Gallup Poll: Belief in Creationism at All-Time Low

The percentage of Americans who believe God created humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years is the lowest in the past four decades, while the share who do not believe God had any role in human evolution is the highest recorded, according to a Gallup Poll released Monday.

The polling agency started asking views related to the issue in 1982.

Other results from the survey include:

• The largest segment of Americans (37%) remain creationist purists, despite the all-time recorded low, saying God created humans in their present form within the past 10,000 years.
• The scientific theory of evolution, that humans evolved from less advanced forms of life over millions of years without God's involvement, is accepted by 24% of U.S. adults, an all-time high.
• Straddling both theories are 34% of Americans, who say humans evolved, but with God's guidance.
• Belief in creationism and God-guided evolution hit their peaks of 47% and 40%, respectively, in 1999 and have since trended downward. Support for evolution without divine intervention has nearly tripled since the same year.
• Views on human origins continue to vary significantly, depending on people's religious identification, how often they attend church, their political ideology, and their education level.
• Majorities of U.S. adults who attend religious services at least weekly identify as politically conservative, are Protestant, and believe that God created human beings in their present form. Half of those who attend religious services nearly weekly or monthly also believe in creationism.
• A majority of those who say they do not affiliate with any religion think humans evolved over millions of years without any involvement from God, as do pluralities of those who attend religious services less than monthly and political liberals.
• Pluralities of Catholics and college graduates believe in evolution over millions of years that was guided by God.

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