Was the narcissism epidemic every really a thing? New research says no, not really

Recent research shows narcissism has been declining globally from 1982 to 2023, challenging the narrative of a narcissism epidemic.
narcissism in decline

Summary: Recent research shows narcissism has been declining globally from 1982 to 2023, challenging the narrative of a narcissism epidemic.

For years, we’ve heard warnings about a so-called “narcissism epidemic” sweeping through younger generations.

Media and some psychologists have pointed to rising self-centeredness, inflated self-esteem, and entitlement as evidence.

But recent research challenges that narrative.

A new meta-analysis of over 40 years of global data suggests that narcissism might not have been as rampant as previously thought, and is actually on the decline.

The study, entitled “A Farewell to the Narcissism Epidemic? A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis of Global NPI Scores (1982–2023),” was published on October 14, 2024, in the Journal of Personality.

It was written by Sandra Oberleiter, Paul Stickel, and Jakob Pietschnig of University of Vienna.

Deflating the Narcissism Bubble

The idea of a growing narcissism epidemic has fascinated both scholars and the public for decades.

From self-help books to op-eds, it seemed everyone was talking about how young people were becoming increasingly self-absorbed.

But now, a comprehensive study tracking narcissism from 1982 to 2023 suggests that this epidemic may have been exaggerated—or may not have existed at all.

“We provide evidence for negative cross-temporal changes in narcissism from 1982 to 2023 globally,” the researchers write.

In other words, far from increasing, narcissism levels have been on a slow but steady decline across the world.

Methodology: How the Study Was Done

To arrive at these findings, a team of researchers led by Sandra Oberleiter from the University of Vienna conducted a cross-temporal meta-analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI).

This tool is the gold standard for measuring narcissistic traits, using self-reported surveys.

The study pulled data from 1105 published and unpublished studies, comprising a whopping 546,225 participants across 55 countries.

The participants varied in age, gender, and region.

The researchers tracked how self-reported narcissism levels changed over time and across different regions, focusing on trends before and after major global events, like the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC).

Key Findings: Narcissism is Falling, Not Rising

One of the key findings of the study is that narcissism scores have steadily declined since the 1980s.

The researchers observed a significant downward trend in narcissism in both U.S. and global samples.

While narcissism scores were relatively stable in the 1980s and 1990s, they began to decline in the early 2000s, and the trend has continued since.

For example, U.S. student samples—often cited as being at the heart of the narcissism epidemic—showed a decline in NPI scores, with the effect being small but statistically significant (partial eta squared = 0.023).

Similarly, the global trend pointed to a broad decrease in narcissism across various regions.

Interestingly, the researchers found no sharp reversal around 2008, contradicting the hypothesis that the GFC had a significant impact on narcissistic traits. “Our findings present several points of interest,” the authors note, “including the general absence of a meaningful role for the GFC in narcissism trajectory changes.”

Why Did Narcissism Decrease?

So why have narcissism levels been falling? One explanation the researchers offer is that younger generations might actually be growing more empathetic and community-focused, perhaps in response to global challenges like economic inequality, climate change, and social justice movements.

Some experts suggest that rising social media use, which often highlights the achievements of others, may actually be reducing narcissistic tendencies.

This is because constant exposure to curated, idealized versions of other people’s lives on social media can lead to upward social comparisons, where individuals feel inadequate or humbled in the face of others’ successes, ultimately dampening their own inflated self-views and reducing narcissistic behaviors.

Other scholars have pointed out that declines in anti-social behaviors like juvenile crime, alongside increases in volunteerism and activism, reflect a shift toward more community-oriented values.

As society places more emphasis on acceptance, tolerance, and social responsibility, individuals may feel less inclined toward self-centeredness.

Gender and Regional Differences

The study also looked at gender differences in narcissism.

Previous research suggested that women were becoming more narcissistic, with traits like assertiveness and agency on the rise.

However, this study found that women, like men, are reporting lower levels of narcissism over time.

In fact, the gender gap in narcissism remains relatively unchanged, with men still reporting higher levels than women.

Regionally, the researchers found that North American participants reported higher narcissism scores than their European and Asian counterparts, but the overall trend was downward across all regions.

This suggests that while cultural differences in narcissism exist, the global trajectory is consistent.

Broader Implications: A More Empathetic World?

This study challenges the pervasive narrative that we are becoming more self-centered.

Instead, it suggests the opposite: that we may be moving toward a more community-focused, empathetic society.

While narcissism isn’t disappearing entirely—certain traits like entitlement may still be on the rise—the overall trend appears to be one of decline.

The implications of these findings could be far-reaching.

If we’re not in the grip of a narcissism epidemic, then perhaps we need to reassess our understanding of social changes in the past few decades.

It may be that younger generations, often criticized for their supposed self-obsession, are in fact becoming more socially conscious.

Conclusion: What’s Next for Narcissism Research?

While this study offers compelling evidence that narcissism is declining, the researchers caution that more work is needed to understand the full picture.

Future research could explore the impact of social media, economic factors, and cultural shifts in shaping personality traits.

For now, though, it seems that the idea of a narcissism epidemic may need to be retired.

“We show that self-reported subclinical narcissism appears to have been decreasing over the past 40 years on a global scale,” the authors conclude, signaling the end of an era in narcissism research.

Study Details: