Federal Government's Strategy to counter Loneliness

Strategie der Bundesregierung gegen Einsamkeit

The “Federal Government's Strategy to Counter Loneliness” was introduced in 2022 in Germany by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). It was voted on by the federal ministries and resulted in a cabinet decision on December 13, 2023. Implemented at the national level, this strategy targets all age groups, with a particular focus on older persons to address loneliness and social isolation. The strategy’s five main goals are to raise public awareness to destigmatize loneliness, strengthen scientific knowledge, reinforce practical interventions, foster cross-sectoral actions to address the complexities of loneliness, and support affected individuals, with a focus on the needs of older persons. Key measures include 46 overarching and 65 individual measures for both the prevention and alleviation of loneliness, reflecting the urgency of the issue. The BMFSFJ is funding several projects specifically for older persons through the European Social Fund (ESF Plus) programme titled “Strengthening the Participation of Older People - Countering Loneliness and Social Isolation”, which launched in October 2022 and includes over 70 projects continuing until 2027. To bolster research, the first Loneliness Barometer was published in May 2024 as a monitoring tool to track loneliness trends.