Young People More Likely to Spend Christmas Alone
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The number of young people spending Christmas Day alone has doubled since 1969, according to new research by the Policy Institute at King’s College London. One in nine people will spend Christmas Day alone this year.
While the percentage of people aged 65 and over spending Christmas alone has stayed the same at 15%, the number has risen for other demographics. Among people aged 21 to 34, one in 11 will be alone on Christmas Day.
Professor Bobby Duffy from the Policy Institute says that Christmas feels a bit more lonely and less magical now than it did 55 years ago. “The number of people spending Christmas alone has doubled. We are also less likely to say we enjoy it and do not want parents to tell children to believe in Santa,” he said. Still, most people like Christmas.
Eight in 10 say they enjoy it, and nine in 10 will spend it with family or friends. The study used surveys from UK adults in 2024 and 1969. It checks changes in British beliefs and lifestyles. It showed that 80% of people now enjoy Christmas, a small drop from 86% in 1969. The religious part has lessened, with 60% seeing it as more about family than religion, compared to 53% in 1969.
Professor Duffy said although many things have changed since 1969, some are still the same. This helps understand how society changes over time.
Vocabulary and Phrases: Demographics (the statistical characteristics of populations), lonely (feeling isolated), magical (having an enchanting or extraordinary quality), doubled (increased by two times), lessened (reduced in amount or intensity), surveys (questionnaires used to collect data), beliefs (convictions or opinions held by individuals), lifestyles (the way people live their lives)
The number of young people spending Christmas Day alone has doubled since 1969, according to new research by the Policy Institute at King’s College London. One in nine people will spend Christmas Day alone this year.
While the percentage of people aged 65 and over spending Christmas alone has stayed the same at 15%, the number has risen for other demographics. Among people aged 21 to 34, one in 11 will be alone on Christmas Day.
Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute, noted that Christmas feels a bit lonelier and less magical now compared to 55 years ago. “The proportion of people spending the day itself alone has doubled, we’re less likely to say we enjoy it, and a lot less likely to think parents should encourage their children to believe in Santa” he said. However, he emphasized that the majority still enjoy Christmas, with eight in 10 saying they do, and nine in 10 planning to spend it with family or friends.
The study, based on nationally representative surveys of UK adults in 2024 and 1969, is part of a series examining changes in Britain’s core beliefs and lifestyles. It found that 80% of people today enjoy Christmas, a slight drop from 86% in 1969. The religious aspect of Christmas has diminished, with 60% viewing it as a family occasion rather than a religious one, compared to 53% in 1969.
Professor Duffy highlighted that while much has changed since 1969, some aspects have remained constant, showing the value of long-term trends in understanding societal shifts.
Vocabulary and Phrases: demographics (the statistical characteristics of populations), magical (having an enchanting or extraordinary quality), proportion (the relationship in size, amount, or degree between something and something else), emphasized (gave special importance to something), core beliefs (fundamental principles or values that shape an individual’s worldview or behavior), diminished (reduced in size, importance, or strength), occasion (a special event or celebration), constant (remaining unchanged over time), trends (general directions or tendencies in which something is developing or changing)
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