Beliefs

Percentage of Americans who believe:

—that Elvis Presley is still alive: 10
—in reincarnation: 30
—in ghosts: 39
—that aliens have visited earth in the past 100 years: 53
—that the U.S. government is currently involved in cover-ups and conspiracies: 74

Debt

Percentage of monthly income used to pay consumer debts (credit cards, home equity loans, second mortgage and car loan payments)

in 1982: 16
In 1996: 29.5

Number of families filing for non-business bankruptcies

in 1982: 320,000
In 1996: 1,100,000

Giving

Average household contributions to charity in 1995: $1,017

Percentage of households that did not give to any charity in 1995: 31

Percentage of income given to charity by people with household incomes under $10,000: 4.3

Percentage of income given to charity by people with household incomes of $40-50,000: 1.3

Percentage of income given to charity by people with household incomes over $100,000: ...