One in four Australians is lonely — and Relationships Australia is calling on everyone to do something about it.
As Neighbour Day arrives on Sunday March 29, the organisation is urging people to reach out, include someone, and help build communities where everyone feels they belong.
Australia’s loneliness crisis is deepening, with one in four people now reporting feelings of loneliness, up from one in five in 2022. Among young adults aged 18 to 24, one in three say they feel lonely always or frequently. Chronic loneliness is linked to poor mental health and is a major risk factor for suicide.
Despite the scale of the problem, research shows that the solution can be simple. Everyday acts of connection — a chat, an invitation, or even a friendly wave — can make a real difference to how people feel about their community and their sense of belonging.
Belonging Every Day
This year’s Neighbour Day theme, Belonging Every Day, encourages Australians to make inclusion and connection part of daily life, not just a once-a-year event.
Neighbour Day, held annually on the last Sunday in March, is the national day of action for Neighbours Every Day — Relationships Australia’s year-round campaign promoting social connection. Now in its third decade, the campaign has been independently evaluated by researchers from the Australian National University and the University of Queensland.
Findings show that 85 per cent of participants reported knowing their neighbours better, with 99 per cent of those connections lasting over time. Sixty-three per cent also experienced improved mental health outcomes.
The campaign has been endorsed in Australia’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025–2035 and recognised by the World Health Organization’s 2025 Social Connection Report as one of the few evidence-based community connection initiatives worldwide.
Small Actions, Big Impact
Relationships Australia is encouraging everyone to take one small action this Sunday — host a morning tea, check in on a neighbour, share something from the garden, or spend a few extra minutes chatting at the letterbox.
“We all have a role to play in making sure the people around us feel seen, valued and included,” said Nick Tebbey, National Executive Officer at Relationships Australia. “Neighbour Day is a reminder that connection starts with us. And it doesn’t have to be complicated.”
The organisation has also called on the Federal Government to invest in expanding the Neighbours Every Day campaign as part of its 2026 Budget submission, highlighting its cost-effectiveness and alignment with national priorities such as child well-being, suicide prevention and community resilience.
Free resources and ideas for Neighbour Day are available at neighbourseveryday.org.
