Nearly 40% of Dutch adults are lonely, according to research published in the Health Monitor.

The Health Monitor is a new report published jointly by the local health authority services GGD, the central statistics agency CBS and the public health institute RIVM.

Together they questioned 370,000 people over the age of 18.

One in three of those questioned said they are ‘rather lonely’ and one in ten said they are ‘very lonely’.

The figures, published in the Volkskrant, show that 65% of people over 90 are lonely and that 62% of people with a handicap feel alone. However, 35% of people with no handicapped also feel lonely.

Among divorcees, widows and widowers, 58% feel lonely. For married or co-habiting people the figure is 33% and for single people 45%.

Where there are no financial problems, 34% feel lonely, while 55% of those struggling financially feel alone.