Overview
- About 29% of respondents across the U.S. and Canada said they expect the world to end within their lifetime, according to newly published research.
- The peer‑reviewed study surveyed more than 3,400 people and appears in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, led by Dr. Matthew Billet.
- Researchers introduced a five‑dimension framework for end‑of‑world beliefs that covers perceived timing, human versus divine causation, personal control, and whether the outcome is viewed positively or negatively.
- Participants who saw humans as the likely cause perceived higher risk and were more willing to back strong measures such as dedicating 10% of U.S. GDP or imposing martial law, whereas those attributing control to divine forces were less supportive of preventive steps.
- Belief in an imminent end generally declined with age, with noted exceptions among Evangelical Protestants and possible increases among Muslim participants, while other demographics explained little of the variation.