating that they had one. Unsurprisingly, partners emerged as the most common best friends, accounting for 39 percent of responses. Among the remaining respondents, nine percent identified their school friends, eight percent their siblings, seven percent their parents, and six percent each cited hobby friends and work colleagues. A smaller percentage mentioned another parent at their child's school (three percent) or a cousin (three percent) as their best friend.

Barry Taylor, a 44-year-old window fitter from Watford, Hertfordshire, shared that his wife Claire had become his best friend. He admitted to losing touch with friends from school and giving up his hobby of playing darts, resulting in a lack of social connections outside of his marriage. He expressed contentment with his current situation, stating, "My best, and probably only friend is my wife Claire, and that's all I need, to be honest."

Similarly, Chloe White, a 23-year-old from Swanage, Dorset, disclosed that she no longer had any real friends after her two closest companions relocated to London. While they still maintained online friendships, they had not seen each other in two years. Chloe expressed a sense of loneliness when it came to socializing in person, remarking, "All my friends these days are online, but I'm sad to say that if I wanted to go out for a drink, I wouldn't have anyone to go with."

A spokesperson for LifeSearch, the life insurance specialists who conducted the research, highlighted the findings, stating that "over 4 million people say they have no real friends." Emma Walker, a representative from LifeSearch, emphasized the significance of friendships in leading fulfilling and healthy lives, underscoring their role as a cornerstone of personal well-being. Photo by Vaibhav Sharan, Wikimedia commons.