Loneliness is positively associated with populist radical right support

OBJECTIVES: The mental and physical health consequences of loneliness are well documented. However, loneliness's socio-political ramifications have been largely unexplored. We theorize that loneliness, due to its physiologically dysregulating impact on the nervous system, facilitates greater susceptibility towards populist radical right parties.

METHODS: We tested our hypothesis in 25 unique tests in four population-based samples (N = 40852), spanning nine countries - the Netherlands (15 tests, 2008-2023), Germany (two samples; 2017, 2018), Austria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Hungary, Sweden, and Switzerland (all in 2017). Logistic regressions were run per year and per country. Two internal meta-analyses were run, the first for the Dutch sample and the second for the cross country dataset.

RESULTS: In the Netherlands, lonelier individuals were more likely to support the populist radical right across 15 tests spanning 15 years of data, with 11 tests reaching statistical significance - odds ratios ranging from 1.1 to 1.38. For the cross country analysis, Denmark reached statistical significance (OR = 1.2, 90% CI = 1.01, 1.42). Due to smaller sample sizes however, the cross country tests were underpowered to reliably detect small effects.

CONCLUSIONS: Loneliness is positively associated with support for the populist radical right in the Netherlands. The effect sizes are comparable to common health correlates of loneliness - high blood pressure, heart diseases, and depression - emphasizing their socio-political relevance. Going forward, well-powered cross-national replications are needed.