IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in Benin

Benin has an average IQ of 70, ranking #186 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered below the global average on the worldwide scale.

70
Average IQ Score
Below 80 (Below 80) · Rank #186 of 195
Source: Becker (2019) (2019)

Key Statistics

Population
13,700,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$3,870
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
42%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.525
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
3.8
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
3%
% of GDP

Education System in Benin

Benin provides 6 years of compulsory primary education in French. Recent reforms have expanded access, but adult literacy remains low due to historical underinvestment.

IQ and Economic Development

Benin's GDP per capita of $3,870 reflects a lower-income economy. Research shows a moderate correlation (r ≈ 0.7) between national GDP and measured IQ, though this relationship is complex and bidirectional.

With 3.8 average years of schooling and a 3% GDP investment in education, Benin has room to increase education investment relative to GDP.

Countries with Similar IQ Scores

Africa Rankings

Data Sources for Benin

IQ Score:Becker (2019) (2019) — from the NIQ Dataset v1.3.3, the most comprehensive meta-analysis of national cognitive testing studies.
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.

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