Poll: Almost half in U.S. creationist

PRINCETON, N.J., June 2 (UPI) -- The percentage of U.S. residents who believe God created human beings less than 10,000 years ago has changed little in the past 30 years, a Gallup poll says.

In a report Friday, the Gallup organization said 46 percent held that view in the most recent poll. In 1982, when Gallup first asked the question, the percentage was 44 percent and the average over the years has been 45 percent.

The poll was conducted for USA Today.

Almost one-third, 32 percent, said humans have evolved over millions of years with divine guidance, down from an average of 37 percent. Another 15 percent say that evolution took place without God's guidance.

Regular churchgoers and Republicans are more likely to have a creationist view of human evolution. While 58 percent of Republicans believe humans were created in the past 10,000 years, only 41 percent of Democrats and 39 percent of independents agree.

People who have attended graduate school and those who do not go to church regularly are more likely to support evolution.

Gallup interviewed a random sample of 1,012 adults between May 10 and May 13 by telephone. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.