The Americans More Likely To Believe In Ghosts

There are five demographics in the U.S. which are more likely to believe in ghosts than others, according to recent research from Gallup.

Why It Matters

Paranormal belief, whether its ghosts or spiritual healing, has long been a societal and cultural fascination, from Paranormal Investigator TV Shows to fictionalized horror movies and franchises.

Stock image: a ghost decoration hanging in front of a house in Kensington Market, Toronto Ontario Canada, taken on October 30, 2024.

Getty Images/Ashley L Duffus

What To Know

Gallup’s poll found that Americans are mostly skeptical about paranormal phenomena, but certain demographics are more likely to believe than others.

The demographics more likely to have paranormal beliefs are:

Women, 40 percent
People who infrequently attend religious service, 40 percent
College non graduates 38 percent
Political moderates, 37 percent
Liberals, 35 percent

These groups are all more likely to be open to belief than men (28 percent), conservatives (28 percent), college graduates (28 percent) and weekly churchgoers (22 percent).

Overall, 48 percent of American adults believe in psychic or spiritual healing, while 39 percent express a belief in ghosts.

The Gallup poll also identified eight paranormal phenomena, which are listed below.

Psychic or spiritual healing or the power of the human mind to heal the body
Ghosts, or that spirits of dead people can come back in certain places and situations
Telepathy, or communication between minds without using the traditional five senses
That people can hear from or communicate mentally with someone who has died
Clairvoyance, or the power of the mind to know the past and predict the future
Astrology, or that the position of the stars and planets can affect people’s lives
Reincarnation, that is, the rebirth of the soul in a new body after death
Witches

The Gallup poll then asked Americans’ about their believe in each of these individual phenomena.

The percentage of people who responded to Gallup poll that they believed in those seven identified phenomena for each category in chronological order is as follows: 48 percent, 39 percent, 29 percent, 27 percent, 26 percent, 25 percent, 24 percent, 24 percent.

The percentage of people who responded to the Gallup poll that they were not sure about the seven identified phenomena for each category in chronological order is as follows: 19 percent, 19 percent, 21 percent, 22 percent, 23 percent, 19 percent, 25 percent, 15 percent.

The percentage of people who responded to the Gallup poll that they do not believe in the seven identified phenomena for each category in chronological order is as follows: 32 percent, 42 percent, 28 percent, 49 percent, 50 percent, 55 percent, 50 percent and 60 percent.

The phenomena that has the most belief was ‘Psychic or spiritual healing or the power of the human mind to heal the body,’ while the phenomena that had the least belief was witches.

The findings were based on a Gallup poll which was conducted from May 1 to May 18 of this year.

What People Are Saying

The Gallup Poll reads in part: “Most Americans approach paranormal phenomena with caution; however, women, those who attend church less frequently and adults without a college degree are more likely than their counterparts to be open to believing in at least a few paranormal phenomena. Meanwhile, religious service attendance is most associated with skepticism.”