According to a poll done in 20 countries in 2012, roughly 15% of people believe the world will end during their lifetimes. The poll included 16,262 people from various countries such as China, Russia, Japan, the United States, Spain, Australia, Great Britain, Indonesia and Germany.
One in seven people taking part in the poll expressed a belief that the end of the world is near. The results did vary from country to country however. For example, 22% of poll participants from the United States said that the world will end during their lifetimes, whereas only 6% of poll participants from France felt the same way. The poll also showed higher rates of concern about the world ending among participants under the age of 35.
More about end of the world predictions:
- About 10% of people thought the world would end on December 21, 2012, the end date of the Mayan calendar.
- According to a poll published in Newsweek on November 1, 1999, 45% of Christians believe that the world will end at Armageddon, in a battle between Jesus and the antichrist.
- There have been possibly 100 or more wrong predictions about the date for the end of the world since the 1st century A.D.