Mention Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster and you’re bound to get an eyeroll in response, but it all depends on who you’re talking to. Belief in the unknown, whether you’re talking extraterrestrials or legendary creatures, is surprisingly common in the U.S. And new research reveals just how many Americans think aliens and other legendary beings are real.
According to a YouGov poll of 1,114 adults nationwide, more than half (56%) believe in aliens. That includes 18% who think they definitely exist and 38% who think they probably exist.
- Nearly half (47%) of Americans also believe aliens have definitely or probably visited Earth at some point.
- About a third say UFO sightings are proof of alien spacecraft, but others think they’re natural phenomena, secret military technology, or optical illusions.
- Younger Americans are more likely to believe in extraterrestrials than older adults, and men tend to believe more than women.
- Far fewer people feel the same about all the other beings in the poll. Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, has the second-highest number of believers with 28%. Only 4% think the legendary ape-like creature definitely exists, 24% say he probably does, while 60% say he probably (27%) or definitely (33%) does not exist.
- There are plenty of skeptics, but Bigfoot is a big part of pop culture, especially in the Pacific Northwest.
- The chupacabra, which means “goat sucker” in Spanish, is a cryptid that’s said to attack livestock, particularly in Latin America and the southern U.S.
- Only 16% of Americans believe it exists, 60% think it likely or definitely doesn’t, and 24% aren’t sure, which is a higher level of uncertainty than for aliens or Bigfoot.
- More people believe in the Yeti, 3% say it definitely exists and 20% say it probably does.
- The Loch Ness Monster still has 3% who say it definitely exists and 19% who think it probably does.
Source: Visual Capitalist
Scott's Thoughts:
- It’s fun to joke around, but do that many people really believe that Bigfoot exists?!
- I do believe that aliens exist but think they are too far away to ever travel here. Even at light speed.
- Loch Ness is a funny one. No real evidence but people still believe.