Friendship is really important to Americans, new research suggests. Pew Research Center surveyed 5,057 U.S. adults to find out more about their views and experiences with friendship and found that 61% say having close friends is extremely or very important to live a fulfilling life. That number is much higher than the people who say the same about being married (23%), having kids (26%) or having a lot of money (24%).
The poll also reveals:
- Just over half (53%) say they have between one and four close friends, while 38% have five or more and 8% say they don’t have any close friends.
- There’s an age divide when it comes to close friends, too. About half (49%) of those 65 and older say they have five or more close friends, compared to 40% of those between 50 and 64 years old, 34% of those 30 to 49 and 32% of those younger than 30.
- There’s not much difference between the number of close friendships men and women have, 50% of men and 55% of women say they have between one and four close friends and 40% of men and 36% of women have five or more close friends.
- Two-thirds say all or most of their close friends are the same gender as them, with women being more likely to say this than men (71% to 61%).
- Nearly three-quarters (72%) say they’re either completely or very satisfied with the quality of their friendships.
- Having more friends is also linked to being more satisfied with those friendships, with 81% of those with five or more close friends saying they’re completely or very satisfied with their friendships, compared to 65% of those with one to four close friends who say the same.
photo: getty Images Source: Pew Research Center