According to the first EU-wide survey on loneliness, 13% of people reported feeling lonely all the time, while 35% reported the feeling of loneliness on some occasions.

However, the country with the lowest loneliness score was the Netherlands (below 10%), whereas in Romania less than 35% of respondents reported that they were aware of the existing mechanisms in the country designed to tackle loneliness (EU-LS 2022, EC).

While there is no information on the loneliness score in Serbia, it should be noted that Serbia is among the countries with the highest amount of aging population, whereas the average age is measured at 43.8 compared to the EU average of 42.6 years. In some regions, the statistics measure that almost every fourth person is over 65 years old (Statistical Office RS, 2023).

With most of the population being older than 65, there is a notable lack of inclusion of old people among communities. The statistics for both Netherlands and Romania, however, are much better compared to Sebia, where the persons aged over 65 presents only around 20% of general population (World Bank, 2022). As of September 2023, 128 projects led by 127 organisations in the EU have targeted the feeling of loneliness in people through connecting, social activities, awareness raising and psychological support (JRC, 2023). 

This project tackles the needs of Romania’s citizens to know more about fighting loneliness through active participation, proposes policy measures that would help to reintegrate the aging population into the society and fosters circular and sustainable green skills, which in turn is simultaneously helping enhance social inclusion and well-being of the senior citizens in Serbia and the Netherlands.