Opinion polls about 9/11 conspiracy theories

Zogby International
Industry	Market research, Opinion polling
Area served	United States, International
Products	Opinion polls, Market research

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Opinion polls about 9/11 conspiracy theories, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 2025

Since the September 11 attacks, skepticism has arisen concerning the official explanation, with various 9/11 conspiracy theories proposing that Israel or the U.S. government might have been involved in deliberate cover-ups to hide negligence or complicity.

Multiple 9/11 opinion polls have explored public attitudes toward these theories both within the United States and globally. These surveys differ widely in scale and methodology, ranging from extensive formal studies conducted by organizations such as Zogby International to smaller online polls. Typically, the questions address doubts about the accepted narrative, often embedded within broader political opinion research.

World opinion polls

In 2008, WorldPublicOpinion.org, operated by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, College Park, conducted a survey involving 16,063 individuals across 17 countries outside the U.S. The findings revealed that only in 9 of these nations did a majority attribute responsibility for the attacks to al-Qaeda.

Across all respondents, 45% held al-Qaeda accountable, while 15% blamed the U.S. government, 7% pointed to Israel, and another 7% cited other parties; 25% responded with uncertainty. The study indicated that higher educational attainment slightly increased acceptance of al-Qaeda’s role but did not fully dispel skepticism. Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org, remarked that disbelief in the official version cannot be solely explained by a lack of information. Among those assigning blame to the U.S., many interpreted this as an effort to rationalize the 2003 Iraq invasion.

Zogby International

Polls conducted by Zogby International, some sponsored by organizations like 911truth.org, have garnered considerable media attention.

The initial survey, carried out in August 2004 among 808 New York State residents, found that 49% of New York City participants and 41% statewide believed certain U.S. government officials "had prior knowledge" of the September 11 attacks and "deliberately failed to act." The margin of error stood at 3.5%.

A national telephone poll from May 2006 involving 1,200 adults asked about perceptions regarding government openness and investigations related to 9/11. Key findings included:

48% denied any government cover-up; meanwhile, 42% believed one existed.
43% were unaware that World Trade Center Building 7 collapsed without airplane impact; among those informed, 38% thought this collapse warranted investigation.
Views on reopening inquiries into the attacks were divided: 47% considered prior investigations sufficient; 45% favored further examination.

The August 2007 poll, which surveyed approximately 1,000 individuals, showed that 51% of Americans supported Congress probing President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in connection with 9/11, with over 30% endorsing immediate impeachment proceedings. However, only 32% backed impeachment based on personal knowledge. Additionally, 67% believed the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 should have been investigated by the 9/11 Commission. Less than 5% thought members of the U.S. government had actively orchestrated or assisted parts of the attack.

Newsweek magazine surveys

The Newsweek survey titled "What America Knows," executed by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, consistently gauges public opinion on global affairs and general awareness. A frequently asked question has been:

"Do you believe Saddam Hussein’s government in Iraq was directly involved in orchestrating, funding, or executing the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001?"

September 2003: 47% Yes, 37% No, 16% uncertain
January 2004: 49% Yes, 39% No, 12% uncertain
September 2004: 42% Yes, 44% No, 14% uncertain
October 2004: 36% Yes, 51% No, 13% uncertain
June 2007: 41% Yes, 50% No, 9% uncertain

The New York Times / CBS News surveys

Between 2002 and 2006, The New York Times and CBS News carried out multiple polls on related subjects. One significant question asked was:

"Regarding what was known before September 11th, 2001, about potential terrorist threats to the United States, do you think members of the Bush Administration are truthful, mostly truthful but concealing something, or largely dishonest?"

Findings revealed that most respondents felt the administration was "mostly truthful but hiding something," with variations over time:

May 2002: 21% "truthful," 65% "mostly truthful but hiding something," 8% "largely dishonest"
April 2004: approximately 24% "truthful," between 56-66% "mostly truthful but hiding something," around 10-16% "largely dishonest"
October 2006: 16% "truthful," 53% "mostly truthful but hiding something," 28% "largely dishonest"

Polls by CBS and The New York Times on Saddam Hussein’s direct role in the events of 9/11 from April 2003 through September 2007 indicated a decreasing belief in his involvement:

April 2003: 53% Yes, 38% No
October 2005: 33% Yes, 55% No
September 2006: 31% Yes, 57% No
September 2007: 33% Yes, 58% No

Scripps Howard surveys

A July 2006 poll commissioned by Scripps Howard and carried out by Ohio University sampled 1,010 U.S. adults with a margin of error of ±4%. It reported that 36% considered it somewhat or very probable that U.S. officials either aided the attacks on September 11 or failed to act to prevent them in order to justify military intervention in the Middle East. Key findings included:

Federal authorities either supported the September 11 attacks or neglected to prevent them because they wanted the U.S. to engage in war in the Middle East.

59% "not likely"
20% "somewhat likely"
16% "very likely"

Explosives secretly planted inside the twin towers contributed to their collapse.

77% "unlikely"
10% "somewhat likely"
6% "very likely"

The Pentagon was hit by a military cruise missile in place of a hijacked airplane.

80% "not likely"
6% "somewhat likely"
6% "very likely"

In November 2007, Scripps Howard polled a group of 811 Americans regarding conspiracy theories about federal officials having foreknowledge of the attacks but ignoring warnings:

32% "Very Likely"
30% "Somewhat Likely"
30% "Unlikely"
8% "Don't Know/Other"

Additional United States Surveys

A poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports on May 4, 2007, revealed that 22% of voters suspected the President had prior knowledge of the attacks, whereas 29% believed the CIA was aware beforehand. These beliefs were less common among White Americans and more prevalent among younger demographics. Within the Democratic Party, 35% thought the President knew in advance, 39% disagreed, and 26% were uncertain. Republicans largely dismissed this notion, with a seven-to-one ratio asserting the President was uninformed. Among Independents, 18% believed the President had prior knowledge, while 57% rejected that idea.

A poll reported by the Washington Post in September 2003 indicated that nearly 70% of respondents considered Saddam Hussein likely involved in the attacks.

In May 2007, a Pew Research Center survey of over 1,000 American Muslims, as published by the New York Post, found that 40% agreed with the statement "Arabs carried out the 9/11 attacks," while 28% disagreed; among those who disagreed, 7% believed responsibility lay with the U.S. government.

The September 2009 National Obama Approval Poll by Public Policy Polling showed that 27% of self-identified Liberals and 10% of Conservatives thought President Bush deliberately permitted the attacks to justify military action in the Middle East.

An Angus Reid Public Opinion poll from March 2010 reported that 15% of participants considered theories about a controlled demolition plausible. Additionally, between 6% and 15% found credible claims suggesting United Airlines Flight 93 was shot down or that no planes struck either the Pentagon or World Trade Center.

Canada

According to an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted in September 2006, 22% of Canadians believed the September 11 attacks were a U.S.-engineered plot unrelated to Osama bin Laden. A subsequent Angus Reid poll in 2008 found that 39% either disagreed or were uncertain about al-Qaeda’s involvement; roughly one-third thought the U.S. government either permitted or orchestrated the attacks.

Mexico

A WorldPublicOpinion.org survey from 2008 indicated that 33% of Mexicans attributed responsibility for the attacks to al-Qaeda, while 30% blamed the U.S. government. One percent cited Israel as responsible, and another 18% pointed to other countries. Nineteen percent expressed uncertainty.

France

In a WorldPublicOpinion.org poll conducted in 2008, 63% of French participants identified al-Qaeda as responsible for the attacks; meanwhile, 8% blamed the U.S. government and 7% named other nations. Twenty-three percent remained unsure.

Germany

The same WorldPublicOpinion.org survey from 2008 showed that 64% of Germans held al-Qaeda accountable for the attacks, with 23% attributing blame to the U.S. government. A Forsa Institute poll from 2003 revealed that among Germans under age thirty, 31% believed the U.S. government orchestrated the events. Furthermore, a 2011 Emnid Institute poll found that nearly 90% of Germans doubted that their government had fully disclosed all facts surrounding September 11.

Italy

The summer 2008 WorldPublicOpinion.org poll found that in Italy, 56% of respondents believed al-Qaeda was behind the attacks. Fifteen percent blamed the U.S. government, one percent named Israel, and seven percent cited other countries. Twenty-one percent were uncertain about who was responsible.

Russia

According to a 2008 survey conducted in Russia, 57% of participants held al-Qaeda accountable, while 15% pointed to the U.S. government. Israel was identified by 2%, another country by 6%, and 19% of respondents were unsure.

Sweden

A September 2009 survey by Novus Opinion for TV4 revealed that 70% of the Swedish population attributed responsibility to al-Qaeda, with 7% dissenting. Among individuals aged 18–29, 58% agreed with this view, while 15% disagreed. Regarding the Loose Change theory suggesting U.S. government involvement, 64% of the general population rejected it, compared to 8% who accepted it; among younger adults, rejection stood at 51%, with 18% support. The survey sampled 1,000 adults plus an additional 758 young respondents.

Turkey

In Turkey's 2008 poll, 39% of those surveyed believed al-Qaeda was responsible for the attacks, whereas 36% attributed blame to the U.S. government. Israel was cited by 3%, another country by 1%, and 21% were undecided.

Ukraine

The same survey in Ukraine showed that 42% of respondents held al-Qaeda responsible, while 15% blamed the U.S. government. Israel accounted for 1%, another country for 5%, and a notable 39% were uncertain.

United Kingdom

Data from WorldPublicOpinion.org indicated that in the United Kingdom, 57% considered al-Qaeda responsible, with 5% blaming the U.S. government, 1% Israel, and 12% another country. Uncertainty was expressed by 26%. Additionally, a separate GfK NOP poll conducted in 2011 for the BBC found that 14% of British respondents believed the U.S. government orchestrated the attacks; this figure rose to one in four among those aged between 16 and 24.

Azerbaijan

A WorldPublicOpinion.org poll from 2008 showed that in Azerbaijan, 69% of participants held al-Qaeda responsible for the attacks. Five percent blamed the U.S. government, six percent pointed to Israel, seven percent cited another country, and thirteen percent were unsure.

People's Republic of China

The same year’s WorldPublicOpinion.org survey reported that within China, 32% attributed responsibility to al-Qaeda, nine percent to the U.S. government, three percent to another nation, while a majority of fifty-six percent remained uncertain.

Taiwan

In Taiwan’s results from the identical poll in 2008, fifty-three percent believed al-Qaeda was responsible; four percent blamed the U.S. government; ten percent cited another country; and thirty-four percent were unsure.

India

A CNN-IBN poll conducted in 2007 revealed that nearly forty percent of Indian respondents believed al-Qaeda was behind the attacks.

Indonesia

Between 2007 and 2008, polls by WorldPublicOpinion.org indicated that Indonesian respondents attributing responsibility to al-Qaeda ranged from twenty-three to thirty percent. Other responses included blaming the U.S. government (eleven to seventeen percent), Israel (three to five percent), and other countries (one to twelve percent). A significant portion—between forty-three and fifty-seven percent—expressed uncertainty.

Pakistan

A February 2007 WorldPublicOpinion.org poll found only two percent of Pakistani respondents assigned responsibility to al-Qaeda; twenty-seven percent blamed the U.S. government; seven percent cited Israel; and sixty-three percent were uncertain. A follow-up survey conducted between July and September 2008 showed a slight increase to four percent attributing blame to al-Qaeda, nineteen percent blaming the U.S., and seventy-two percent remaining unsure. Similarly, an August 2007 CNN-IBN poll reported just five percent of Pakistanis believed al-Qaeda was responsible for the attacks.

South Korea

A poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion.org in the summer of 2008 revealed that 51% of South Korean participants held al-Qaeda responsible for the attacks, while 17% accused the U.S. government, and 22% remained undecided.

Egypt

In February 2007, a survey indicated that 28% of Egyptians attributed the attacks to al-Qaeda, with an equal 29% blaming Israel, and another 29% expressing uncertainty. Between July and September 2008, 23% identified al-Qaeda as responsible, 13% pointed to the U.S. government, and those unsure increased to 46%. During summer 2008, a further poll showed only 16% held al-Qaeda accountable, whereas Israel was blamed by 43%, and 18% were uncertain.

Jordan

According to a WorldPublicOpinion.org survey from July to September 2008, in Jordan, just 11% believed al-Qaeda carried out the attacks, while 17% blamed the U.S. government, 31% accused Israel, and 4% cited another nation. Thirty-six percent were unsure.

Kenya

The same 2008 poll found that in Kenya, a significant majority of 77% attributed responsibility to al-Qaeda. Meanwhile, 4% blamed the U.S. government, 3% Israel, another 3% other countries, and 12% expressed uncertainty.

Morocco

A December 2006 poll conducted in Morocco showed that 35% believed al-Qaeda was responsible for the attacks. Sixteen percent assigned blame to the U.S. government, 15% to Israel, and 7% to other nations. Twenty-eight percent were unsure.

Nigeria

The summer 2008 survey indicated that in Nigeria, 71% believed al-Qaeda was behind the attacks. Seven percent blamed the U.S. government, 2% Israel, and 6% other countries. Fourteen percent were uncertain. Among Nigerian Muslims surveyed during this period, 64% attributed responsibility to al-Qaeda; meanwhile, 9% blamed the U.S. government, 2% Israel, and 7% other countries; with 19% expressing uncertainty.

Palestinian territories

Between July and September 2008, a poll conducted in the Palestinian territories revealed that 42% held al-Qaeda responsible for the attacks. Twenty-seven percent blamed the U.S. government; 19%, Israel; and 9%, other countries. Only 3% were uncertain.

Summary of opinion polls

Aggregated Poll Results
Perceptions of Responsibility for the September 11 Attacks
Country polled	US Government	Al-Qaeda	Israel	Other	Don't Know

			-








		-

References