The Truth is Out There -- Two in Three Canadians (65%) Believe in Alien Life Forms; Belief in UFOs at 56%
Toronto, ON, July 19, 2021 – When it comes to life in other worlds, new Ipsos research suggests that most Canadians want to believe. The latest survey for Blue Ant Media finds that a majority of Canadians – two in three (65%) – believe that intelligent life exists somewhere else in the universe. This opinion is more prevalent among men (70%) than women (61%), and among Millennials (70%) and Gen Xers (70%) than Boomers (58%). One in ten Canadians (11%) say they don’t believe intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe, leaving one in four (24%) who aren’t sure.
There is more skepticism toward UFOs, but here too, more than half (56%) say they believe, rising to 76% among those who believe in intelligent extraterrestrial life. Among the believers are 9% who claim to have seen a UFO themselves.
Close encounters of the alien kind are most likely to happen in the Prairies: 16% of Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents claim to have seen a UFO, compared to 10% of Quebecers, 9% of Ontarians, 8% of Albertans, 7% of British Columbians, and just 5% of Atlantic Canadians. Men (64%) are significantly more likely than women (48%) to believe in UFOs, and to claim they have seen one (11% vs. 7%).
Though a majority of Canadians may believe in UFOs, the prevailing attitude toward them is surprisingly laid-back. Fewer than two in ten (17%) say the Canadian government should have a dedicated task force and battle plan in place for a potential alien invasion. Half (51%) say no, and one in three (32%) are unsure. Even among UFO believers, only one in four (25%) think Canada should have a task force and battle plan in place.
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between May 18-20, 2021, on behalf of Blue Ant Media for their new T+E original series, Encounter: UFO, premiering Tuesday, August 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
For this survey, a sample of 1,001 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed online. Quotas and weighting were employed to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the Canadian population according to census parameters. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ± 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadians aged 18+ been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Vice President, Ipsos Public Affairs
+1 416 324 2002
[email protected]
About Ipsos
Ipsos is the world’s third largest market research company, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people.
Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. We serve more than 5000 clients across the world with 75 business solutions.
Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos is listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1st, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 index and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).
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