In Brief: Number of Americans Who Believe Aliens Visited Earth Reaches New High

The percentage of American who believe that space aliens have visited Earth in the past or are currently visiting has reached a new high, according to a recent YouGov survey. The survey of 1,114 adults conducted last month found that 47% of Americans think aliens have already existed, while 56% are sure aliens exist. This places alien visitation above belief in the existence of Bigfoot (28%), the Yeti (23%), the Loch Ness monster (22%), and Chupacabra (16%). The survey found that belief was roughly even across demographics of age, gender, and ideology, though Republicans were slightly more skeptical of alien visitation than Democrats. Similarly, liberals tended to see potential alien contact as unifying for humanity while conservatives are more likely to see it as a threat. The numbers are a small but significant rise since the 2018 Chapman University survey that found 41% of Americans believed in ancient alien visitations and 35% in current alien arrivals. Most interesting, Americans seem to be polarizing on alien beliefs, with more people expressing strongly pro or con opinions and fewer claiming not to know. While there is no indication of why the numbers have risen, as they have steadily for a decade, the propaganda campaign to promote ufology currently running through Congress and the mainstream media is the most obvious source, amplified through waves of podcasts, YouTube videos, TikTok videos, and other social media platforms that reinforce and harden beliefs.