New Global Study Uncovers Which Countries Rank Highest For Narcissism

New research is challenging long-held assumptions about narcissism and where it shows up most. A recent international study has identified the countries with the highest reported levels of narcissistic traits, pushing back on the common belief that this personality style is mainly linked to highly individualistic Western nations.

In recent years, the word narcissism has become part of everyday language. People often use it to describe someone who seems self-centered or manipulative, even outside of a clinical setting.

Narcissistic traits can include an inflated sense of self-importance and a reduced ability to empathize with others. Narcissistic personality disorder is defined as a mental health condition in which “people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance” (via Mayo Clinic).

The 2026 study aimed to measure narcissism levels across different cultures in a more balanced way. Instead of focusing mainly on Western countries, researchers from Michigan State University collected and analyzed responses from 45,000 participants across 53 nations, asking them about their own behaviors and personality traits.

One of the more surprising findings was that the United States, often pointed to in public discussions about narcissism, did not rank in the top five. William Chopik, associate professor of personality psychology at Michigan State University and one of the researchers behind the study, addressed this assumption directly.

"Most of what we know about narcissism comes from studies conducted in Western countries – often in the US," Chopik told BBC Science Focus.

The researchers found that men were more likely to score high for narcissistic traits than women. Getty Stock

"The US often comes up in public discourse as the example of narcissism, so people might expect it to be far and away the highest. In reality, the US was toward the higher end, but it certainly wasn't at the extreme."

"The truth is, there was a wide range of narcissism in every country," Chopik continued. "Each one had their own mix of people who were narcissistic and people who were self-effacing."

So which countries ranked highest in this unexpected list? The top five overall included Germany in first place, followed by Iraq, China, Nepal, and South Korea. On the opposite end, the countries that scored as the most self-effacing were Serbia, Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, and Denmark.

Some people were shocked not to see the US in the top five UNILAD

As for the United States, it placed in the top third of the rankings, coming in at number 16 out of 53 countries.

The researchers also found that narcissistic traits appeared more often among younger participants. In addition, men were more likely than women to report traits linked to narcissism.

"For younger people, narcissism may actually serve some developmental purposes," Chopik said. "Early adulthood is a time when people are trying to establish an identity, gain independence and compete for status. Traits like confidence and self-focus can be useful in that context."

When it comes to the gender gap, the research team suggested that cultural norms and long-standing beliefs about male dominance could play a role in shaping these patterns.

The study also separated narcissism into two related but distinct forms. The researchers examined narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry as separate dimensions.

Narcissistic admiration focuses on self-enhancing behaviors, such as strong self-confidence or openly highlighting personal achievements. Rivalry, on the other hand, reflects behaviors that create tension with others, such as defensiveness or putting others down to protect one’s own status.

Admiration scores were highest in Nigeria, Iraq, China, Nepal, and Turkey. They were lowest in Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Russia, and the UK.

For narcissistic rivalry, Germany, South Korea, Nepal, Iraq, and Romania ranked highest. Serbia, Mexico, Colombia, Austria, and South Africa ranked lowest in that category.

Before analyzing the data, Chopik and his team expected that countries with strong collectivist values would show lower levels of narcissism. Instead, the results suggested something different.

Germany ranked high fhm/Getty stock photo

Participants from more collectivistic cultures, including Senegal, Bangladesh, Morocco, Nepal, and Iraq, generally reported higher levels of narcissistic admiration compared to countries often described as individualistic, such as Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Finland.

"That challenges the simple story that narcissism is just a byproduct of individualistic cultures, or how collectivistic countries are idealized as perfectly harmonious and selfless," said Chopik.

"Narcissists were present everywhere, and the sensitivity to hierarchies in collectivistic countries may exacerbate this."

The researchers also found that social and economic status plays an important role in narcissism levels. People living in wealthier countries tended to score higher, which may reflect societies that place greater emphasis on achievement, recognition, and self-promotion.

"It's not confined to one country, one generation or one type of person," Chopik concluded. "It shows up everywhere, often in predictable ways, and sometimes for understandable reasons."