Nearly 80% of Russians believe in aliens – poll

Older generations tend to be more amenable to the idea of extraterrestrial life, while younger people are more skeptical, the survey shows

A new survey has found that nearly eight in ten Russians (79%) believe in the existence of intelligent life beyond Earth and many are open to the idea that aliens may already be among us. The poll was conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTSIOM). 

Older respondents were more likely to accept the idea that such beings may already be present on Earth, while younger people expressed greater skepticism. A belief in extraterrestrial life was also slightly more common among men at 83%, versus 76% of women.

Nearly half of those surveyed (46%) believe alien visitors may be secretly observing Earth while concealing their presence from humanity.

When asked how they would feel if it were confirmed that humans are not alone in the universe, 77% said they would be “curious.” Others reported feeling “anxiety” (30%) or “hope” (15%).

As for what aliens might do if they arrived on Earth, the majority of respondents said they would likely merely observe rather than invade: 61% think they would simply watch humans, 19% believe they would try to establish friendly relations, and 10% fear they might attempt to seize control of the planet.

READ MORE: Scientist pitches ‘morbid’ theory on why aliens haven’t made contact

Respondents were also asked which books they would recommend to alien guests to help them understand humanity. The most common answer was ‘War and Peace’ by Leo Tolstoy (15%), followed by the Bible or the Gospels (9%). ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky and ‘1984’ by George Orwell were each chosen by 4%.

The survey included 1,606 Russians aged 18 and older. It was conducted online using a representative sample of participants selected by the research center. The margin of error does not exceed 2.5%, meaning the results are considered accurate within that range 95% of the time, according to VTSIOM.