By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-07-22 15:32:19 | Updated at 2026-07-22 16:22:53
58 minutes ago
America’s reputation as the most self-obsessed nation has been shattered by a sweeping global study of narcissism.
The US ranked 16th among 53 countries, placing it well outside the five nations whose residents recorded the highest average scores.
Germany claimed the top position, scoring higher for overall narcissism than every other country examined.
Iraq ranked second, followed by China, Nepal and South Korea.
At the opposite end of the scale, Serbia recorded the lowest score, followed by Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Researchers reached the surprising rankings after analyzing responses from 45,800 people to determine how narcissistic traits differed according to nationality, age, gender and perceived social status.
Across almost every culture, younger adults were more narcissistic than older people, men scored higher than women and those who considered themselves high-status displayed more narcissism than people who placed themselves lower in society.
The most unexpected finding, however, was that people in collectivistic cultures reported greater narcissism, challenging the belief that the trait is primarily cultivated in individualistic societies such as the US.
A study of 53 countries has revealed that Germany is the most narcissistic, while the US ranked 16th
The study, conducted by Michigan State University, divided grandiose narcissism into two forms known as admiration and rivalry.
Narcissistic admiration encompasses self-enhancement, attention-seeking and the desire to impress others.
Participants measured this trait by rating statements including: ‘I manage to be the center of attention with my outstanding contributions.’
Rivalry represents the more antagonistic and defensive side of narcissism, including hostility, competition and the desire to defeat or undermine other people.
One of the statements used to assess rivalry declared: ‘I want my rivals to fail.’
The researchers explained that admiration can produce positive short-term outcomes, including greater self-esteem, immediate popularity and dating success.
Rivalry, however, has been associated with damaging longer-term consequences such as fragile self-esteem, negative judgments from peers and conflict within relationships.
Germany recorded the highest average score for overall narcissism and also led the world in rivalry, although it did not appear among the five highest-scoring countries for admiration.
Iraq ranked second, followed by China , Nepal and South Korea . At the opposite end of the scale, Serbia recorded the lowest score, followed by Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands and Denmark
South Korea ranked second for rivalry, followed by Nepal, Iraq and Romania.
Serbia recorded the lowest rivalry score, followed by Mexico, Colombia, Austria and South Africa.
Nigeria emerged as the global leader in admiration, placing ahead of Iraq, China, Nepal and Türkiye. Norway recorded the lowest admiration score, followed by Denmark, Ireland, Russia and the UK.
The researchers analyzed information collected through the International Collaboration on Social and Moral Psychology: COVID-19, a large international project originally designed to examine psychological factors connected to the pandemic.
They excluded countries with fewer than 100 participants, as well as respondents who did not provide complete answers to the narcissism questionnaire.
That left 45,800 people from 53 countries, with national sample sizes ranging from 148 participants in Ecuador to 2,133 in Australia.
Germany recorded the highest average score for overall narcissism and also led the world in rivalry
The average participant was approximately 43 years old, and 52.1 percent of the sample was female.
Respondents rated six statements from zero, meaning they strongly disagreed, to 10, meaning they strongly agreed. They also placed themselves on a social ladder representing their perceived standing based on money, education and employment.
People at the top were described as having the most money, education and best jobs, while those at the bottom had the least money, education and worst jobs or no employment.
Participants who placed themselves higher on that ladder consistently reported greater overall narcissism, admiration and rivalry.
The authors explained that more narcissistic people typically see themselves as deserving special privileges and may feel driven to establish their superiority over others.
That desire can translate into a rigid pursuit of status, including leadership, fame and wealth, because being viewed as important may reinforce their self-worth.
Age created another remarkably consistent divide across the 53 countries.
Older adults reported lower levels of admiration and rivalry than younger participants, with the pattern emerging in nearly every nation.
The researchers suggested that narcissistic traits might help younger adults establish their identities, assert their independence and pursue recognition or status.
As people age, their priorities may shift away from personal advancement and toward relationships, emotional balance and responsibilities that discourage self-centered behavior.
Older adults reported lower levels of admiration and rivalry than younger participants, with the pattern emerging in nearly every nation
However, the authors cautioned that the study compared different age groups at a single point in time.
It therefore cannot determine whether the same individuals become less narcissistic as they grow older or whether generational differences contributed to the pattern.
Men also recorded higher scores than women across every form of narcissism measured.
The researchers suggested that societal expectations may encourage men to become more assertive, competitive and dominant, qualities that overlap with some aspects of narcissism.
Women, however, may be encouraged to prioritize relationships and communal goals while facing greater social penalties for behaving in openly self-promotional or dominant ways.
The divide between men and women remained largely consistent regardless of a country’s wealth or whether its culture was individualistic or collectivistic.
Researchers had expected collectivistic countries, which emphasize group interests and social harmony, to suppress narcissistic behavior.
Instead, their residents reported greater overall narcissism and admiration, although collectivism was not associated with intense rivalry.
The authors proposed that people in these societies might use subtler self-enhancing behavior to navigate complex hierarchies and gain recognition from powerful members of their group.
People may also promote their achievements as a way of elevating the group’s standing, allowing narcissistic behavior to be justified as benefiting others.
The authors cautioned that their findings reveal associations and do not prove that wealth, collectivism, youth or status causes narcissism.
