Narcissism Shows Global Consistency Across 53 Countries

A cross-national study of 45,800 participants across 53 countries finds that younger adults, men, and people who perceive themselves as higher in social status consistently report more narcissistic traits. While average narcissism levels vary by country and can rise with GDP per capita, the core demographic patterns (age, gender, and status) are broadly universal, with aging linked to lower narcissism and culture not strongly moderating these differences. Notably, some collectivistic contexts showed higher agentic narcissism, challenging the notion that narcissism is mainly a Western, individualistic trait.