Narcissism Epidemic Never Existed, Global Meta-Analysis Finds

A large-scale international meta-analysis published in 2025 has concluded that the so-called “narcissism epidemic” never occurred. Researchers from the University of Vienna, led by Sandra Oberleiter, examined data spanning 41 years — from 1982 to 2023 — and found no statistically meaningful rise in narcissism across generations.

What the Data Actually Showed

The team analyzed 1,105 studies drawn from an initial pool of nearly 7,900, covering approximately 550,000 participants and more than 1,600 comparisons. They used the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), the same instrument employed in earlier U.S.-centric research, to ensure methodological consistency. The analysis included data from outside the United States, incorporating international samples across multiple regions, sexes, and age groups. When scores were divided into pre- and post-2008 periods — the year of a widely cited U.S.-only study — no significant difference emerged. As the authors stated directly: “there remains only little support for a Narcissism Epidemic over the past decades on a global scale,” and any effects detected were described as “trivial.”

Origins of the Misconception

The idea that Millennials and other young adults who came of age in the late 20th century were uniquely narcissistic stemmed largely from a 2008 study by Twenge et al., which relied exclusively on U.S. college student samples and a single questionnaire measure. That work labeled the cohort “Generation Me,” characterizing it as overly self-centered, entitled, and egotistical — despite limited generalizability and acknowledged non-universality of findings. The label gained traction in public discourse, reinforced by cognitive biases such as confirmation bias, where people selectively interpret information to fit pre-existing beliefs.

Why Age Matters More Than Generation

The Vienna team’s analysis revealed a consistent negative association between age and narcissism scores across all samples — especially in the U.S. and parts of Oceania, including Southeast Asia and Australia. Though these findings reflect cross-sectional, not longitudinal, data, they suggest that apparent generational differences may instead reflect developmental patterns: younger individuals tend to score higher on narcissism measures, with scores declining as people age. This offers an alternative explanation for earlier results — namely, that the original college-based samples simply captured participants at a life stage naturally associated with higher self-focus, not a cohort-wide personality shift.

What Explains Stable or Declining Scores?

The researchers noted several possible social trends that could contribute to flat or slightly declining narcissism scores. These include rising volunteerism among young adults, broader engagement in prosocial behaviors, and increased prevalence of anxiety and depression — conditions linked to lower self-esteem and reduced narcissistic traits. Social media use, particularly when involving frequent downward social comparisons, may also undermine the self-enhancement mechanisms typically associated with narcissism.

Implications for Public Perception

The conclusion that the narcissism epidemic was an artefact of narrow sampling and methodological limitations carries direct implications for how entire generations have been stereotyped. For individuals — and parents — who have faced pejorative labels tied to this narrative, the findings offer empirical reassurance. As the study underscores, personality traits like narcissism are better understood as evolving within individuals over time rather than fixed characteristics defining birth cohorts. Narcissism persists as a psychological construct, but not as a spreading societal condition.

Twenge, J. M., S. Konrath, J. D. Foster, W. K. Campbell, and B. J. Bushman. 2008. "Egos Inflating Over Time: A Cross‐Temporal Meta‐Analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory." Journal of Personality 76, no. 4: 875–902. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467‐6494.2008.00507.x.

Oberleiter, S., Stickel, P., & Pietschnig, J. (2025). A Farewell to the narcissism epidemic? A cross‐temporal meta‐analysis of global NPI scores (1982–2023). Journal of Personality, 93(4), 884–894. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12982.