Archive · 24 Sep 2026
Urban Indian Singles Face Loneliness Despite Active Social Lives
A survey looked at 1,000 single adults in Indian cities.
It found that 35% often or always feel lonely.
Many of these people still meet friends or other people regularly.
Some feel that their conversations are not deep enough.
Work, studies, and tiredness can make socialising harder.
Phones help people stay in touch, but online contact does not always make them feel less lonely.
Many singles now prefer a few close relationships instead of many casual ones.
Most still believe in true love and want a long-term partner.
They also want dating apps to provide safer and more trustworthy ways to meet people.
A survey of 1,000 Indian singles found that 35% feel lonely often or always.
Despite this, 75% meet people in person more than once a week and 70% work to build new social networks.
Work, studies, and exhaustion limit socialising, with 64% prioritising responsibilities and 55% lacking energy after daily tasks.
Digital contact does not always provide emotional fulfilment: 58% feel connected online but lonely in real life.
Most respondents seek deeper, long-term relationships, while dating-app users emphasise authenticated profiles and visible safety features.
- Who
- Ipsos surveyed 1,000 single adults aged 18 to 45 in India; the survey was conducted for Match Group.
- What
- The survey found that many urban Indian singles experience loneliness despite active social lives and widespread digital communication.
- When
- The survey date is not specified in the article.
- Where
- India’s major metropolitan and Tier-1 cities.
- Why
- Work and study pressures, exhaustion, surface-level interactions, and a gap between online and real-life connection are identified as contributors to loneliness.
- Survey sample
- 1,000 single adults aged 18 to 45
- Frequent loneliness
- 35% feel lonely often or always
- In-person meetings
- 75% meet people in person more than once a week
- Social effort
- 70% are actively trying to build friendships and networks
- Work and exhaustion
- 64% prioritise work or studies over social life; 55% are too exhausted to socialise
- Digital disconnection
- 58% feel connected online but lonely in real life
- Relationship preferences
- 85% seek a long-term relationship, while 63% would rather remain single than settle