Poll: Most believe extraterrestrial life exists – and some think it's already here

Politics CBS News poll finds most Americans believe extraterrestrial life exists – and some think it's already here By Jennifer De Pinto, Anthony Salvanto, Anthony Salvanto CBS News Director of Elections and Surveys Anthony Salvanto, Ph.D., is CBS News' executive director of elections and surveys. He oversees the CBS News Poll and all surveys across topics and heads the CBS News Decision Desk that estimates outcomes on election nights Read Full Bio Anthony Salvanto, Fred Backus June 11, 2026 / 7:00 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google We are not alone in space – and maybe not even on Earth. At least that's what the public believes.Most Americans believe intelligent life exists on other planets, and one in five think they've already made contact with us. For those who don't think that's happened yet, many expect contact at some point in the future. If such face-to-face encounters were to take place on Earth, Americans say they would greet the alien visitors with more fascination than fear, along with some unease. The government's recent release of UFO files has some Americans saying we've already been visited by extraterrestrial life. This is especially the case among those who have watched the videos in the UFO files.And people suspect there's still more to come. Eight in 10 think the government knows more about UFOs than it is telling. The percentage who believe intelligent life exists on other planets has become more widespread in recent years. Looking back just to 2010, fewer than half of Americans believed that. Since that time, higher numbers of men, women and people across age groups and education levels now believe in the existence of intelligent life.    People say they would be more curious than scared about the prospect of meeting extraterrestrials should they come to Earth. But such contact also generates some anxiety — more would be nervous than calm. Ever seen a UFO?The debate about whether UFOs have visite...