Unmet socio-emotional needs are a significant concern in ageing societies since they affect individuals’ health and wellbeing. This study focuses on the concept of socio-emotional care poverty, where people in need of social and emotional support do not receive sufficient support from either informal or formal sources. The research investigates whether older people have a higher, moderate or lower risk of socio-emotional care poverty. The study also explores how the composition of and the contact frequency with their social network members are associated with this phenomenon. This study used a national-level survey collected in Finland between October and December 2020 among people aged 75 years and above living in their own homes (N = 2,585). The results showed that 7 per cent (n = 175) of respondents are at high risk, while 26 per cent (n = 684) are at moderate risk of socio-emotional care poverty. The high-risk group has less frequent contact with children, siblings, relatives and friends. Relationships with both family and non-family members significantly impact socio-emotional care poverty in older people. Obtaining emotional support from family members or others outside of one’s immediate family in today’s society is becoming increasingly challenging owing to changing family structures and reduced health and social care support. Therefore, special attention should be given to older people in high-risk and moderate-risk groups to ensure that their basic care needs are met, allowing them to maintain a good quality of life.