The traditional notion of mateship is in decline, according to a new relationships report that found 12 per cent of Australians have no close friends.
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The Real Relationships Report 2025, commissioned by life insurance firm Real Insurance and consumer research group MYMAVINS, found that the largest group (28 per cent) reported having three to four close friends, and a quarter had one to two.
On average, Gen Z and Gen Y each reported having four close friends. This dropped to just over three among Gen X, before rising to five for Baby Boomers.
The data also suggested that friendship etiquette appeared to be fading.
The report found more than half of Gen Z (54 per cent) have been ghosted, the act of cutting off all communication, by a friend - the highest rate of any generation.
'It's complicated'
The report also examined the changing landscape of dating in Australia due to the pressures of digital culture and rising costs.
More than half of respondents (50 per cent) said making new friends or dating had become harder in recent years.
Women felt this strain more acutely, the report found, with nearly three in five (57 per cent) saying dating had become much harder, compared with 45 per cent of men.
Despite seven in 10 stating the cost of living had affected how they date or spend time with friends, an average of $198.50 was spent on dating each month.
Men reported a higher average monthly spend of $222.30, compared to $174.10 for women.
The digital divide
Nearly two in five Gen Z respondents (37 per cent) said they sometimes felt more connected to online personalities than to people they know in real life.
Almost one in three reported feeling socially isolated.
Nearly three in four Gen Z respondents said they experienced "digital fatigue" from the constant demands of maintaining online relationships.
The report highlighted a striking contradiction: the digital platforms Gen Z depend on to stay connected were also a major source of their social fatigue.
Another pitfall of the rise of digital platforms was a decline in community, the report found.
72 per cent of respondents believed interest in neighbours has declined, and 62 per cent said they have lived next to someone for more than six months without ever meeting them.
Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; beyondblue 1300 224 636.
Carla Mascarenhas
Carla Mascarenhas is a journalist with Explore Travel and The Senior. She specialises in deep issues affecting Gen X and beyond, and the latest in travel news. Contact her on carla.mascarenhas@austcommunitymedia.com.au
