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

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.

The debate about whether UFOs have visited Earth continues.

Seventeen percent of Americans report having personally seen something they thought was a UFO. This is similar to what Gallup polling has shown in recent years, but a higher percentage than what their polling found in the 1970s.

More men than women report having seen a UFO.

People who say they have seen what they believe was a UFO overwhelmingly think intelligent life exists, and most would be curious upon meeting such beings, with many also saying they would feel nervous and excited about the prospect.

Americans are split on whether reports of UFOs might sometimes be caused by alien spacecrafts visiting Earth, or are always the result of human or natural activity that comes from Earth.

Those who believe intelligent life exists out there overwhelmingly think reports of UFOs are at least sometimes the result of alien spacecraft visiting. But those who don't believe in intelligent life think the more likely explanation is human or natural activity.

Most Americans have heard or read at least something about the federal government's release of files and videos related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAP, also known as Unidentified Flying Objects, and four in 10 report watching videos that were released.

Three in 10 say this material has made them more likely to believe that aliens visited Earth, a figure that rises to four in 10 among those who have watched videos.

Americans still think the U.S. government knows more.

A big majority says the government is not telling all it knows about UFOs. It's the predominant opinion among those who believe in extraterrestrial life, as well as those who do not. And there is agreement across party lines on this: Most Democrats, Republicans and independents don't think the government is telling the public all it knows.

This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,023 U.S. adults interviewed between June 2-4, 2026. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to gender, age, race, and education, based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±2.8 points. CBS News polls cited in this analysis from 1997, 2010, 2017 and 2021 were conducted by phone.