Measuring What Matters
Developing WHO's Global Index of Social Connection
Loneliness isn’t just a feeling; it’s a public health crisis. Mounting evidence shows that chronic loneliness can be as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, increasing the risk of heart disease, depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and early death. And it’s far more widespread than many realize.
According to the World Health Organization, loneliness affects an estimated 1.4 billion adults (1 in 4) and 320 million adolescents (1 in 5) worldwide. That’s nearly one in every five people on Earth living with a deep, often invisible disconnection that jeopardizes both emotional and physical well-being. In response, the WHO’s Commission on Social Connection has issued a bold recommendation: develop a Global Index of Social Connection to measure, track, and elevate connection as a vital sign of public health across every country.
“Connection is a fundamental human need—essential to survival, health, and well-being.” (WHO, p. 5)
If we can measure how connected or lonely people feel, we can design better policies, programs, and public spaces to foster meaningful relationships, that can literally save lives.
What Are We Missing in Current Metrics?
Most traditional metrics focus on the number of social contacts, frequency of communication, or size of one’s network. But that only scratches the surface.
“Existing measures are often limited in scope and fail to reflect the multidimensional nature of social connection.” (WHO, p. 59)
We need to know more than who people talk to in order to understand the quality of those relationships. This is especially important for young men, who may be digitally networked but emotionally isolated. Research shows that close, intimate friendships (not just interactions) are what protect against loneliness and support well-being (Ajrouch et al., 2024). Data from recent studies also show an alarming trend: many men report fewer close friends than ever before and often lack spaces for open emotional expression.
Furthermore, physical and social environments profoundly influence our capacity for connection. Communities with safe and accessible parks, libraries, active community centers, and public transit help foster both planned and spontaneous social interactions. This "relational infrastructure" creates the conditions in which bonds can form and deepen over time. When neighborhoods lack these features, disconnection can grow. A large-scale study from Hall (2021) showed that face‑to‑face engagement significantly reduces loneliness and strengthens feelings of belonging more than mediated communication. Meeting in real life (IRL) still matters most when it comes to forming deep, meaningful social bonds.
Toward a Better Toolkit: Transformative Listening and Life-Course Insights
“Measurement approaches should integrate both subjective and objective indicators... including a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods.” (WHO, p. 59)
Researchers like Niobe Way and Andrew Nalani at NYU have shown the power of transformative listening in understanding how young people experience connection. In their studies with adolescents, active listening and curiosity were not just social skills but powerful relational interventions, promoting empathy, reducing stereotyping, and strengthening their sense of belonging (Nilani et al., 2024; Way & Taffe, 2024).
Way’s research on “interpersonal curiosity” highlights how asking meaningful questions, and actually listening to the answers, can shape identity and well-being. When young people are trained to listen with genuine interest, connection deepens, and their sense of belonging strengthens. These are precisely the kind of relational insights that quantitative surveys miss unless they are paired with deeper qualitative tools.
Tools like the Convoy Model of Social Relations provides a methodological ideal for charting how relationships evolve across the life span, capturing both the quantity and quality (and stability) of connections (Ajrouch et al., 2024). Finding ways to reflect real life, deep listening and identifying connections across time and place are the goals.
What Should We Be Measuring?
The WHO report and the Building Bridges framework (Shattuck, 2024) both stress the need for indicators that capture the emotional, structural, and functional dimensions of connection.
Drawing from this guidance, below are some possible indicators to measure other forms of connection:
These indicators draw from behavioral science, gender research, and field-tested relational frameworks. They are designed to be co-created with communities and adapted by age, gender, and context. What’s critical is that these metrics don’t just ask “how many” but also “how deep,” “how safe,” and “how meaningful” the connections are.
From Measurement to Movement: Data That Drives Structural Change
“A coordinated measurement agenda… is foundational to implementing and evaluating progress toward promoting social connection.” (WHO, p. 58)
To build a more connected world, we need to treat relational health as core to public health. That means not only refining the tools we use to measure connection, but also leveraging technologies that make data collection scalable, ethical, and inclusive. Mobile surveys, AI-driven analysis of open-ended questions, and participatory methods can all deepen how we understand social health at scale.
The goal isn’t to replace old tools, it’s to build on decades of research and deepen our understanding of what helps humans thrive together. The challenge is not just technical; it is based in caring. We need to not only ask “what works,” but “what matters,” and build systems of care and accountability around those answers.
Share Your Experience Measuring Loneliness and Social Connection
How do you measure connection in your own work or life?
When have you felt most seen, heard, or supported?
Connection isn’t just a personal experience; it’s a collective health outcome. Let’s invest in understanding it, and in building systems that help it grow.
References
World Health Organization. (2024). Report of the WHO Commission on Social Connection.
Ajrouch, K. et al. (2024). Friendship Trajectories and Health Across the Lifespan.
Granderson, R. et al. (2025). An Intimacy Gap? Exploring Men’s Same-Sex Friendships.
Nalani, A. et al. (2024). Question Asking and Active Listening in Early Adolescents.
Way, N. & Taffe, R. (2024). Interpersonal Curiosity: A Missing Construct in Human Development.
Peterson, P. et al. (2025). Social Capital, Families, and Intergenerational Mobility.
Rands, M. & Levinger, G. (1979). Implicit Theories of Relationship: An Intergenerational Study.
Shattuck, et al. Building Bridges (2024). A Developmental-Relational Framework for Boys.