IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in Barbados

Barbados has an average IQ of 80, ranking #138 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered below average on the worldwide scale.

80
Average IQ Score
Below Average (80–87) · Rank #138 of 195
Source: Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) (2012)

Key Statistics

Population
280,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$17,200
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
100%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.790
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
10.6
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
6.5%
% of GDP

Education System in Barbados

Barbados provides free education from primary through university with one of the Caribbean's highest literacy rates. The British-modeled system has produced globally recognized scholars.

IQ and Economic Development

Barbados's GDP per capita of $17,200 reflects a developing economy. Research shows a moderate correlation (r ≈ 0.7) between national GDP and measured IQ, though this relationship is complex and bidirectional.

With 10.6 average years of schooling and a 6.5% GDP investment in education, Barbados invests heavily in its education system compared to global norms.

Countries with Similar IQ Scores

North America Rankings

Data Sources for Barbados

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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