Before arriving, Matilde expected Australia's famously social, laid-back culture to make settling in easier - she couldn't have been more wrong. Australians have a reputation for being outgoing and easy to talk to. But according to the Italian expat who has built a life across four different countries, that doesn't necessarily make them easy to befriend.Matilde, who grew up in Italy and has also lived in Switzerland, the UK, and Canada, said Australia was by far the 'worst place' to form meaningful friendships.Not because people were rude but because they already seemed to have all the friends they needed.'Australia has been the hardest country to make friends in,' she said in a video.Before arriving, Matilde expected Australia's famously social culture to make settling in easier.'The perception I had of Australians was that they were very extroverted, friendly, and eager to make new friends,' she explained.Instead, she found many people appeared content with long-established friendship groups.Matilde, who grew up in Italy and has also lived in Switzerland, the UK, and Canada, said Australia was by far the most difficult place to form meaningful friendships'They want their friends from school. They want their inner circle. They want to be friends with who they know.'Her comments struck a nerve because they highlighted something many migrants, interstate movers, and even lifelong Australians have quietly observed for years: meeting people isn't the problem.But building a friendship that extends beyond occasional chats and casual catch-ups often is.One Sydney local who recently relocated to Brisbane said they experienced the same thing.'Everyone is always friendly, but it always feels like you're making surface-level acquaintances rather than genuine friendships,' they wrote.Another summed it up more bluntly.'People are friendly here but don't want to make actual friends.'For Matilde, the disconnect comes down to the type of conversations people are willing to have.Matilde's comments struck a nerve because they highlighted something many migrants, interstate movers, and even lifelong Australians have quietly observed for years'They're really good at small talk and it's something I absolutely cannot do,' she said.'I don't want to talk about the weather. I don't want to talk about what I did over the weekend.'Instead, she wants to understand people on a deeper level.'I want to talk about who you are. I want to talk about where you're from and your experiences.'That desire for emotional closeness isn't unusual.In recent years, loneliness has become a growing topic of conversation around the world, particularly among adults who have moved cities, changed jobs, or found themselves rebuilding social circles later in life.While making friends as a child often happens naturally through school, adulthood tends to be far more structured. Existing commitments, families, careers, and routines leave less room for new relationships to develop.Some Australians argued that was exactly what Matilde was experiencing.