Migration-related inequalities in loneliness across age groups: a cross-national comparative study in Europe

Abstract

This study aims to contribute to the growing interest in the consequences of migration for loneliness by investigating the role of generational status across various age groups in countries with differing integration policies and attitudes towards immigrants. Using data from rounds 5, 6 and 7 of the European Social Survey, I conducted logistic multilevel models on a sample of 121,835 respondents aged 18 years and older, residing in 26 countries. Loneliness was assessed based on a single-item item question from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression scale. The findings suggest that individuals with a migration background are more likely to experience loneliness than those without. Within this group, I found that first-generation immigrants who arrived after the age of 18 are more vulnerable to loneliness than those who arrived earlier, although the latter still reported more loneliness than second-generation immigrants. Furthermore, migration-related inequalities in loneliness were greater among the youngest age group (18–34 years) and in countries with a more positive public stance towards immigrants. In sum, this study highlights the persistent challenges that migration poses for loneliness across generations and age groups, and emphasizes the need to extend research in this area beyond older adults. Moreover, it suggests that promoting a welcoming culture towards immigrants may have unintended consequences for loneliness gaps, but further research is needed to explain this observation.

Voices Unheard: A Reflective Lifeworld Research Study of Older Arabic‐Speaking Female Migrants and Their Experience of Existential Loneliness

“…The migrant population is heterogeneous (as is the native one); however, migration predisposes to loneliness across generations and age groups (Delaruelle 2023). Even though the number of studies exploring loneliness among older migrants has increased over the past few years (Fokkema and Ciobanu 2021), more research is needed on the topic (Delaruelle 2023). Also, very little is known about how the EL phenomenon is experienced and expressed among older migrants.…”