According to new research, we make just 29 real friends in our lifetime and only six of them last the distance.

A study, which charted the social lives of 2,000 people, showed that we lose touch with almost half of the friends that we make. It found that the average person will make 29 real friends over the years but will lose at least five of those along the way due to arguments. We then lose touch with at least another eight of these 29 due to different lifestyles and moving house. Meanwhile, six out of 10 people had friends who just disappeared out of their lives with no real reason as to why the friendship had ended. The study also revealed that ties with at least five friends and family members will be cut over the course of a lifetime due to a massive fallout. Arguments over money is the most likely cause of a falling out, while topics such as relationship break-ups, being lied to and workplace disputes were cited as other causes of a divide. With so many people moving and settling down abroad, friendships were also seen to fade out as a result of distance and living different lives. Putting a partner ahead of a friendship was another cause of the breakdown of a friendship. However, despite losing touch with so many people, the research found that if we maintain contact with our friends for more than three and a half years, then these are the ones who tend to last the distance – which is just as well seeing as you are set to lose 45 per cent of your friends down through the years! Indeed, the average person considers just one fifth of their Facebook friends to be actual friends while, despite us making 29 real friends, it was also revealed that just six of these will last a lifetime as a result of the current social circles. Don’t lose all hope though, as it was shown that over a third of people who attempted to reconnect with friends and family who they were no longer in touch with were successful.