Adults without a college degree more likely to lack close friends: survey

The share of Americans who report having no close friends has risen, a survey found, particularly among those who did not graduate college — creating a divide in people’s levels of social connection.

Nearly all U.S. adults used to have close friends.

In 1990, the share of the population that said they didn’t was low and roughly the same no matter one’s education level: just 2% for people with college degrees and 3% for those without.

But a recent survey suggests that share has risen overall, particularly among those who did not graduate from college — creating a kind of class divide in people’s level of social engagement and connection. Nearly a quarter of U.S. adults with a high school diploma or lower education level said they had no close friends. The number was even higher for Black adults in that group: 35%.

Just 10% of those with college degrees said the same.

The findings come from a survey of around 6,600 adults conducted by the Survey Center on American Life, a nonprofit that researches how people’s lives are shaped by culture, politics and technology.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/close-friendship-social-divide-college-degree-rcna167865

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