IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has an average IQ of 86, ranking #107 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered below average on the worldwide scale.

86
Average IQ Score
Below Average (80–87) · Rank #107 of 195
Source: Becker (2019) (2019)

Key Statistics

Population
22,200,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$13,380
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
92%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.782
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
10.8
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
2.1%
% of GDP

Education System in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka offers free education from primary through university level, resulting in one of the highest literacy rates in South Asia.

IQ and Economic Development

Sri Lanka's GDP per capita of $13,380 reflects a developing economy. Research shows a moderate correlation (r ≈ 0.7) between national GDP and measured IQ, though this relationship is complex and bidirectional.

With 10.8 average years of schooling and a 2.1% GDP investment in education, Sri Lanka has room to increase education investment relative to GDP.

Countries with Similar IQ Scores

Asia Rankings

Data Sources for Sri Lanka

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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