Satanist survey
The Devil’s Demographics – Statistical Tables
You can participate in the 3rd version of this survey at SurveyMonkey now!
Satan Survey #1 (SS-1): Collected data from August 2000 to February 2001 (7 months)
20-item questionnaire (plus some follow up from about 25 respondents)
140 Respondents
Satan Survey #2 (SS-2): Collected data from 27 June to 4 November 2009 (4 months)
40-item questionnaire
260 Respondents (300 by end of 2009)
Age: SS-1 – 25 (range 14-56) [Would be 26 if several claims of being ‘lifelong’ Satanists are included.]
SS-2 – 29 (range 13-59) [Would have been 31 if I had cut off data collection at the end of August.]
Years Involved: SS-1 – 7 years [Increases to 8 years if ‘lifelong’ included]
SS-2 – 9 years [Decreases to 7 years for becoming self-identified Satanists]
{In SS-2, there was a question about how long one had been interested in Satanism, plus
a second question about how long since one had begun to self-identify as a Satanist.}
Age Involved: SS-1 – 18 yrs old
SS-2 – 20 yrs old [Became interested]; 22 yrs old [Began to self-identify as a Satanist]
Gender: SS-1 – 101 male; 36 female (2 NR) [‘NR’ = ‘non-response’]
SS-2 – 192 male; 63 female (5 NR)
[About ¾ male to ¼ female in both surveys]
{For each item, the most common responses are in bold}
Sexual Orientation: SS-1 – No sexual orientation question in SS-1
SS-2 – Heterosexual: 70% 180
Homosexual: 4% 9
Bisexual: 17% 44
Other: 9% 23]
Marital Status: SS-1 – Single: 69% 96
Married: 23% 32
Divorced/Separated: 9% 12
SS-2 – Single: 42% 108
Committed Relationship: 28% 71
Married: 20% 51
Divorced: 4% 10
Separated: 3% 7
Widowed: 1% 2
“Other”: 3% 7
NR: 2% 4
Children: SS-1 – 22% 31
SS-2 – 25% 66
Race: SS-1 – Caucasian: 81% 113
Black: 2% 3
Asian: 1% 2
Hispanic: 6% 9
Native American: 8% 11
“Other”/Multi-racial: 1% 2
SS-2 – Caucasian: 84% 220
Black: 1% 3
Asian: 2% 5
Hispanic: 3% 8
Native American: 2% 4
“Other”/Multi-racial: 6% 15
NR: 2% 5
Nationality: SS-1 – United States: 72% 101
Canada: 6% 9
UK 4% 6
Netherlands 4% 5
Australia 4% 5
Denmark 2% 3
Other Nations 8% 11
SS-2 – United States: 47% 123
Denmark: 13% 33
UK 8% 20
Finland: 7% 15
Canada: 6% 12
Russia: 4% 9
Australia: 2% 6
Norway 1% 3
Belgium 1% 3
Greece 1% 2
Netherlands 1% 2
Other Nations: 5% 14
NR: 3% 8
Highest Degree: SS-1 – Masters: 6% 9
Bachelors: 11% 16
Some College: 42% 58
No College or NR: 39% 55
SS-2 – Doctorate: 3% 8
Masters: 11% 28
Bachelors: 15% 38
Some College: 25% 62
Technical or AA: 12% 30
No College or NR: 36% 94
Occupation: SS-1 – Student: 29% 40
Computers/Internet: 13% 18
Writer/Artist: 8% 11
Sales/Retail Clerk: 8% 11
Restaurant Worker: 6% 9
Healthcare: 5% 7
Security/Police: 4% 5
SS-2 – Professional: 12% 31
Business/Manager: 9% 24
Technical/Skilled: 10% 26
Teacher/Researcher: 5% 13
Artist: 9% 23
Clerical/Manual: 3% 8
Homemaker/Student: 27% 69
Other or NR: 26% 66
Religious Heritage: SS-1 – Protestant: 55% 77
Catholic: 20% 28
Jewish: 1% 2
Neopagan: 1% 2
Satanist: 1% 2
None or NR: 16% 23
SS-2 – Protestant: 31% 80
Catholic: 21% 54
Jewish: 2% 4
Buddhist: 1% 3
Muslim: 1% 2
Hindu: 0.4% 1
Sikh: 0.4% 1
Other: 19% 50
None or NR: 25% 65
Political Orientation: SS-1 – Democrat: 10% 14
Republican: 6% 9
Libertarian: 11% 15
Green: 6% 8
Socialist: 1% 2
Communist: 1% 1
Anarchist: 4% 5
Independent: 14% 20
None: 45% 63
SS-2 – Libertarian: 14% 34
Socialist: 9% 23
Left-Liberal: 8% 20
Independent: 14% 36
Right-Conservative: 6% 15
Far Right: 4% 10
Other: 17% 42
Non-Political or NR: 31% 80
Military Service: SS-2 – 15% 38 [There was no military service item in SS-1]
Political Activities [Bold & Underlined = most common; Underlined only = 2nd most common response]:
Never Occasionally Sometimes Frequently Very Frequently
Vote 33.9% (86) 13.4% (34) 11.0% (28) 16.1% (41) 25.6% (65)
Sign Petitions 29.5% (74) 30.7% (77) 23.9% (60) 11.6% (29) 4.4% (11)
Participate in Marches
and/or Rallies 65.2% (163) 19.2% (48) 10.4% (26) 3.2% (8) 2.0% (5)
Active Organizer
and/or Campaigner 71.6% (179) 14.4% (36) 7.6% (19) 2.8% (7) 3.6% (9)
Run for Public Office 94.4% (235) 2.8% (7) 2.0% (5) 0.4% (1) 0.4% (1)
Call, Write, and/or
Email Public Officials 53.0% (132) 21.7% (54) 14.1% (35) 8.0% (20) 3.2% (8)
How were you introduced to Satanism? SS-1 – Friend: 17% 24
Satanic Bible: 21% 30
Other Reading: 24% 34
Website: 12% 17
Music: 1% 2
Other: 20% 28
NR: 4% 5
SS-2 – Friend: 18% 45
Co-Worker: 2% 4
Relative: 2% 5
Website: 34% 86
Book: 45% 113
TV or Movie: 0.4% 1
Music: 12% 31
Other: 22% 56
NR: 4% 9
Explored which other religions
before settling into Satanism? SS-1 – Neopagan/Wicca: 34% 48
LHP: 16% 22
Eastern: 15% 21
Christianity: 10% 14
None: 32% 45
SS-2 – Neopagan/Wicca: 22% 56
LHP: 9% 23
Eastern: 12% 32
Christianity: 14% 36
NR: 23% 58
Have been a member of how many
different Satanic Groups? SS-1 – One: 25% 35
Two-Three: 15% 21
Four-Five: 8% 11
More than Five: 4% 6
None: 48% 67
SS-2 – One: 27% 68
Two: 8% 20
Three: 2% 4
Four: 1% 2
Five: 1% 3
Six: 1% 3
None: 38% 98
NR: 24% 62
Your conception of Satan? SS-1 – Atheist: 60% 84
Impersonal Force: 18% 25
Theistic: 14% 19
NR: 9% 12
SS-2 – Symbol or Archetype;
Myself; Nature: 63% 160
Impersonal Force: 18% 46
Self-Conscious Force: 18% 45
A God: 20% 51
Fallen Angel: 9% 23
Demon: 6% 14
Other: 13% 33
NR: 2% 6
Do you practice Magic? SS-1 – Yes: 80% 111
No: 10% 14
NR: 10% 15
Your view of Magic? SS-2 – Human Psychology: 40% 102
Taps Impersonal Force: 22% 55
Non-material Force: 39% 100
Other: 13% 34
Meet for Religion/Ritual SS-1 – Never: 61% 85
Rarely: 21% 30
Periodically: 18% 25
SS-2 – Never: 78% 200
Yearly: 9% 22
Monthly: 6% 15
Weekly: 4% 10
Daily/Almost Daily: 4% 9
E-Communications: SS-1 – Daily/Almost Daily: 42% 58
Frequently: 21% 30
How often do you communicate with other Satanists? (In SS-2, the e-communications item was expanded considerably):
Daily Weekly Monthly Yearly Never
In Person: 12.8% (31) 13.6% (33) 13.2% (32) 14.9% (36) 45.5% (110)
By Telephone: 9.2% (22) 11.3% (27) 13.0% (31) 10.9% (26) 55.5% (132)
Public Internet - Blogs,
Message Boards, Etc.: 39.6% (99) 4.4% (61) 5.6% (39) 6.8% (17) 13.6% (34)
Private Internet - E-mails,
Private Messages, Etc.: 31.6% (79) 26.0% (65) 14.8% (37) 6.4% (16) 21.2% (53)
What types of violence can be justified? (SS-2):
Never Rarely Sometimes Frequently Always
Physically Punish a Child 37.5% (95) 31.2% (79) 26.5% (67) 1.6% (4) 3.2% (8)
Strike Someone Who
Attacks You 2.4% (6) 3.5% (9) 14.1% (36) 20.8% (53) 59.2% (151)
Strike Someone Who
Attacks a Loved One 2.3% (6) 2.3% (6) 16.0% (41) 18.8% (48) 60.5% (155)
Kill Other Soldiers During War 11.4% (29) 5.1% (13) 23.5% (60) 17.3% (44) 42.7% (109)
Kill Someone Who
Breaks Into Your Home 12.1% (31) 18.3% (47) 21.0% (54) 18.3% (47) 30.4% (78)
Execute Murderers 21.5% (55) 10.2% (26) 26.6% (68) 14.5% (37) 27.3% (70)
Specific thinkers other than Anton LaVey are often mentioned as influencing modern Satanism in one way or another. To what extent are you familiar with the following? Use: (1) Never Heard of Him/Her; (2) Have Heard the Name; (3) Know Who S/he was; (4) Have Read Something by Him/Her; (5) Have Read More than One of Her/His Compositions. (SS-2)
1 2 3 4 5
Aleister Crowley 9.4% (24) 5.5% (14) 20.9% (53) 25.2% (64) 39.0% (99)
Charles Baudelaire 29.8% (75) 22.6% (57) 20.2% (51) 15.9% (40) 11.5% (29)
Frederick Nietzsche 6.7% (17) 6.7% (17) 13.8% (35) 30.3% (77) 42.5% (108)
Ayn Rand 29.0% (73) 11.5% (29) 19.8% (50) 19.8% (50) 19.8% (50)
H.P. Lovecraft 7.9% (20) 10.7% (27) 20.6% (52) 27.3% (69) 33.6% (85)
Your general attitude toward each of the following (SS-2)
Extremely Extremely
Negative Negative Neutral Positive Positive
Christianity 45.5% (117) 30.0% (77) 20.6% (53) 3.1% (8) 0.8% (2)
Neopaganism/Wicca 10.5% (27) 23.4% (60) 39.8% (102) 20.3% (52) 5.9% (15)
Anton LaVey 7.5% (19) 7.5% (19) 22.0% (56) 42.4% (108) 20.8% (53)
Peter Gilmore 12.5% (31) 16.1% (40) 49.6% (123) 14.1% (35) 7.7% (19)
Michael Aquino 7.3% (18) 14.2% (35) 59.5% (147) 14.6% (36) 4.5% (11)
The Satanic Bible 6.3% (16) 6.3% (16) 17.6% (45) 42.0% (107) 27.8% (71)
Original Church of Satan 7.1% (18) 7.5% (19) 34.1% (87) 32.2% (82) 19.2% (49)
Current Church of Satan 15.7% (40) 20.4% (52) 40.0% (102) 13.7% (35) 10.2% (26)
Temple of Set 9.9% (25) 17.5% (44) 50.0% (126) 16.7% (42) 6.0% (15)
Nazism/Neo-Nazis 48.2% (122) 19.0% (48) 22.5% (57) 4.7% (12) 5.5% (14)
Order of Nine Angles 21.1% (52) 17.0% (42) 45.7% (113) 8.9% (22) 7.3% (18)
Satanists who burn 40.5% (102) 23.4% (59) 18.3% (46) 10.7% (27) 7.1% (18)
down Christian churches
(Do you practice rituals such as those described in the Satanic Bible?)
SS-2 – Yes 36% 95
No 47% 122
NR 17% 43
Credit
Thanks very much to James R. Lewis for allowing the hosting of this data here about the Satanist survey.
