It Turns Out Astrology Guides Very Few of Us

A good number of American adults—about 3 in 10—make use of astrology, tarot cards, or fortunetellers at least once a year. But only a small fraction of them rely on what they learn from those practices to make major decisions. That's according to a nationwide survey released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center, encompassing nearly 9,600 US adults who were interviewed last October. Standout findings, per the AP:

• People, by the numbers: Overall, according to Pew, about 2 in 10 US adults say they engage in at least one of these activities mostly "just for fun," while about 1 in 10 say they engage mostly because they "believe the practices give them helpful insights." Only about 1% say they rely "a lot" on what they learn from these practices when making major life decisions.

• Cash, by the numbers: Yet it's a big business. The psychic services industry—which encompasses various specialties such as astrology, palm-reading, psychic readings, and fortunetelling—generated an estimated $2.3 billion in revenue in 2024 and employed 105,000 people, according to market research firm IBISWorld.
• The biggest astrology fans I: Younger adults—and especially younger women—are more likely than other major age groups to consult astrology or horoscopes. According to Pew, about 4 in 10 women ages 18 to 49 say they believe in astrology. That compares with about 3 in 10 women 50 and older, and about 2 in 10 men under age 50.
• The biggest astrology fans II: About half of LGBTQ+ adults consult astrology or a horoscope at least yearly—roughly twice the share among US adults overall. Pew found that about 2 in 10 LGBTQ+ adults say that when they make major life decisions, they rely at least "a little" on what they've learned from a fortuneteller, tarot cards, astrology, or a horoscope—a considerably larger share than any other demographic subgroup.
• Not into it: The survey found that adults ages 65 or older, those with high incomes and college degrees, and those who identify as politically conservative are less likely than other adults to believe in astrology and engage with tarot cards and fortunetellers.

(More astrology stories.)