IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in Bahrain

Bahrain has an average IQ of 86, ranking #102 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered below average on the worldwide scale.

86
Average IQ Score
Below Average (80–87) · Rank #102 of 195
Source: Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) (2012)

Key Statistics

Population
1,500,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$50,300
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
98%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.875
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
10.1
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
2.2%
% of GDP

Education System in Bahrain

Bahrain was the first Gulf state to establish a modern public education system (1919). Education is free and compulsory for 9 years, with high enrollment rates.

IQ and Economic Development

Bahrain's GDP per capita of $50,300 places it among the world's wealthier nations. Research shows a moderate correlation (r ≈ 0.7) between national GDP and measured IQ, though this relationship is complex and bidirectional.

With 10.1 average years of schooling and a 2.2% GDP investment in education, Bahrain has room to increase education investment relative to GDP.

Countries with Similar IQ Scores

Asia Rankings

Data Sources for Bahrain

IQ Score:Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) (2012) — from "Intelligence: A Unifying Construct." Some estimates in this dataset may be imputed from educational achievement data rather than direct testing.
GDP & Education Spending:World Bank (2023)
HDI & Schooling:UNDP Human Development Report (2023–2024)
Literacy Rate:UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2023)
Population:UN World Population Prospects (2024)

National IQ estimates are approximate and based on meta-analyses of available cognitive testing data (Becker, 2019; Lynn & Vanhanen, 2012; World Population Review, 2025). These scores reflect measured test performance and are influenced by education, nutrition, healthcare, and socioeconomic factors — they do not measure innate intelligence. Within-country variation is much larger than between-country differences. IQ tests developed in Western contexts may not translate fairly across all cultures. Interpret with appropriate caution.

See the full methodology on our main IQ by Country page for complete source descriptions and data quality notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

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