IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in Iceland

Iceland has an average IQ of 102, ranking #12 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered high on the worldwide scale.

102
Average IQ Score
High (100–104) · Rank #12 of 195
Source: Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) (2012)

Key Statistics

Population
380,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$58,350
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
99%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.959
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
13.8
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
7.7%
% of GDP

Education System in Iceland

Iceland provides 10 years of compulsory education with one of the highest education expenditures as a percentage of GDP in the world. Nearly universal upper secondary completion.

IQ and Economic Development

Iceland's GDP per capita of $58,350 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 13.8 average years of schooling and a 7.7% GDP investment in education, Iceland invests heavily in its education system compared to global norms.

Countries with Similar IQ Scores

Europe Rankings

#CountryAvg IQ
1Finland103
2Netherlands103
3Germany103
4Switzerland103
5Austria102
6United Kingdom102
7Sweden102
8Italy102
9Estonia102
10Monaco102

Data Sources for Iceland

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

What's your IQ?

Compare your score to Iceland's average of 102. Take our scientifically designed IQ assessment and get your exact score.

Free to start. No credit card required.

Stay updated