Genetic study links 1.14 million participants to 706 neuroticism loci

September 2, 2026 at 05:00 AM2 min

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A meta-analysis across 46 cohorts and up to 1.14 million participants identified 706 genetic loci associated with neuroticism and 258 with extraversion. The study, by the Revived Genomics of Personality Consortium, raises total significant loci for the Big Five traits from 253 to 1,260. SNP heritability accounted for 4.8–16.2% of personality variation, far below twin-study estimates of 40–60%.

Key Facts

The meta-analysis included between 611,037 and 1.14 million participants per Big Five trait across 46 cohorts.
Significant loci increased from 3 to 131 for conscientiousness, 4 to 39 for agreeableness, 8 to 126 for openness, 14 to 258 for extraversion, and 224 to 706 for neuroticism.
SNP heritability accounted for an estimated 4.8–16.2% of total personality variation across traits and models.
Twin and pedigree studies estimate personality heritability at around 40% to 60%, including rare variants and genetic interactions.
Genetic associations were highly similar across four Western country clusters, reporter perspective, age, and measurement instrument.

Study Design

The Revived Genomics of Personality Consortium conducted meta-analytic GWAS across 46 cohorts. Sample sizes ranged from 611,037 to 1.14 million participants per Big Five trait. The consortium also published a frequently asked questions document explaining the study in everyday language.

Locus Discovery

The number of significant loci rose sharply for all five traits compared with the most recent prior work. Neuroticism showed the largest absolute gain, from 224 to 706 loci. Extraversion increased from 14 to 258 loci, and openness from 8 to 126. Conscientiousness and agreeableness reached 131 and 39 loci, respectively.

Heritability and Generalizability

Common genetic variants tagged by SNPs explained 4.8–16.2% of personality variation. Classic twin and pedigree studies estimate heritability at 40–60%, reflecting rare variants and genetic interactions. All methods indicate that personality is substantially influenced by environment. Genetic associations were consistent across four Western country clusters, self versus close-other reports, age, and measurement instruments. Polygenic indices predicted personality consistently across five independent cohorts.