Gallup Measures U.S. Public Attitudes Toward UFOs
A Gallup survey measured current U.S. attitudes toward UFOs and UAPs. Forty-nine percent regarded reported sightings as explainable by human activity or natural phenomena, 37 percent considered extraterrestrial spacecraft a possible explanation for at least some sightings, and 13 percent expressed no opinion. Seventy-eight percent believed the U.S. government knows more about the subject than it publicly discloses.
Background
Gallup's survey, conducted from July 1 through July 19, 2026, examined how the U.S. public perceives UFOs. It covered possible explanations, public familiarity with the topic, claimed personal sighting experiences, and confidence in government transparency.
Seventeen percent of respondents said they had personally seen something they considered a UFO. Among this group, 61 percent thought at least some UFOs could be extraterrestrial spacecraft, compared with 33 percent among respondents without such an experience.
The findings were also compared with Gallup measurements from 1973, 2019, and 2021. The comparison primarily indicated a growing undecided group and continuing public distrust regarding full government disclosure of UFO-related information.
Significance
The survey provides institutionally collected comparative data on changes in U.S. public perceptions of UFOs and UAPs. Its long-term measurements of uncertainty, claimed sightings, and distrust of government transparency are particularly relevant.