IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has an average IQ of 75, ranking #169 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered below the global average on the worldwide scale.

75
Average IQ Score
Below 80 (Below 80) · Rank #169 of 195
Source: Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) (2012)

Key Statistics

Population
22,700,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$2,320
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
46%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.449
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
2.1
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
5.4%
% of GDP

Education System in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso provides 10 years of compulsory education with instruction in French. Despite significant investment, enrollment rates and educational outcomes remain among the world's lowest.

IQ and Economic Development

Burkina Faso's GDP per capita of $2,320 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 2.1 average years of schooling and a 5.4% GDP investment in education, Burkina Faso maintains a moderate investment in education.

Countries with Similar IQ Scores

Africa Rankings

Data Sources for Burkina Faso

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.

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