The Fact
The 2025 World Happiness Report, using U.S. time-use data, reported that about 26% of American adults ate all of their meals alone on the previous day in 2023. Among Americans living with other people, 18% ate all meals alone in 2023, compared with 12% in 2003.
What This Means
Eating alone has become more common in the United States, including among people who do not live alone. Shared meals are one measurable marker of social connection.
Sources
- World Happiness Report 2025, using U.S. time-use data.