Credits: Social Media
How many friends does the typical American have?
Though you might think you have a bustling social life with an ever-expanding group of friends, the average American actually has a much smaller circle.�
Friendships take on many forms, but at their core, are about mutual respect and support. Unfortunately, 52% of Americans reported feeling lonely, and a further 47% admitted to lacking meaningful relationships.�
How many friends does the typical American have?
In an annual tracker on YouGov, researchers tracked the average American and how many friends they have.�
In 2024, the data identified that 40% of Americans have between two to three close friends. At a slightly slower percentage of 20% came Americans with four to five close friends.�
10% of those surveyed also reported having six to ten good pals, the same amount of people who admitted to having only one close friend.�
Shockingly, 3% of Americans, which is 10 million people, have eleven to fifteen close friends. Besides Taylor Swifts entourage, thats still a good portion of the American population that is stepping out on the town with a Little Leagues worth of buddies.��
Friendship is complicated
There is considerable research on the many benefits having friends can gift you, and contrastingly, how disastrous it can be when those relationships implode.
As a medical doctor, I wish I could prescribe friendships for everyone, says Kelli Harding, MD, told Everyday Health.
On the other end of the scale, loneliness is widely reported to have a number of detriments on both mental and physical health. In an interview with The Guardian, US social neuroscientist John Cacioppo elaborated on the loneliness as an iceberg metaphor.
He explained: What we think we prefer is often counter-productive for us. Loneliness is like an iceberg, we are conscious of the surface but there is a great deal more that is phylogenetically so deep that we cannot see it.
