Question 1

Which country has the highest average IQ?

Accepted Answer

Singapore and Hong Kong have the highest measured average IQ scores at 108, followed by Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan at 106. These scores reflect strong educational systems and high performance on international cognitive assessments like PISA. However, these are approximate estimates and should be interpreted with caution.

Question 2

Are national IQ scores accurate?

Accepted Answer

National IQ averages are rough approximations based on meta-analyses of available cognitive testing data. They have significant limitations: sample sizes vary greatly, some scores are imputed from educational achievement data rather than direct testing, and cultural test bias means Western-developed IQ tests may not translate fairly across all cultures. Within-country variation is always much larger than between-country differences.

Question 3

Why do IQ scores vary between countries?

Accepted Answer

Differences in measured IQ scores between countries are primarily driven by environmental factors: access to quality education, nutrition and healthcare during childhood, socioeconomic development, urbanization, and the availability of cognitively stimulating environments. The Flynn Effect shows that IQ scores rise as these factors improve, with gains of about 3 points per decade observed globally.

Question 4

Does a country's GDP affect its average IQ?

Accepted Answer

There is a moderate positive correlation between GDP per capita and national average IQ (approximately r = 0.7). However, this relationship is bidirectional — economic development funds better education and nutrition (which raise measured IQ), while a more cognitively capable workforce contributes to economic productivity. Countries like Vietnam show that strong educational investment can produce high IQ scores even at lower GDP levels.

Question 5

What is the Flynn Effect?

Accepted Answer

The Flynn Effect, named after researcher James Flynn, is the well-documented observation that average IQ scores have risen significantly over generations worldwide — approximately 3 points per decade. This is attributed to improvements in nutrition, education, healthcare, and environmental complexity rather than genetic changes. Some developed countries have seen the Flynn Effect plateau or reverse in recent decades.

Question 6

How is national IQ data collected?

Accepted Answer

National IQ estimates come primarily from three approaches: (1) direct cognitive testing studies within countries using standardized tests like Raven's Progressive Matrices, (2) imputation from international educational assessments like PISA and TIMSS, and (3) extrapolation from neighboring countries with similar demographics. The most comprehensive dataset is Becker's NIQ Dataset (2019), which compiles and adjusts data from hundreds of studies.

Question 7

Do these scores measure innate intelligence?

Accepted Answer

No. National average IQ scores reflect measured cognitive test performance, which is heavily influenced by environmental factors like education, nutrition, and healthcare. They do not measure innate or genetic intelligence. The dramatic IQ gains observed through the Flynn Effect demonstrate that measured IQ is substantially shaped by environmental conditions, not fixed by biology.

Question 8

What is the global average IQ?

Accepted Answer

By definition, the IQ scale is normed so that 100 represents the average. However, when looking at national averages weighted by population, the global mean falls around 87-89, reflecting the fact that many high-population developing nations have lower measured scores due to limited access to education and healthcare — not because of any inherent cognitive difference.

#	Country	Avg IQ	Continent	Population	Literacy
1	Singapore	108	Asia	5,920,000	97%
2	China	106	Asia	1,425,000,000	97%
3	Japan	106	Asia	123,300,000	99%
4	South Korea	106	Asia	51,740,000	99%
5	Finland	103	Europe	5,500,000	100%
6	Germany	103	Europe	83,800,000	99%
7	Netherlands	103	Europe	17,600,000	99%
8	Switzerland	103	Europe	8,800,000	99%
9	Australia	102	Oceania	26,400,000	99%
10	Austria	102	Europe	9,100,000	99%
11	Estonia	102	Europe	1,400,000	100%
12	Iceland	102	Europe	380,000	99%
13	Italy	102	Europe	59,000,000	99%
14	Monaco	102	Europe	39,000	99%
15	North Korea	102	Asia	26,070,000	100%
16	Sweden	102	Europe	10,500,000	99%
17	United Kingdom	102	Europe	67,700,000	99%
18	Belgium	101	Europe	11,600,000	99%
19	Canada	101	North America	39,000,000	99%
20	Liechtenstein	101	Europe	39,000	100%
21	Luxembourg	101	Europe	650,000	99%
22	Mongolia	101	Asia	3,400,000	99%
23	New Zealand	101	Oceania	5,100,000	99%
24	Norway	101	Europe	5,500,000	99%
25	Czech Republic	100	Europe	10,800,000	99%
26	Denmark	100	Europe	5,900,000	99%
27	France	100	Europe	68,000,000	99%
28	Hungary	100	Europe	9,700,000	99%
29	Israel	100	Asia	9,300,000	98%
30	Poland	100	Europe	37,700,000	99%
31	Russia	100	Europe	144,200,000	100%
32	Spain	100	Europe	47,400,000	98%
33	United States	100	North America	331,900,000	99%
34	Vatican City	100	Europe	800	100%
35	Andorra	99	Europe	80,000	100%
36	Croatia	99	Europe	3,900,000	99%
37	San Marino	99	Europe	34,000	99%
38	Slovakia	99	Europe	5,400,000	99%
39	Slovenia	99	Europe	2,100,000	100%
40	Vietnam	99	Asia	99,460,000	96%
41	Ireland	98	Europe	5,100,000	99%
42	Malta	98	Europe	530,000	95%
43	Uruguay	98	South America	3,400,000	99%
44	Belarus	97	Europe	9,200,000	100%
45	Portugal	97	Europe	10,300,000	96%
46	Ukraine	97	Europe	37,000,000	100%
47	Argentina	96	South America	45,800,000	99%
48	Kazakhstan	96	Asia	19,600,000	100%
49	Latvia	96	Europe	1,800,000	100%
50	Lithuania	96	Europe	2,800,000	100%
51	Romania	96	Europe	19,000,000	99%
52	Bulgaria	95	Europe	6,700,000	98%
53	Greece	95	Europe	10,400,000	98%
54	Malaysia	95	Asia	34,300,000	95%
55	Armenia	94	Asia	2,800,000	100%
56	Georgia	94	Asia	3,700,000	100%
57	Bosnia and Herzegovina	93	Europe	3,200,000	98%
58	Cambodia	93	Asia	16,700,000	84%
59	Chile	93	South America	19,500,000	97%
60	Cyprus	93	Europe	1,300,000	99%
61	Iran	93	Asia	88,500,000	88%
62	Serbia	93	Europe	6,600,000	99%
63	Thailand	93	Asia	71,800,000	94%
64	Turkey	93	Asia	85,300,000	97%
65	Albania	92	Europe	2,700,000	98%
66	Mauritius	92	Africa	1,300,000	91%
67	Moldova	92	Europe	2,600,000	100%
68	Montenegro	92	Europe	620,000	99%
69	North Macedonia	92	Europe	1,800,000	98%
70	Brunei	91	Asia	450,000	97%
71	Brazil	90	South America	214,300,000	93%
72	Indonesia	90	Asia	277,500,000	96%
73	Laos	90	Asia	7,500,000	85%
74	Mexico	90	North America	128,900,000	95%
75	Uzbekistan	90	Asia	35,600,000	100%
76	Costa Rica	89	North America	5,200,000	98%
77	Iraq	89	Asia	44,500,000	86%
78	Kuwait	89	Asia	4,300,000	96%
79	Kyrgyzstan	89	Asia	7,000,000	100%
80	Philippines	89	Asia	117,300,000	96%
81	Azerbaijan	88	Asia	10,100,000	100%
82	Cuba	88	North America	11,300,000	100%
83	Peru	88	South America	34,000,000	94%
84	Saudi Arabia	88	Asia	36,900,000	98%
85	United Arab Emirates	88	Asia	9,400,000	98%
86	Bolivia	87	South America	12,200,000	92%
87	Colombia	87	South America	51,900,000	95%
88	Fiji	87	Oceania	920,000	99%
89	India	87	Asia	1,428,600,000	77%
90	Jordan	87	Asia	11,300,000	98%
91	Morocco	87	Africa	37,300,000	75%
92	Myanmar	87	Asia	54,200,000	89%
93	Panama	87	North America	4,400,000	95%
94	Paraguay	87	South America	6,800,000	94%
95	Samoa	87	Oceania	220,000	99%
96	Tajikistan	87	Asia	10,100,000	100%
97	Tonga	87	Oceania	100,000	99%
98	Tunisia	87	Africa	12,400,000	81%
99	Turkmenistan	87	Asia	6,400,000	100%
100	Venezuela	87	South America	28,400,000	97%
101	Algeria	86	Africa	45,400,000	81%
102	Bahrain	86	Asia	1,500,000	98%
103	Egypt	86	Africa	110,990,000	73%
104	Lebanon	86	Asia	5,500,000	95%
105	Oman	86	Asia	4,600,000	96%
106	Seychelles	86	Africa	100,000	96%
107	Sri Lanka	86	Asia	22,200,000	92%
108	Dominican Republic	85	North America	11,200,000	93%
109	Libya	85	Africa	6,800,000	91%
110	Syria	85	Asia	22,100,000	86%
111	Ecuador	84	South America	18,000,000	94%
112	Honduras	84	North America	10,400,000	88%
113	Kiribati	84	Oceania	130,000	93%
114	Madagascar	84	Africa	29,600,000	77%
115	Marshall Islands	84	Oceania	42,000	98%
116	Micronesia	84	Oceania	114,000	89%
117	Nauru	84	Oceania	12,500	96%
118	Nigeria	84	Africa	223,800,000	62%
119	Pakistan	84	Asia	231,400,000	58%
120	Palau	84	Oceania	18,000	96%
121	Palestine	84	Asia	5,400,000	97%
122	Papua New Guinea	84	Oceania	10,300,000	64%
123	Qatar	84	Asia	2,700,000	97%
124	Solomon Islands	84	Oceania	720,000	77%
125	South Africa	84	Africa	60,400,000	95%
126	Tuvalu	84	Oceania	11,200	95%
127	Vanuatu	84	Oceania	320,000	88%
128	Botswana	83	Africa	2,600,000	88%
129	El Salvador	83	North America	6,300,000	89%
130	Guatemala	83	North America	17,100,000	81%
131	Maldives	83	Asia	520,000	98%
132	Nicaragua	83	North America	7,000,000	83%
133	Trinidad and Tobago	83	North America	1,500,000	99%
134	Antigua and Barbuda	82	North America	100,000	99%
135	Bangladesh	82	Asia	172,900,000	75%
136	Nepal	82	Asia	30,900,000	68%
137	Afghanistan	80	Asia	42,200,000	37%
138	Barbados	80	North America	280,000	100%
139	Bhutan	80	Asia	780,000	67%
140	Jamaica	80	North America	2,800,000	88%
141	Kenya	80	Africa	54,000,000	82%
142	Namibia	80	Africa	2,500,000	92%
143	Rwanda	80	Africa	14,000,000	73%
144	Senegal	80	Africa	17,900,000	52%
145	Suriname	80	South America	620,000	94%
146	Yemen	80	Asia	33,700,000	54%
147	Ghana	79	Africa	33,500,000	79%
148	Zimbabwe	79	Africa	16,300,000	90%
149	Bahamas	78	North America	410,000	95%
150	Cape Verde	78	Africa	590,000	87%
151	Eswatini	78	Africa	1,200,000	88%
152	Mozambique	78	Africa	33,900,000	63%
153	Sudan	78	Africa	46,900,000	61%
154	Tanzania	78	Africa	65,500,000	78%
155	Timor-Leste	78	Asia	1,340,000	68%
156	Uganda	78	Africa	48,600,000	77%
157	Zambia	78	Africa	20,000,000	87%
158	Cameroon	77	Africa	28,600,000	77%
159	Comoros	77	Africa	830,000	59%
160	Ethiopia	77	Africa	126,500,000	52%
161	Grenada	77	North America	125,000	98%
162	Ivory Coast	77	Africa	28,200,000	47%
163	Lesotho	77	Africa	2,300,000	79%
164	Angola	76	Africa	35,600,000	71%
165	Gabon	76	Africa	2,400,000	84%
166	Guyana	76	South America	810,000	88%
167	Haiti	76	North America	11,700,000	62%
168	Belize	75	North America	400,000	83%
169	Burkina Faso	75	Africa	22,700,000	46%
170	Djibouti	75	Africa	1,100,000	60%
171	Dominica	75	North America	72,000	94%
172	Eritrea	75	Africa	3,700,000	77%
173	Mali	75	Africa	22,400,000	35%
174	Niger	75	Africa	26,200,000	35%
175	Saint Kitts and Nevis	75	North America	47,000	98%
176	Saint Lucia	75	North America	180,000	95%
177	Chad	74	Africa	17,700,000	26%
178	Mauritania	74	Africa	4,900,000	53%
179	DR Congo	73	Africa	102,300,000	77%
180	Republic of the Congo	73	Africa	6,100,000	81%
181	Equatorial Guinea	72	Africa	1,700,000	95%
182	São Tomé and Príncipe	72	Africa	230,000	93%
183	Liberia	71	Africa	5,400,000	48%
184	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	71	North America	110,000	96%
185	Sierra Leone	71	Africa	8,600,000	43%
186	Benin	70	Africa	13,700,000	42%
187	Guinea	70	Africa	14,200,000	32%
188	Togo	70	Africa	8,800,000	65%
189	Burundi	69	Africa	13,200,000	68%
190	Malawi	69	Africa	20,400,000	62%
191	Central African Republic	68	Africa	5,500,000	37%
192	Gambia	68	Africa	2,700,000	51%
193	Somalia	68	Africa	18,100,000	40%
194	South Sudan	68	Africa	11,400,000	35%
195	Guinea-Bissau	67	Africa	2,100,000	46%

Average IQ by Country

Top 5 Countries by Average IQ

Complete Country Rankings

Data Sources & Methodology

IQ Data Sources

Demographic & Economic Sources

Understanding IQ Differences Between Countries

The Relationship Between IQ, Education, and Economic Development

Limitations of Cross-Country IQ Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

What's your IQ?

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