While this is connected with stats in the UK, we can see similar trends in Australia. Voysey revisits ways to grow friendships and argues they are needed for life.
"American author David Brooks has described life as ‘a series of daring adventures from a secure base’. I’ve come to believe that friends are that secure base – the companions who launch us into our vocations and provide a place to return to when things go wrong..."
Source: https://licc.org.uk/resources/the-soil-that-makes-friendship-grow/