Average IQ in South America by Country: 12-Country Ranking
Keep exploring
Use another free IQ Career Lab tool to put this result in a wider context.
Key Takeaways
- The IQ Career Lab dataset contains 12 South American countries.
- Uruguay has the highest estimate in this dataset at 98, followed by Argentina and Chile.
- The regional spread is meaningful, but exact one-point rank differences should not be over-interpreted.
- Education, income, health and sampling conditions all influence measured population performance.
- Every country in the ranking links to a dedicated methodology-aware profile.
South American IQ estimates by country
| Rank | Country | Average IQ | Source | Source year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uruguay | 98 | Becker (2019) | 2019 |
| 2 | Argentina | 96 | Becker (2019) | 2019 |
| 3 | Chile | 93 | Becker (2019) | 2019 |
| 4 | Brazil | 90 | Becker (2019) | 2019 |
| 5 | Peru | 88 | Becker (2019) | 2019 |
| 6 | Bolivia | 87 | Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) | 2012 |
| 7 | Colombia | 87 | Becker (2019) | 2019 |
| 8 | Paraguay | 87 | Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) | 2012 |
| 9 | Venezuela | 87 | Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) | 2012 |
| 10 | Ecuador | 84 | Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) | 2012 |
| 11 | Suriname | 80 | Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) | 2012 |
| 12 | Guyana | 76 | Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) | 2012 |
These are country-level estimates from the dataset that powers IQ Career Lab's country profiles. Source methods and years vary by country. The lowest estimate in this regional table is Guyana at 76. National averages should not be used to infer the ability of an individual person.
Where does your country rank?
Find any of 195 countries and open its full IQ profile, global ranking, education data, and comparisons.
What stands out in the South American data?
The highest values in our current dataset belong to Uruguay, Argentina and Chile. Larger countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Peru sit elsewhere in the regional table.
That order should not be interpreted as a permanent intelligence hierarchy. Different countries have different source histories, and a national average hides substantial variation between regions, schools, income groups and individuals.
Why source year matters
National estimates are often assembled from studies conducted in different years. A country measured after decades of educational expansion may not be directly comparable with another value inherited from an older compilation.
Population cognitive scores can shift over time. The Flynn Effect documents generational changes large enough to make the idea of a timeless national IQ implausible.
IQ, education and economic development
South American countries vary in literacy, school completion, urbanization and income. Those differences can influence measured cognitive performance and also interact with each other.
This is why the individual profiles show multiple development indicators alongside the IQ estimate. A user comparing Argentina with Brazil, for example, can inspect more than a two-number scorecard.
How to use this table
Use the ranking to discover countries worth opening, then compare the source and context on the country pages. If your goal is to understand methodology rather than rank, start with our global national-IQ data review.
If your goal is personal benchmarking, national averages are the wrong reference. Use the IQ percentile calculator instead.
Explore another region
Continue with Africa, Asia, Europe, North America or Oceania.
Compare Another Country
Find out where you actually stand.
No sign-up is required to start the 50-question assessment. Finish the test to see your result summary and unlock deeper analysis if you choose.
By starting the assessment, you agree to our Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy.
