- 75%
- believe life of some form exists elsewhere in the universe (US)Gallup 2019
- 65%
- believe intelligent life exists on other planets (US)Pew 2021
- 41%
- believe some UFOs have been alien spacecraft (US)Gallup 2021
- 22%
- believe aliens have visited Earth (Sweden)Novus 2021
Belief in life beyond Earth
Two different wordings: “life of some form” elsewhere in the universe, versus “intelligent life on other planets”.
A majority answers yes to both questions in every measurement since 2019. The 55–71% range for intelligent life is largely a function of wording and pollster, not real shifts in opinion.
UFOs/UAP as alien craft
Share who think at least some sightings are likely alien craft rather than human or natural phenomena.
The long trend is upward since the 1990s, with a clear peak in 2021 after the Pentagon UAP reporting. This remains a minority view — unlike belief in life elsewhere.
Belief that governments are withholding information
Share who think the U.S. government knows more about UFOs/UAP than it is telling.
Stable at roughly two thirds for thirty years, across party lines and education levels. This institutional distrust, not belief in aliens, is the actual political problem.
Has anyone already visited Earth?
Share who believe aliens have visited Earth. Sweden compared with the US.
This is where the countries diverge most. Swedish measurements are also rare: Novus 2021 is the only nationally representative poll I found with comparable wording.
How I read the material
The opening question on this site is about existence, not visits. On that question the answer is unambiguous: in every measurement since the 1990s a majority says life exists elsewhere. So “most people would say no” is reasonably well supported for the US, and probably for Sweden too — although Swedish polling on existence specifically is strikingly thin.
Move the question to UFOs/UAP as alien craft and the majority disappears at once. Between 30% and 41% lean that way. Move it to “have they visited Earth” and Sweden lands at 22% against 37–47% in the US.
This slide between three different questions is what makes the debate bad. Anyone citing the 75% figure to justify claims about visits, contact or alliances has quietly switched questions. That a majority believes life exists elsewhere is a reasonable inference about a large universe — it is not evidence of anything at all about what happens in Earth's atmosphere.
Caveats
- The figures come from different pollsters using different methods (telephone, web panel) and different sample sizes. Compare trends, not decimals.
- Question wording drives the outcome more than anything else. The chart series are therefore kept separate per question.
- Rasmussen Reports has a more contested methodology than Gallup, Pew and YouGov. Their 2023-to-2024 movement should be read with caution.
- Sweden lacks recurring measurement in this area. Novus 2021 is a one-off, not a time series.
- Polling tells you what people believe, never what is true.
Sources
All figures are taken directly from the pollsters' own publications.
- Gallup: Americans Skeptical of UFOs, but Say Government Knows More (2019)
- Gallup: Larger Minority in U.S. Says Some UFOs Are Alien Spacecraft (2021)
- Pew Research Center: Most Americans believe in intelligent life beyond Earth (2021)
- Novus: 22 % av svenskarna tror på utomjordingar (2021)
- YouGov: A growing share of Americans believe aliens are responsible for UFOs (2023)
- YouGov: Most say the government isn't open about UFOs (2024)
- YouGov: Half of Americans believe aliens have visited Earth (2025)
- Rasmussen Reports: 37% Think Space Aliens Have Visited Planet (2024)