IQ Career Lab

Average IQ in Tonga

Tonga has an average IQ of 87, ranking #97 out of 195 countries globally. This is considered below average on the worldwide scale.

87
Average IQ Score
Below Average (80–87) · Rank #97 of 195
Source: Lynn & Vanhanen (2012) (2012)

Key Statistics

Population
100,000
GDP per Capita (PPP)
$7,130
World Bank, 2023
Literacy Rate
99%
UNESCO, 2023
Human Development Index
0.745
UNDP, 2023
Mean Years of Schooling
11.1
Adults 25+
Education Expenditure
5%
% of GDP

Education System in Tonga

Tonga provides free compulsory education from ages 6 to 14 in Tongan and English. The kingdom has one of the Pacific's highest literacy rates.

IQ and Economic Development

Tonga's GDP per capita of $7,130 reflects a lower-income economy. Research shows a moderate correlation (r ≈ 0.7) between national GDP and measured IQ, though this relationship is complex and bidirectional.

With 11.1 average years of schooling and a 5% GDP investment in education, Tonga maintains a moderate investment in education.

Countries with Similar IQ Scores

Oceania Rankings

Data Sources for Tonga

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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