Editor's Note: This article was updated on Aug. 20, 2021, with Â鶹´«Ã½AV's latest data pertaining to Americans' views on UFOs.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Four in 10 Americans now think some UFOs that people have spotted have been alien spacecraft visiting Earth from other planets or galaxies. This is up from a third saying so two years ago. Half, however, believe all such sightings can be explained by human activity or natural phenomena, while an additional 9% are unsure.
| Aug 1-14, 2019 | Jul 6-21, 2021 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | pct. pts. | |
| Some have been alien spacecraft | 33 | 41 | +8 |
| All explained by human activity/natural phenomenon | 60 | 50 | -10 |
| No opinion | 7 | 9 | +2 |
| Â鶹´«Ã½AV | |||
These findings are based on a Â鶹´«Ã½AV poll conducted in July 2021.
While Americans are still inclined to think UFOs are not alien spacecraft, close to half believe alien life forms exist beyond Earth. A June 2019 poll found 49% of Americans believing there are "people somewhat like ourselves" living on other planets. A much larger percentage, 75%, said that "life of some form" exists elsewhere in the universe.
Learn more about U.S. public belief in UFOs in Â鶹´«Ã½AV's 2021 article, "Larger Minority in U.S. Says Some UFOs Are Alien Spacecraft."
For more articles in the "Short Answer" series, visit Â鶹´«Ã½AV's The Short Answer page.
