London - Men have always found striking up friendships more of a challenge.
And now a study has found nearly one in five men has no close friends, and a third have no "best friends".
The figures compare with 12 percent of women with no close friends and 24 percent no best friend. The YouGov survey also found despite having fewer friends, men were less likely to admit to being lonely.
The poll found 44 percent said they felt lonely sometimes, often or all of the time, while 50 percent of women admitted similar feelings. The survey of 2 149 adults also found 18 percent of men cultivated a new friendship in the previous six months, while 22 percent of women had done so.
Robin Hewings, of the Campaign to End Loneliness, told The Times: "Women are more likely to have wider social networks than men across their lifetime and spend more time cultivating their existing friendships and meeting new people.
"For a lot of men, friendships formed in the workplace are key, which can lead to isolation in retirement. Men are also more likely to live alone in later life. It’s important men take time to catch up with friends and take part in activities and hobbies."
The poll found 71 percent of women made friends at the school gates or children’s clubs. Men were more likely to form friendships at a pub or sports club.