One third of Americans reject the theory of evolution

One third of Americans reject the theory of evolution

One third of Americans reject the theory of evolution

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One third of Americans reject the theory of evolution and believe that "humans existed in their current form since the beginning of time".

A new survey by the Pew Research Center found that 33 per cent of Americans reject the idea that humans have evolved over time, taking the view that God played a role in the creation of humanity.

In fact, almost a quarter of adults believe that a "supreme being guided the evolution of living things for the purpose of creating humans and other life in the form it exists today".

Overall, 60 per cent of Americans agreed that "humans and other living things have evolved over time".

The survey also found that the gap between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to evolution has widened in recent years.

In 2009, 54 per cent of Republicans said humans had evolved over time. Today, only 43 per cent Republicans accept evolution as a valid theory.

In stark contrast, the number of Democrats who believe in evolution has climbed to 67 per cent from 64 per cent in 2009, signalling a 24% point gap between Democrats and Republicans.

The Pew highlighted that creationism is still closely linked to religion in America.

The majority of white evangelicals (64 per cent) support the idea that "humans existed in their current form" since the beginning of time. But only 15 per cent of white protestants share this view.

The survey also found that American men are more likely to accept that "humans and animals have evolved over time" than women.

Supporters of creationism believe that the universe and everything in it, including human life, was created by God. They reject the concept of evolution by natural selection.

The survey used samples from 1,983 adults across all 50 states and the District of Columbia from 21 March to 8 April.