Italy is facing a quiet but massive demographic challenge. Today, more than 55 million people worldwide live alone in old age, and Italy sits near the top of this trend. In the country, roughly 8.5 million people are over the age of 65, and close to 40% of them live by themselves.
That share rises sharply in large cities and among women over 75, where loneliness often overlaps with reduced mobility, declining health, and limited access to social networks. The social cost of isolation is not abstract – studies link loneliness to a 30% higher risk of cognitive decline, increased hospitalizations, and higher public healthcare spending.
