Germany came out on top in the list of a study that assessed the prevalence of narcissism in 53 countries. Serbia was considered the country with the fewest narcissists.
A large international study led by researchers at the University of Michigan ranked countries around the world according to levels of narcissism.
Research, in the journal Self and Identity, suggests that narcissistic traits are more common in richer countriesmore prevalent among men than women and significantly higher in young adults than in older generations.
Narcissism is defined as a personality trait marked by an inflated sense of self-importance, a desire to be admired, and competitiveness with others. Although extreme forms can develop into narcissistic personality disorder, psychologists stress that narcissism exists on a spectrum, with most people experiencing display some degree of focus on themselves as part of normal self-esteem.
To better understand how narcissism varies across cultures, the research team analyzed data from more than 45,000 participants in 53 countries. Previous psychological research has focused primarily on Western nations, but this study aimed to provide a more global perspective.
Participants were asked to assess your perceived social status and completing a standardized instrument known as the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire, which assesses traits such as attention seeking and competitiveness, explains .
The results showed both cultural differences and universal trends. You men consistently had higher scores in narcissism than women across regions, a pattern researchers attribute to socialization differences that encourage assertiveness and competitiveness in men while emphasizing cooperation in women. Younger adults also had higher levels of narcissism than older adults, regardless of cultural background.
“Being young, almost everywhere, involves focusing on ourselves,” said co-author William Chopik, noting that the Life experience tends to reduce narcissistic tendencies over time.
The five countries with the highest narcissism scores were, respectively, GermanyIraq, China, Nepal and South Korea. The country with the lowest levels was Serbiafollowed by Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Denmark.
The USA, which is often seen as a narcissistic country, came in 16th place in the overall ranking. Our Spanish neighbors came in 36th place while Brazil came in 33rd place. Portugal was not included in the countries analyzed.
The study also found a positive correlation between national wealth and narcissism, with higher-income countries showing high levels. Surprisingly, countries with more collectivist cultures also showed high rates of narcissism, particularly in traits related to admiration. The researchers suggest this may reflect social systems that encourage individual achievement as a way to increase group status or navigate rigid hierarchies.
Overall, the findings suggest that narcissism is a universal human trait, shaped by both cultural context and developmental patterns shared across societies.
