7 In 10 Gen Zers Say Adulthood Has Been Lonelier Than They Expected

The Average Young Adult Has Just 3 Close Friends, With 1 In 6 Only Getting Together In Person About Twice A Year

Many young people expect adult life to come with a ready-made circle of friends. For a big share of Gen Z, that has not happened. In a new survey, 69% said they feel more lonely and isolated than they ever thought they would, and the average respondent reported feeling lonely four days a week, even when around others.

Four days out of seven is more than half the week, and the feeling reportedly lingers around other people, so simply being in company clearly does not guarantee a sense of connection. Respondents also described a small inner circle to begin with: the average Gen Zer polled has three close friends, and 43% said they have fewer than that. One in six said they see those friends only a couple of times a year, with some reporting even less contact.

Talker Research surveyed 1,000 Gen Z respondents online between Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, 2026, for Life Time, a fitness company. Everyone in the sample was described as active and had internet access. Respondents showed an appetite for company: 73% said they are interested in mingling more often, and 71% said they want to find new friends.

Gen Z loneliness and the struggle to meet new people

Making new friends proved to be a sticking point. Half of respondents (52%) said they struggle to make new connections, and 73% think finding their crowd would be easier in person. That preference points toward real-world gathering spots rather than apps or group chats, though the survey did not test the idea.

Existing hangouts are not filling the gap. A third of respondents said bars and coffee shops help them connect with friends only once a week or less, and 42% said they need more social spaces to hang out. Sixty percent went further, saying the lack of a dedicated social environment is part of the problem and agreeing that they need a “third space” (a regular spot beyond home, work or school) to make new friends.

Time, money and energy keep friendships on hold

Cost topped the list of obstacles to spending time in social spaces, cited by 37%, and 27% said they are dissatisfied with how much going out costs. Time and energy were close behind. Nearly two-thirds (64%) said their weekly routine goes mainly or entirely to obligations other than socializing, while 30% said they are too tired after work or school and another 30% said they put other responsibilities first.

Seven in 10 agreed that even when they want to be social, they do not feel they have the capacity for it. A friendship that depends on spare evenings and spare cash is easy to keep postponing, which may help explain why a handful of close friends can still feel distant. That is speculation, not a finding from the poll.

A third space for Gen Z loneliness: fitness spots

Fitness is where many already spend their free time. Eighty percent said they committed to active lifestyles within the past year, most commonly with an equal mix of indoor and outdoor activity (35%). Walking or hiking (62%), running (56%) and weight training (45%) led the list of activities. Yet 52% usually work out alone, and 83% said they would be excited to combine fitness and friends more often.

Life Time says it hears something similar from this age group. “We hear often from Gen Z that they’re more likely to stay consistent when they find a workout buddy or a group class they enjoy,” said Danny King, director of performance and recovery at Life Time.

Some already have a third space of this kind: 59% consider the place where they exercise one. Three-quarters said having a recurring place to show up would help them stay social (74%), and 72% said it would improve their mental wellbeing. King also offered a view on why fitness spaces might fill that role. “When a space brings people together around shared goals, it becomes about more than a workout,” he said.

Limits of a fitness-company poll on Gen Z loneliness

Life Time commissioned the poll, and a fitness company has a natural interest in results that point toward gyms and group classes, so those figures deserve a careful read. Respondents’ beliefs about what would help, such as a recurring place improving wellbeing, are opinions rather than measured outcomes.

The Talker report does not define “active,” list respondents’ ages, genders or locations, or report a margin of error, the usual measure of how much a poll’s results could vary. People who already exercise may spend free time differently than other Gen Zers, so the loneliness figures may not match what a broader sample would show. All answers were self-reported, and with no comparison to older generations, the poll cannot say whether Gen Z is lonelier than anyone else. Talker Research did post its questionnaire online, which lets readers check the exact wording of each question.

Gen Z loneliness, at least as this poll tells it, looks less like a lack of interest in friends and more like a shortage of time, money and places to make them. A regular, affordable spot built around a shared activity may be a more practical answer than urging lonely young people to try harder.

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