Loneliness and Community Living: What the Research Says
Can living in a community by the sea help with loneliness? Research does not point to any single place as a cure, but it is clear that regular, real contact with other people matters for health, and that shared places and routines make that contact easier. Eco Beach City, on Sumba Island in Indonesia, is designed around exactly those shared places and routines.
This article summarises what two major public health reports say, explains why environment and habit matter, and describes, without overselling, how life at Eco Beach City is organised. It is not medical advice. If you are struggling, please talk to a doctor or a mental health professional.
What the research says
The WHO Commission on Social Connection (2025)
In June 2025, the World Health Organization published the report of its Commission on Social Connection. According to the WHO, 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness, and loneliness is linked to an estimated 871,000 deaths a year, about 100 every hour.
The same WHO release reports that:
- Between 17% and 21% of people aged 13 to 29 said they felt lonely, with the highest rates among teenagers.
- Social isolation affects up to 1 in 3 older adults and 1 in 4 adolescents.
- Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and premature death, and lonely people are about twice as likely to become depressed.
The WHO called on countries, communities and individuals to make social connection a public health priority.
The US Surgeon General's advisory (2023)
Two years earlier, in May 2023, the US Surgeon General issued an advisory titled Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation. It reported that about half of US adults experienced measurable levels of loneliness, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, and that lacking social connection can raise the risk of premature death to a level comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Many of its recommendations were about the physical and social environment: public spaces where people meet, and a culture that makes connection normal rather than something you have to organise from scratch.
Why shared places and routines help
Neither report says that moving somewhere will fix loneliness. What they do highlight is that connection depends a lot on context: where you spend your days and who you see without having to plan it.
Three ideas follow from that:
- Repeated, low-effort contact. Seeing the same people at the same table, court or desk makes it easier for acquaintances to become friends. A weekly game is easier to keep than a monthly dinner you have to arrange by message.
- Shared spaces. A coworking room, a court or a common dining area gives people a reason to be in the same place without a formal plan.
- A shared purpose or rhythm. Doing something together, such as working, playing a sport or learning, gives people something to talk about beyond small talk.
Remote work has made some of this harder. Many people now work from a laptop at home, which removes the office as a default place to see others. That is one reason we wrote a separate guide on working remotely from Sumba.
How Eco Beach City is built around community
Eco Beach City is a beachfront community on Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, inside a private seafront residence with 2 km of beach. Here is what exists today, and how each part is meant to bring people together.
Places that are already open
- 24 homes built, with guests already staying on site.
- A beachfront coworking space with Starlink internet (200+ Mbps reported), so people who work remotely can work next to each other instead of alone.
- Padel and tennis courts, which make it easy to join a game after work.
Routines built into membership
Community membership is the simplest way in. For €1,500, or 10 × €150 interest free, you get:
- Two member cards.
- Stays of 1 to 6 weeks every year, with one week guaranteed and more when there is space.
- Member talks, dinners and events.
- 30 top experience retreats, one every year for 30 years, each led by a top expert.
Membership does not include flights or meals, and it is not property. It is designed for people who want to be part of the community regularly without buying a home. Our post on community membership explained goes into more detail.
Homes for those who want to stay longer
For people who want a base of their own, there is the Beach Cabin at €36,500 with furniture included, and the villa at €295,000. Both sit inside the same community, so owners share the same coworking, courts and events.
What a community cannot do
It is worth being honest about limits:
- A place is not a treatment. If loneliness comes with persistent low mood, anxiety or thoughts of self-harm, a professional is the right first step, wherever you live.
- Connection still takes effort. Shared spaces make it easier to meet people. They do not do the work of friendship for you.
- Moving has costs. Being far from family and old friends can make some people lonelier, at least at first. A trial stay, or a membership week, is a gentler way to find out.
- Sumba is remote. That is part of its appeal, but it means fewer of the services you may be used to in a big city. Read our guide to living in Sumba before you decide.
A gentle way to try it
You do not need to move to find out whether a place like this suits you. You can walk the town online in LiveIt, the 3D video game of Eco Beach City, watch a recorded call with founder Carlos at /call, or book a visit. Getting there is usually a one-hour flight from Bali (Denpasar) to Tambolaka, with daily morning departures; see How to get here.
FAQ
How common is loneliness?
According to the WHO Commission on Social Connection (2025), about 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness. The US Surgeon General's 2023 advisory reported that about half of US adults experienced measurable loneliness.
Is loneliness bad for physical health?
According to the WHO, loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline and premature death.
Can moving to a community cure loneliness?
No place can promise that. Shared spaces and regular routines make contact with others easier, but if you are struggling, speak to a health professional first.
What community activities are there at Eco Beach City?
A beachfront coworking space, padel and tennis courts, and, for members, talks, dinners, events and one expert-led retreat a year.
Do I have to buy a home to join?
No. Community membership costs €1,500 (or 10 × €150 interest free) and is not property.
Next step
If you want more shared tables, games and conversations in your year, start with community membership. It gives you two member cards, at least one week a year by the sea, member dinners and events, and a yearly retreat, without buying anything. You can always decide later whether a home of your own makes sense.