Australian men are experiencing loneliness, with a majority of them saying they have lost contact with more friends than they would like, according to a new study.

The new report for charity beyondblue shows men aren’t happy with the quality of their friendships, and feel like they don’t have anyone outside their family to rely on.

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Some of the biggest reasons for men losing friends included when participation in groups such as sporting clubs ceased, as well as changes in family or work circumstances.

A third of men said they didn’t spend much time talking to their friends and were unhappy with the quality of their friendships, while one in four said they felt they had no friends to rely on.

Half of men said they rarely talked about personal issues with mates.

While one in five men said they liked to catch up at the pub, 39 per cent of those surveyed said they weren’t involved in any social activities.

Men between the age of 35 and 54 were most likely to neglect their friendships, the study found.

Beyondblue chairman Jeff Kennett told Fairfax it was important for men to maintain a balance in life.

“We should be getting the message out to men and their partners that as they go through these changes they shouldn’t lose contact with the things that give them the balance in their life,” Mr Kennett said.