A 1990-to-2021 survey comparison found a steep contraction in American men’s friendship networks, although a change from phone to online interviewing makes the exact magnitude less certain.
American men’s friendship circles shrank dramatically between 1990 and 2021: the share with no close friends rose fivefold, from 3% to 15%, while the share with six or more was cut in half. Women declined too, but the contraction in large friendship networks was sharper among men.
Mind & Matter