# What percentage of non-americans support evolution **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 9, 2006, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039 "2006-06-09T07:57:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/1 "2006-06-09T07:57:02Z")
Only 13% of americans support evoultion. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml) 55% think god created humans in their present form (no evolution) and 27% believe in ID. ID I can understand as that at least involves the concept of evolution (with all the science behind it), but 55% opposing evolution in general is silly. What are the rates in places like Europe, Japan, Russia, China, South America, etc? ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/2 "2006-06-09T08:16:13Z")
There was a survey in the UK earlier this year, [detailed here.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4648598.stm) > [@](#): > > Over 2,000 participants took part in the survey, and were asked what best described their view of the origin and development of life: > > 22% chose creationism > 17% opted for intelligent design > 48% selected evolution theory > and the rest did not know. So… better (from my point of view, at least), but still a surprisingly high percentage of support for creationism. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/3 "2006-06-09T12:52:34Z")
The same number who support gravity. Evolution is an observed fact, like things falling. _That it is driven by natural selection_ is Darwin’s theory, like Newton had a theory about why and how things fall. People have various feelings and emotional responses to the theory. I suppose you could call that “support” or “belief”. I’m not quite sure what “support” would mean, though. One could say that a certain percentage of population _believes_ in the _theory_ of evolution. But 100% of us are _participating_ in evolution. Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/4 "2006-06-09T12:59:35Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > But 100% of us are _participating_ in evolution. There speaks someone who doesn’t watch Jerry Springer … ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/5 "2006-06-09T13:04:41Z")
> [@Steve Wright](#): > > There speaks someone who doesn’t watch Jerry Springer … There speaks someone who thinks socially acceptable behavior and intelligence are selected-for traits… ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/6 "2006-06-09T13:25:17Z")
Hey, being selected OUT of the gene pool IS participating. Natural selection is a bloody business. Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/7 "2006-06-09T14:36:38Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > Only 13% of americans support evoultion. > > [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml) The poll actually states that 13% of Americans believe that “Humans evolved, God did not guide process;” however, an additional 27% believe that “Humans evolved, God guided the process .” Still pretty dismal. :rolleyes: Of course, with repect to truth of the evolution (and science in general), it doesn’t matter whether people “support” it or not. Science is not a popularity contest. ---
**Author:** ![scott62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@scott62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott62)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/8 "2006-06-09T14:53:01Z")
I find it hard to believe that people might think that the world was indeed created in 6 days (7 including rest). Where do these people think coal or oil comes from? It’s beyond belief. Is it true that in some U.S. states the theory of evolution is not taught in schools? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/9 "2006-06-09T14:59:56Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > The same number who support gravity. I concur with the semantic nitpick. The correct terminology, in my view, is not whether or not one “supports” evolution, but whether one _accepts_ it. ---
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/10 "2006-06-09T15:10:16Z")
> [@scott62](#): > > I find it hard to believe that people might think that the world was indeed created in 6 days (7 including rest). Where do these people think coal or oil comes from? Maybe they believe it was created during the Great Flood. Most Bahamians believe in God created the Earth but evolution is definately taught in the private and public schools. I only know one Bahamian believing in the 6000 year old Earth. ---
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/11 "2006-06-09T15:12:29Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > The same number who support gravity. > > Sailboat There are some people who don’t believe in Gravity due to religious belief? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/12 "2006-06-09T15:42:52Z")
My research skills are in diminished state right now, so I can’t find the thing, but in an 2001 NSF study, about 53% of Americans said that they thought it was true that humans developed from an earlier species of animal. The percentage of Europeans was slightly larger, if I remember correctly. The thing was, the question was asked without using terms like “evolution,” “intelligent design,” “god,” or any other currently potent vocabulary. It was asked as a matter of true/false on a general science test of the general public and included a number of other questions. It didn’t have much extra political charge to it. Which may explain the large discrepancy between the 53% and the 19% used in the OP. p.s. people don’t support gravity. If anything, they fight against it. ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/13 "2006-06-09T15:55:49Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > I concur with the semantic nitpick. The correct terminology, in my view, is not whether or not one “supports” evolution, but whether one _accepts_ it. I’m thinking of opting out. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/14 "2006-06-09T17:53:15Z")
I wonder exactly how the question was worded. The first option is disproven in a scientific sense\* unless you posit an evil, secretive God. The choice between the second and third options, however, is more tricky. If the wording were very firm, such as “what do you BELIEVE,” or “which of these statements is TRUE”, it would be overly hasty to choose between 2 and 3 (again, depending on your definition of “God”: a 4-O God it certainly isn’t). OTOH, if the question were “which do you think is more likely to be true”, then only 13% giving the most weight to undirected evolution is slightly more outlandish. \*that sense being “shown to be so enormously (un)likely that it would be foolish not to offer preliminary agreement.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/15 "2006-06-09T19:13:54Z")
> [@scott62](#): > > I find it hard to believe that people might think that the world was indeed created in 6 days (7 including rest). Where do these people think coal or oil comes from? It’s beyond belief. Then you can probably relate to the anti-evolutionists, since you seem to be doubting an established fact. 🙂 > [@](#): > > Is it true that in some U.S. states the theory of evolution is not taught in schools? No. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/16 "2006-06-09T19:17:19Z")
> [@E. Thorp](#): > > I’m thinking of opting out. Possible, but very very tricky since if you have any number of offspring, _including zero_, you’re part of the process. My suggestion is to have infinite offspring and then cross the bridge of making sure they all have equal chances of survival once you come to it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/17 "2006-06-09T19:58:03Z")
> [@CC](#): > > \*n an 2001 NSF study, about 53% of Americans said that they thought it was true that humans developed from an earlier species of animal… The thing was, the question was asked without using terms like “evolution,” “intelligent design,” “god,” or any other currently potent vocabulary. It was asked as a matter of true/false on a general science test of the general public and included a number of other questions. It didn’t have much extra political charge to it. Which may explain the large discrepancy between the 53% and the 19% used in the OP. 40%, not 19%. Anyone who stated themselves a believer in ‘Intelligent Design’ would also believe that humans developed from an earlier species of animal, unless they’re completely confused by what ‘Intelligent Design’ means. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/18 "2006-06-09T22:06:36Z")
> [@John Corrado](#): > > Anyone who stated themselves a believer in ‘Intelligent Design’ would also believe that humans developed from an earlier species of animal, unless they’re completely confused by what ‘Intelligent Design’ means. Well, you have to admit, clarity of thinking is not exactly a strong point with these people. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/19 "2006-06-09T22:14:22Z")
> [@BluePitbull](#): > > There are some people who don’t believe in Gravity due to religious belief? You mean that you haven’t heard of the movement to present [Intelligent Falling](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_falling) alongside Newton’s Theory of Gravity when teaching physics to our impressionable young children? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039/20 "2006-06-09T22:16:11Z")
What I found interesting about it, only 37% want creationism taught in school instead of evolution. Seems odd for a group that 55% of said they think we didn’t evolve. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-non-americans-support-evolution/360039.md?page=2)