Britons are among the least self-absorbed people in the world, ranking 51st out of 53 nations in a major global study of narcissism, whilst the United States failed to reach the top 15.
A new analysis of over 45,000 people, published in Self and Identity, challenges the popular stereotype that narcissism is a uniquely American or Western phenomenon.
Researchers from Michigan State University found that the United Kingdom ranked at the bottom of the global narcissism league table, alongside Serbia, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Denmark as the countries with the lowest overall scores.
In contrast, the study identified Germany as the country with the highest levels of narcissism, followed by Iraq, China, Nepal and South Korea.
Despite its reputation for encouraging self-promotion, the United States ranked 16th on the list, trailing behind countries such as Turkey (6th), Nigeria (7th) and Pakistan (9th).
Demographic differences
The study examined demographic differences across 53 countries to determine whether cultural factors like individualism or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) influenced personality traits.
The researchers found that while average levels of narcissism varied by country, the demographic patterns remained remarkably consistent regardless of culture.
Across the globe, men consistently reported higher levels of narcissism than women, and younger adults scored higher than older generations.
“We found that there were differences across cultures, including that people from higher GDP countries were more narcissistic, but the degree to which younger adults were narcissistic compared to older adults didn’t matter much on what country you were from,” said William Chopik, co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University.
“Being young nearly everywhere involves focusing on yourself and thinking you’re better than you are,” Chopik added. “But life can be a humbling experience, and it seems to humble people in a similar way across cultures.”
Individualistic Western societies
The findings upend the traditional psychological view that narcissism is primarily a product of individualistic Western societies.
The data revealed that individuals from more collectivistic cultures — where group harmony is typically prioritised over individual achievement — actually scored higher in narcissism, particularly in the dimension of “narcissistic admiration”.
The authors suggest that in collectivistic cultures, which often have pronounced social hierarchies, individuals may adopt narcissistic traits to navigate complex social networks and enhance their status within the group.
“Even cultures we may consider to be group-oriented don’t necessarily suppress self-focused behaviours,” said Macy Miscikowski, co-author and research associate. “Insights like these encourage us to think about the balance between cultural and biological influences on personality.”
National wealth and self-importance
The study also found a link between national wealth and self-importance. People from countries with a higher GDP scored higher on all three narcissism operationalisations tested by the researchers.
The authors posit that wealthier societies may foster environments where self-promotion and individual achievement are highly valued, thereby encouraging narcissistic traits through a “culture of indulgence”.
However, the researchers noted that cultural factors rarely moderated the specific demographic trends, suggesting that the tendency for men and young people to be more narcissistic may be a universal human characteristic rather than a cultural product.
