Friend rental platforms like UrFriendly are expanding across France to help residents combat social isolation by hiring customized companions for short-term activities.
Journalist Adrien Portron examined the trend on the television show Bonjour ! La Matinale TF1. He reported that friend rental services are already popular in the United States and Asia, including Japan where people hire actors to act as boyfriends, best friends, or substitute fathers under social pressure. Globally, the company Rent a Friend lists more than 46,000 profiles.
Services and Costs in France
In France, the platform UrFriendly charges 20 euros per hour for companionship. The website promises users the chance to build connections and share memorable moments without long-term commitments. According to Portron, the founder created UrFriendly after seeing many nursing home residents in France who received no visitors.
Isolation remains high among older demographics, with the 2021 Petits Frères des Pauvres barometer indicating that 2 million elderly people in France are isolated from social circles. A septuagenarian named Raymond told newspaper Le Figaro that he used UrFriendly to connect with a younger companion. Portron stated that the pair shared a meal at a restaurant, went fishing, and now meet regularly without using the platform.
Rising Loneliness Statistics
Social isolation is also prevalent among younger populations. Data published by Fondation de France in 2025 shows that 35 percent of people between 25 and 39 years old feel lonely. Overall loneliness in France intensified following the Covid-19 crisis, with an Ifop poll showing that feelings of solitude grew from 15 percent in 2018 to 31 percent in 2024.
Portron emphasized that loneliness represents a major mental health issue in the country. The organization SOS Amitié logged more than 3,700,000 calls in 2024, which Portron noted was a record number.
