IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in France

France has an average IQ of 100, ranking #27 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered high on the worldwide scale.

100
Average IQ Score
High (100–104) · Rank #27 of 195
Source: Becker (2019) (2019)

Key Statistics

Population
68,000,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$45,480
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
99%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.903
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
11.6
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
5.5%
% of GDP

Education System in France

France's highly centralized education system features the Baccalauréat examination and the prestigious Grandes Écoles system. Education is compulsory from ages 3 to 16.

IQ and Economic Development

France's GDP per capita of $45,480 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 11.6 average years of schooling and a 5.5% GDP investment in education, France maintains a moderate investment in education.

Countries with Similar IQ Scores

Europe Rankings

#CountryAvg IQ
1Finland103
2Netherlands103
3Germany103
4Switzerland103
5Austria102
6United Kingdom102
7Sweden102
8Italy102
9Estonia102
10Iceland102

Data Sources for France

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

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