Largest-ever study links over 1,200 genetic variants to human personality
A new Nature study analyzed DNA and personality data from up to 1.14 million people across 46 cohorts, finding 1,260 genetic variants tied to the Big Five personality traits. More than 800 of those variants were previously unknown.
An international consortium pooled DNA and personality questionnaires from 46 research cohorts worldwide, covering between 611,000 and 1.14 million participants depending on the trait, to find 1,260 genetic variants linked to extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. More than 800 of those variants had never been found before, and the known variants tied to conscientiousness alone jumped from 3 to 131. Published September 2, 2026 in Nature, the study found these genetic patterns already correlate with smoking uptake, COVID-19 infection risk, and other real-world outcomes, and are more robust to confounding from shared family upbringing than genetic links to traits like education or income.