IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in Malta

Malta has an average IQ of 98, ranking #42 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered above average on the worldwide scale.

98
Average IQ Score
Above Average (95–99) · Rank #42 of 195
Source: Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) (2012)

Key Statistics

Population
530,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$47,130
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
95%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.915
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
11.5
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
5.3%
% of GDP

Education System in Malta

Malta provides 11 years of compulsory education with instruction in Maltese and English. The bilingual system and small size allow for personalized education approaches.

IQ and Economic Development

Malta's GDP per capita of $47,130 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 11.5 average years of schooling and a 5.3% GDP investment in education, Malta 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 Malta

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

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