IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in Guyana

Guyana has an average IQ of 76, ranking #166 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered below the global average on the worldwide scale.

76
Average IQ Score
Below 80 (Below 80) · Rank #166 of 195
Source: Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) (2012)

Key Statistics

Population
810,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$42,610
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
88%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.714
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
8.5
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
4.5%
% of GDP

Education System in Guyana

Guyana provides free compulsory education from ages 5 to 15 in English. The country's recent oil boom is driving increased education investment.

Note: GDP per capita has surged due to recent offshore oil discoveries beginning in 2020, dramatically changing the economic profile.

IQ and Economic Development

Guyana's GDP per capita of $42,610 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 8.5 average years of schooling and a 4.5% GDP investment in education, Guyana maintains a moderate investment in education.

Countries with Similar IQ Scores

South America Rankings

Data Sources for Guyana

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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