New research that included more than 24,000 people has found that having diverse groups of friends improves wellbeing and social cohesion, even though people tend to socialise with those similar to themselves.

The study used data from 24,726 adults from over 10,000 English neighbourhoods to examine the composition of people’s social networks according to age, ethnicity, income, and education, to understand the implications of homophily (preference for similar people) on social cohesion and subjective well-being.

The findings revealed that despite the tendency to associate with ‘people like us,’ those with mixed social networks reported higher levels of social cohesion within their neighbourhoods, which was closely associated with increased personal well-being.

The researchers found that feelings of social cohesion and satisfaction with life reached their peak when people had a friend group with about half (50%) of the members having a difference in age, race, income or education.

The implications of this research extend beyond individual friendship to broader societal structures. By embracing diversity and fostering inclusive environments, communities stand to benefit from greater social harmony and collective well-being.

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