West Berkshire one of the least lonely places in England, study finds

West Berkshire has been dubbed one of the least lonely areas in England, according to a national study.

Data taken from a Public Health England survey found that West Berkshire is the seventh ‘socially fit’ area in the country.

Nearby, Wokingham came in 10th place with just 16.99 per cent of people feeling regularly lonely.

This data, analysed by Audley Villages, surveyed 172,957 people in England – 24.69 per cent of whom said they feel regularly lonely.

West Berkshire fell below the national average with just 16.89 per cent of its residents saying they feel regularly lonely.

The district came in at just 0.18 per cent lonelier than Wakefield, which closely followed Croydon, Torbay, Sefton, Medway and – in first place at 13.86 per cent – East Yorkshire.

Of the loneliest places in the country, Camden came top at 36.28 per cent, followed closely by Leicester, Haringey, north east Linconshire, Manchester and Blackpool.

Audley Villages says this data suggests that many people in England lack the social connections in their lives to safeguard their wellbeing.

The proportion of people in England who often feel lonely has remained unchanged since 2020 when lockdowns and social distancing were a feature of national life.

Another study – by Audley Villages – found that of 2,000 UK adults, 36 per cent of people would choose to spend more time with family and friends if they could.

Audley Villages group operations director Ross Mounsey 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.”