Over one in ten Americans (14%) have a zombie plan ready if the undead ever rove the Earth in search of human flesh, according to a new YouGov survey.
As detailed in pop culture phenomenons like The Walking Dead, a zombie plan is a blueprint for what people say they would do in the case of a zombie outbreak. Since zombies are fictional, and our world has not been taken over by them (at least not yet), such plans are currently purely hypothetical.
Almost a quarter of Millennials (24%) have a zombie plan prepared, compared to 15 percent of Generation X and 6 percent of Baby Boomers. America’s post-grads are also more likely than other education levels to have a zombie plan—22 percent of them have a zombie plan compared to 14 percent of those with a four-year degree. Two in ten (20%) people who live in urban areas have a zombie plan compared to 11 percent of those in rural communities and 12 percent of those who live in the suburbs.
YouGov asked Americans with a zombie plan to explain, in their own words, their potential reactions to the undead rising. YouGov then categorized those answers to see which components were the most popular in American zombie plans. Roughly one-fourth of these US adults (26%) outlined their decision to immediately stockpile guns or weapons to protect against the zombies.
Roughly two in ten (21%) would find a secure location to hole up and hide, with many mentioning nearby stores or warehouses that would offer access to weapons and resources.
Fewer than two in ten (16%) mentioned their specific desire to stockpile necessary supplies, such as food. Some Americans (12%) outright refused to divulge their secret plans, citing concerns that their hiding spots would be taken or that zombies would use the knowledge against them.
Other popular options to avoid the awakened include relocating (8%), meeting up with friends or family (6%), and killing zombies or survivors (6%). Just 3 percent included “running” in their plan, another 3 percent would work with other survivors. Even fewer (2%) offered to switch sides and help the zombies or intentionally become a zombie.
Methodology: Total unweighted sample size was 1,209 US adults, including 177 people who reported having a zombie apocalypse plan. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (ages 18+). Interviews were conducted online between September 12 - 13, 2019.
See the full survey results from the United States and the 2017 survey results from the UK.
Image: Getty
