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Last update: 08/26/2023 07:49 PM

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Average IQ by Country

Introduction

The Intelligence Quotient, commonly known as IQ, serves as a standardized tool to measure cognitive abilities. When we mention "Average IQ," we are referencing the mean score of a particular group, whether it's a specific age group, demographic, or an entire country. This average offers a snapshot of the overall cognitive performance of the said group.

Did you know?

An IQ score of 100 is considered average.
Around 68% of the population, based on a bell curve distribution, will score within one standard deviation of the mean — that's between an IQ of 85 and 115.
A significant 95% of the population will score within two standard deviations, which translates to an IQ between 70 and 130.
It's vital to highlight that IQ tests are structured so that a majority of individuals land within the average bracket, with only small percentages deviating to extremely low or high scores.

Diving deeper, IQ tests evaluate capabilities like analytical thinking, logic, problem-solving, and often memory. So, as we delve into the discussion of Average IQ by country, we're looking beyond mere numbers. We're also seeking to grasp the socio-cultural and economic contexts that shape and influence these averages.

Ranking of countries by intelligence in 2024 - global ranking

In 2024, the global IQ rankings experienced a shuffle. While many countries retained their positions, others saw notable ascents or declines. This change can be attributed to our service expanding its coverage to include more countries over the past year.

High Confidence Level in Data: 1000+

Low Trust Degree Value: <1000

#	Country	Country	Average IQ	Number of responses
#1		South Korea	106.58	1000+
#2		China	105.38	1000+
#3		Japan	105.02	100000+
#4		Taiwan	104.92	1000+
#5		Hong Kong	104.40	1000+
#6		Switzerland	103.64	1000+
#7		Singapore	103.59	10000+
#8		Macao	103.45	100+
#9		Luxembourg	102.93	500+
#10		Hungary	102.75	1000+
#11		Portugal	102.60	1000+
#12		Italy	102.46	10000+
#13		Austria	102.18	1000+
#14		Netherlands	102.11	10000+
#15		Germany	102.04	10000+
#16		Israel	101.87	10000+
#17		Belgium	101.79	1000+
#18		Madagascar	101.47	100+
#19		Croatia	101.29	1000+
#20		Slovenia	101.28	1000+
#21		Iceland	101.14	500+
#22		Finland	101.01	1000+
#23		Slovakia	100.96	1000+
#24		Brazil	100.59	1000+
#25		Sweden	100.57	1000+
#26		Greece	100.43	1000+
#27		Malaysia	100.35	10000+
#28		Vietnam	100.01	10000+
#29		Latvia	99.94	1000+
#30		Jersey	99.87	100+
#31		Denmark	99.84	1000+
#32		Canada	99.83	10000+
#33		Cyprus	99.79	1000+
#34		Serbia	99.79	1000+
#35		Bulgaria	99.72	1000+
#36		Montenegro	99.68	500+
#37		Belarus	99.67	1000+
#38		Ireland	99.60	1000+
#39		Thailand	99.57	10000+
#40		Estonia	99.40	1000+
#41		Czechia	99.32	1000+
#42		Norway	99.23	1000+
#43		Spain	99.21	10000+
#44		Lithuania	99.12	1000+
#45		Curaçao	99.01	100+
#46		Sri Lanka	98.99	1000+
#47		Australia	98.97	10000+
#48		Peru	98.95	1000+
#49		Indonesia	98.94	10000+
#50		France	98.93	10000+
#51		Malta	98.89	500+
#52		Nigeria	98.76	1000+
#53		New Zealand	98.74	10000+
#54		Bosnia and Herzegovina	98.69	1000+
#55		Myanmar	98.66	1000+
#56		Lesotho	98.53	100+
#57		Mauritius	98.45	500+
#58		Yemen	98.43	1000+
#59		Poland	98.37	10000+
#60		Morocco	98.36	10000+
#61		Romania	98.34	10000+
#62		Papua New Guinea	98.33	100+
#63		Tunisia	98.31	10000+
#64		Réunion	98.28	100+
#65		Palestine	98.24	1000+
#66		India	98.20	100000+
#67		Fiji	98.19	100+
#68		South Africa	98.19	10000+
#69		Cameroon	98.13	100+
#70		Albania	98.11	1000+
#71		Armenia	98.07	1000+
#72		Kenya	98.06	1000+
#73		Senegal	98.05	100+
#74		Russia	98.00	100000+
#75		Côte d'Ivoire	97.96	100+
#76		Isle of Man	97.95	100+
#77		Kazakhstan	97.93	1000+
#78		North Macedonia	97.88	1000+
#79		Chile	97.86	1000+
#80		Sudan	97.86	1000+
#81		Bhutan	97.82	100+
#82		United States	97.81	100000+
#83		Suriname	97.78	100+
#84		Algeria	97.76	10000+
#85		Argentina	97.74	1000+
#86		Cambodia	97.74	1000+
#87		Ukraine	97.70	10000+
#88		Egypt	97.67	10000+
#89		Jordan	97.64	10000+
#90		United Arab Emirates	97.57	10000+
#91		Bangladesh	97.55	10000+
#92		Botswana	97.54	100+
#93		Libya	97.51	1000+
#94		Philippines	97.49	10000+
#95		Puerto Rico	97.46	500+
#96		Zimbabwe	97.41	500+
#97		Laos	97.40	100+
#98		Mongolia	97.38	1000+
#99		Mexico	97.33	10000+
#100		Syria	97.24	10000+
#101		Tanzania	97.18	500+
#102		Trinidad and Tobago	97.08	1000+
#103		Georgia	97.04	10000+
#104		Ecuador	97.03	1000+
#105		Tajikistan	96.95	100+
#106		Uzbekistan	96.93	10000+
#107		Azerbaijan	96.87	10000+
#108		Barbados	96.87	100+
#109		Oman	96.80	1000+
#110		United Kingdom	96.78	100000+
#111		Colombia	96.72	1000+
#112		Ethiopia	96.69	1000+
#113		Cuba	96.56	1000+
#114		Qatar	96.56	1000+
#115		Kyrgyzstan	96.55	1000+
#116		DR Congo	96.49	100+
#117		Lebanon	96.48	1000+
#118		Mozambique	96.45	100+
#119		Brunei	96.42	500+
#120		Ghana	96.39	1000+
#121		Moldova	96.36	1000+
#122		Uganda	96.24	500+
#123		Malawi	96.22	100+
#124		Pakistan	96.11	10000+
#125		Nepal	96.06	1000+
#126		Venezuela	95.94	1000+
#127		Bolivia	95.86	1000+
#128		Uruguay	95.80	1000+
#129		Bahrain	95.75	1000+
#130		Iraq	95.73	10000+
#131		Namibia	95.71	100+
#132		Zambia	95.56	500+
#133		Guyana	95.44	100+
#134		Afghanistan	95.39	500+
#135		Jamaica	95.28	1000+
#136		Costa Rica	95.26	1000+
#137		Guernsey	95.11	100+
#138		Rwanda	95.10	100+
#139		Turkey	95.10	100000+
#140		Kuwait	95.02	1000+
#141		Iran	94.77	10000+
#142		Mauritania	94.60	500+
#143		Guatemala	94.58	1000+
#144		Bahamas	94.49	100+
#145		Angola	94.39	100+
#146		Turkmenistan	94.15	100+
#147		Kosovo	93.97	500+
#148		Dominican Republic	93.85	1000+
#149		Paraguay	93.74	1000+
#150		Panama	93.70	500+
#151		Nicaragua	93.66	500+
#152		El Salvador	93.57	1000+
#153		Saudi Arabia	93.52	10000+
#154		Honduras	93.51	1000+
#155		Belize	93.30	100+
#156		Maldives	92.99	500+
#157		Somalia	92.57	100+
#158		French Southern Territories	137.00	<100
#159		Bouvet Island	118.00	<100
#160		Marshall Islands	112.00	<100
#161		Holy See	111.00	<100
#162		British Indian Ocean Territory	108.00	<100
#163		Palau	107.00	<100
#164		Seychelles	105.47	<100
#165		Liechtenstein	105.41	<100
#166		Åland Islands	104.55	<100
#167		Saint Barthélemy	104.50	<100
#168		Wallis and Futuna	104.00	<100
#169		Equatorial Guinea	101.80	<100
#170		Greenland	101.34	<100
#171		Nauru	101.33	<100
#172		French Polynesia	101.31	<100
#173		Togo	101.22	<100
#174		Kiribati	101.00	<100
#175		Tonga	100.92	<100
#176		Guam	100.87	<100
#177		New Caledonia	100.62	<100
#178		Monaco	100.50	<100
#179		Timor-Leste	100.29	<100
#180		Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba	100.14	<100
#181		Guadeloupe	99.93	<100
#182		Cook Islands	99.75	<100
#183		Aruba	99.56	<100
#184		Central African Republic	99.50	<100
#185		Faroe Islands	99.48	<100
#186		Comoros	99.25	<100
#187		Falkland Islands	99.14	<100
#188		Guinea	98.79	<100
#189		Burundi	98.66	<100
#190		Burkina Faso	98.21	<100
#191		Solomon Islands	98.13	<100
#192		Martinique	98.05	<100
#193		Antigua and Barbuda	97.92	<100
#194		Haiti	97.82	<100
#195		Benin	97.79	<100
#196		Djibouti	97.38	<100
#197		Andorra	97.29	<100
#198		Dominica	97.13	<100
#199		Cayman Islands	97.08	<100
#200		Saint Martin	97.05	<100
#201		Eswatini	97.00	<100
#202		British Virgin Islands	96.95	<100
#203		Mayotte	96.85	<100
#204		Cabo Verde	96.76	<100
#205		Western Sahara	96.67	<100
#206		Turks and Caicos Islands	96.58	<100
#207		U.S. Virgin Islands	96.46	<100
#208		Niger	96.45	<100
#209		Eritrea	96.42	<100
#210		Bermuda	96.24	<100
#211		Chad	96.21	<100
#212		Gabon	96.11	<100
#213		North Korea	96.00	<100
#214		Gibraltar	95.98	<100
#215		Mali	95.77	<100
#216		Northern Mariana Islands	95.64	<100
#217		San Marino	95.60	<100
#218		Sint Maarten	95.18	<100
#219		French Guiana	95.04	<100
#220		Anguilla	95.00	<100
#221		Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	94.83	<100
#222		Saint Lucia	94.81	<100
#223		Samoa	94.71	<100
#224		Montserrat	94.67	<100
#225		American Samoa	94.13	<100
#226		Tuvalu	94.00	<100
#227		Grenada	93.62	<100
#228		Sierra Leone	93.61	<100
#229		Vanuatu	93.40	<100
#230		Liberia	93.29	<100
#231		Gambia	93.10	<100
#232		Guinea-Bissau	92.00	<100
#233		South Sudan	91.31	<100
#234		Saint Kitts and Nevis	90.44	<100
#235		Republic of the Congo	89.10	<100
#236		Micronesia	84.17	<100
#237		Sao Tome and Principe	81.00	<100
#238		Saint Pierre and Miquelon	75.00	<100

Countries with the Highest IQ

Asian countries, including South Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan, consistently rank at the top of global IQ standings. Their emphasis on education and technology has solidified their reputations as intellectual leaders globally. In our analysis, Switzerland is the only European country that can rival their standings, credited to its high levels of economic and political stability.

South Korea — 106.58
China — 105.38
Japan — 105.02
Taiwan — 104.92
Hong Kong — 104.40
Switzerland — 103.64
Singapore — 103.59

Countries with the Lowest IQ

While some narratives may carry negative connotations, it's essential to understand that several countries in Africa and Latin America register lower on the IQ spectrum. This, however, is not indicative of their inherent potential but rather reflects challenges in sectors like education and health. Our research presents unbiased and carefully compiled data. Interestingly, our findings indicate that the average IQ in countries ranking lower on our table stands at 93. Some studies available online suggest average IQ scores below 70 for these regions, but such figures often misrepresent a population's cognitive abilities, as scores below 70 are typically associated with cognitive impairments (read more here). Thus, it's vital to approach such data with a discerning and informed perspective.

What affects the average IQ across countries?

Education System Quality

Curriculum Rigor and Relevance

A comprehensive and up-to-date curriculum ensures students receive relevant knowledge, fostering cognitive skills critical for IQ tests. It's not just about memorizing facts; it's about understanding and applying concepts.

You know, it's kind of like training for a marathon. You wouldn't just focus on sprinting; you'd also build endurance, right? Similarly, a strong curriculum prepares students for a myriad of challenges.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

Counties that prioritize universal access to education tend to have a better average IQ. This is because when more individuals receive formal education, there's a collective upliftment in cognitive capabilities.

Think about it as a team sport. When every player gets a chance to train and play, the whole team benefits.

Teacher Quality and Continuous Training

The quality of educators is paramount. Well-trained teachers not only impart knowledge but also encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Regular training ensures they are equipped with modern pedagogical methods, ensuring effective teaching.

Remember that one teacher who made a difference in your life, who made complex topics seem so easy? That's the power of a good educator.

Infrastructure and Learning Environment

A conducive learning environment, complete with necessary resources like libraries, labs, and technology, can significantly enhance learning experiences. In regions where these facilities are readily available, there's a direct correlation with better average IQ scores.

Healthcare and Nutrition

Importance of Early Life Healthcare

Neurological Development: The first few years of life are foundational for brain development. Access to quality healthcare can identify and treat potential developmental issues early on.

Prevention of Illnesses: Regular health checks and vaccinations can prevent diseases that may otherwise affect cognitive abilities.

Nutrition's Role in Cognitive Growth

Essential Nutrients: The brain requires nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and certain vitamins for its optimal functioning. A deficiency in these can impair cognitive abilities.

Impact of Malnutrition: Malnourished children, especially in their early years, may experience hindered brain development, affecting their IQ scores in the long run.

Comparing High and Low IQ Countries: A Case Study

If we pull up a list of countries by average IQ, there's a trend you might notice. Countries with comprehensive healthcare systems and robust nutritional programs often lead the charts.

Scandinavian Case: Countries like Norway and Sweden, known for their extensive healthcare systems, frequently report high average IQ scores. Coincidence? Not likely.

Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa: Unfortunately, some regions, like parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, face malnutrition and healthcare challenges, which can reflect in their average IQ scores. But remember, these numbers aren't destiny; they're more like a snapshot in time.

Socioeconomic Factors

Conducive Learning Environment

Safety and Stability.
Picture this: a child trying to study in an environment riddled with socio-political unrest. It's hardly ideal. Socioeconomic stability, therefore, plays a pivotal role in creating environments conducive to learning and intellectual growth.

Resource Availability.
In stronger socioeconomic settings, there's often better access to learning resources like libraries, digital platforms, and extracurricular activities. It's a bit like having multiple pathways to the same destination.

Employment Opportunities

Parental Employment.
Employment opportunities, which are directly tied to socioeconomic conditions, determine a family's access to resources. An employed parent can provide better educational tools, from books to tutoring.
Aspiration and Future Orientation.
In regions with ample job opportunities, education is often seen as a pathway to a brighter future. This can motivate learners to strive for higher cognitive achievements.

Socioeconomic Prosperity

Cultural Emphasis on Education.
Socioeconomic prosperity often influences cultural values. In societies where prosperity is tied to knowledge, there's a heightened emphasis on education and intellectual pursuits.
Community Support Systems.
Prosperous communities often establish support systems like tutoring centers, mentorship programs, and workshops that boost learning.

Cultural Values and Priorities

Culture, an intangible yet potent force, invariably shapes cognitive landscapes. The emphasis a culture places on education, intellectual pursuits, and continuous learning can sculpt the average IQ of its population.

You've heard the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child," right? In some counties, that village values academic achievement and pushes for collective intellectual growth. It's the age-old tales, traditions, and priorities that make the difference.

Environmental Factors

The environment, both in terms of natural surroundings and infrastructural development, plays a pivotal role in influencing IQ. Clean air, access to green spaces, and a pollution-free atmosphere can have a profound effect on cognitive abilities.

Think about it this way: a breath of fresh air isn't just a saying. It's a reality. The better the environment, the clearer the mind can function.

Political Stability

An environment of political stability ensures uninterrupted access to essential services, including education. A stable political environment correlates with systematic growth, which in turn provides a conducive atmosphere for cognitive development.

But remember, a county constantly on its toes due to political unrest might find it challenging to prioritize education and cognitive growth. It's about ensuring the basics first.

Technological Advancement

The integration of cutting-edge technology into daily life and education systems can significantly bolster cognitive growth. Access to information, digital tools, and innovative teaching methods can elevate the learning experience.

Ever had a "Wow, there's an app for that!" moment? It's this surge in technology that's bridging gaps and opening avenues for enriched learning.

Parental Involvement

Lastly, but by no means least, is the influence of parental involvement. Active participation by parents in their child's academic journey can provide the necessary support and motivation to excel.

Because, at the end of the day, a little encouragement from mom and dad, or just someone who cares, goes a long way.

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Intelligence Capital Index

Every year, multiple studies and indexes are released that showcase the average IQ of various countries. The Intelligence Capital Index (ICI) ranks countries not only based on their raw average IQ scores but also considers other influential factors like education, technological advancement, and innovation. In this exploration, we'll seamlessly blend in-depth analysis with relatable insights to unveil the top 10 countries leading in the ICI.

Definition and Metrics: The ICI, a comprehensive tool, incorporates various metrics from cognitive abilities, innovation prowess, to technological adaptability.
Why it Matters: Beyond the conventional IQ score, the ICI paints a more holistic picture of a nation's intellectual capacity.

1. Singapore

Professional Analysis: Historically, Singapore has invested heavily in education and technology, a commitment that's evident in their top-tier ranking.
Conversational Insight: Ever been to Singapore? It's like walking into the future with its smart cities and advanced infrastructure.

2. South Korea

Professional Analysis: South Korea's emphasis on education, especially STEM subjects, contributes heavily to its high ICI.
Conversational Insight: K-pop isn't the only thing South Korea's renowned for, their tech scene is equally poppin'!

3. Japan

Professional Analysis: With a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation, Japan's contribution to technology and science is globally recognized.
Conversational Insight: From samurai swords to cutting-edge robotics—Japan's got the range!

4. Hong Kong

Professional Analysis: Hong Kong's globalized education system and emphasis on multilingualism boost its ICI.
Conversational Insight: It's a fusion of East meets West, and it shows not just in their culture but in their intellect.

5. China

Professional Analysis: Rapid industrialization paired with significant investments in higher education propels China's ranking.
Conversational Insight: China's not just about the Great Wall; their great minds are making waves internationally.

6. Taiwan

Professional Analysis: Taiwan’s robust tech industry and innovation-centric education system underpin its high ICI.
Conversational Insight: Known for bubble tea and semiconductors—Taiwan’s blend of culture and tech is truly refreshing.

7. Iceland

Professional Analysis: A surprising entry for many, Iceland's focus on sustainability and education is unparalleled.
Conversational Insight: Besides their breathtaking Northern Lights, their enlightened approach to education is another thing of beauty.

8. Switzerland

Professional Analysis: Switzerland's world-renowned universities and research institutions justify its position on the list.
Conversational Insight: Watchmaking, chocolates, and high IQs—it’s all in a day's work for the Swiss!

9. Netherlands

Professional Analysis: The Dutch approach to globalized education and emphasis on research makes it a top contender.
Conversational Insight: Beyond their iconic windmills, the Dutch are spinning the gears of innovation.

10. Norway

Professional Analysis: With a well-rounded education system and a strong focus on research, Norway secures its spot.
Conversational Insight: Fjords, Northern Lights, and intellectual prowess—the trifecta of Norwegian pride.