IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in Sweden

Sweden has an average IQ of 102, ranking #16 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered high on the worldwide scale.

102
Average IQ Score
High (100–104) · Rank #16 of 195
Source: Becker (2019) (2019)

Key Statistics

Population
10,500,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$55,400
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
99%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.952
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
12.6
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
7.2%
% of GDP

Education System in Sweden

Sweden provides free education through university level with 9 years of compulsory schooling. Known for student-centered pedagogy and one of the highest education expenditures as a percentage of GDP.

IQ and Economic Development

Sweden's GDP per capita of $55,400 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 7.2% GDP investment in education, Sweden 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
7Italy102
8Estonia102
9Iceland102
10Monaco102

Data Sources for Sweden

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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