IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in Netherlands

Netherlands has an average IQ of 103, ranking #7 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered high on the worldwide scale.

103
Average IQ Score
High (100–104) · Rank #7 of 195
Source: Becker (2019) (2019)

Key Statistics

Population
17,600,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$57,020
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
99%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.946
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
12.6
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
5.2%
% of GDP

Education System in Netherlands

The Netherlands uses a tracked system where students are sorted into academic, general, or vocational paths around age 12. All tracks are well-funded, and vocational education is highly respected.

IQ and Economic Development

Netherlands's GDP per capita of $57,020 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 12.6 average years of schooling and a 5.2% GDP investment in education, Netherlands maintains a moderate investment in education.

Countries with Similar IQ Scores

Europe Rankings

#CountryAvg IQ
1Finland103
2Germany103
3Switzerland103
4Austria102
5United Kingdom102
6Sweden102
7Italy102
8Estonia102
9Iceland102
10Monaco102

Data Sources for Netherlands

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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