⚠️This fact has been debunked
Research shows no credible evidence supporting the 'every three minutes' claim. Current NUFORC data shows approximately 12 UFO sightings reported per day globally (2025 H1: 2,174 reports in 180 days), which equals one report every 2 hours—far less than every 3 minutes. The 'every 3 minutes' rate would require 480 reports daily (175,200/year), but even peak years show only thousands of annual reports, not hundreds of thousands. This statistic appears to be an internet myth with no verifiable origin.
Someone on Earth reports seeing a UFO every three minutes.
Are UFO Sightings Really Reported Every Three Minutes?
You've probably heard the claim: someone on Earth reports seeing a UFO every three minutes. It sounds plausible—dramatic enough to be interesting, specific enough to seem factual. There's just one problem: it's not true.
According to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC), which maintains the largest independent database of UFO sightings, the actual rate is much lower. In the first half of 2025, NUFORC logged 2,174 sightings over roughly 180 days. Do the math and you get about 12 reports per day—or one sighting every two hours, not every three minutes.
Where Did This Myth Come From?
Despite extensive searching, there's no credible source for the "every three minutes" statistic. It appears to be one of those viral facts that sounds authoritative but has no actual data behind it. If UFO sightings really happened every three minutes, we'd see 480 reports per day, or about 175,000 per year. Even during peak years of UFO interest, annual reports number in the thousands, not hundreds of thousands.
The myth likely spread because UFOs captivate our imagination. A dramatic statistic gets repeated, shared, and eventually accepted as truth without anyone checking the numbers. It's the internet's version of a game of telephone, except the message never gets corrected.
The Real Numbers
Here's what UFO reporting actually looks like:
- NUFORC has catalogued roughly 170,000 reports over 50+ years of operation
- In 2025's first half, reports averaged 12 per day globally
- The Pentagon's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office received 757 reports between May 2023 and June 2024
- Researchers estimate only 5% of actual sightings get reported due to stigma
That last point is important. While the "every three minutes" claim exaggerates how often sightings are reported, the actual number of people who see something unusual might be higher. Many witnesses never come forward, fearing ridicule or dismissal.
Why Reporting Rates Fluctuate
UFO sighting reports aren't constant—they spike and drop based on cultural factors. After Pentagon whistleblower testimony about alleged secret UFO programs hit the news, reporting rates surged. The 2025 first-half total of 2,174 reports significantly exceeded 2024's first-half count of 1,492.
These fluctuations suggest that reporting is driven as much by public attention as by actual phenomena. When UFOs are in the news, more people feel comfortable sharing their experiences. When interest wanes, so do reports.
So the next time someone tells you UFOs are reported every three minutes, you can set the record straight: the real rate is closer to every two hours, based on the world's most comprehensive independent database. Still intriguing, but grounded in actual data rather than internet mythology.