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IQ (Lynn/Becker)

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Countries by IQ - Average IQ by Country 2024

Snapshot

  • IQ scores, indicative of educational quality and resources in regions, are based on standard tests adjusted by national academic assessments and data quality considerations.

  • While IQ is a common measure of intelligence, other metrics include academic test scores, the Intelligence Capital Index, and the number of Nobel Prizes won.

  • Only Singapore and Finland appear consistently across all three ranking lists presented in the article, validating these countries’ rankings but also indicating the diversity of factors considered in measuring average IQ globally.

Intelligence quotient (IQ) is a measure of human intelligence. People who want to have their IQ measured take standardized tests and receive a score that ranks their intelligence level. The higher one's IQ score, the more intelligent that person is considered to be.

IQ and Education: Two Sides of the Same Coin

IQ scores typically reflect the quality of education and resources available to people in their local geographic regions. Areas of the world with lower IQ scores are typically poorer and less developed, particularly in the area of education, compared to countries with higher IQ scores. Many researchers also use IQ to determine the smartest countries in the world. The IQ map above shades each country depending on how high the average IQ score in it is.

Which Country Has the Highest Average IQ?

According to a 2019 study by researchers Richard Lynn and David Becker at the Ulster Institute, the highest average IQ scores in the world belong to the Japanese, with the citizens of Taiwan and Singapore close behind. The top 10 list appears below, and the full rankings appear in the table further down this page.

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Average IQ - Ulster Institute 2019:*

Country
IQ (Lynn/Becker)
Japan106.48
Taiwan106.47
Singapore105.89
Hong Kong105.37
China104.1
South Korea102.35
Finland101.2
Germany100.74
Netherlands100.74
Estonia100.72

*It bears mentioning that Lynn's studies, while comprehensive, tend to spark considerable debate.

As the data demonstrates, average IQ scores vary widely across the globe. Some researchers divide the world's countries into ranked categories based on their average IQ scores. These averages were obtained by starting with the country's average score in standard IQ tests (a common starting point), then fine-tuning those scores with additional measurements, such as national math, reading, and science assessments, while also factoring in the overall quality of the data.

Other Methods of Measuring Intelligence

However, it's important to remember that IQ isn't the only way to measure intelligence. There are many different ways to seek out the smartest countries in the world, and many of them have nothing to do with average IQ. For instance, it is possible to evaluate a country’s academic test scores, likelihood of "expanding the frontier of knowledge" and introducing new data technologies, or even the number of Nobel Prizes won.

Top 10 Smartest Countries Based on Students' Test Scores in Reading, Math and Science - OECD PISA 2022:

Country
PISA 2022 Overall Score
PISA Math 2022
PISA Science 2022
PISA Reading 2022
Singapore1679575561543
China1605552543510
Japan1599536547516
Taiwan1599547537515
South Korea1570527528515
Hong Kong1560540520500
Estonia1547510526511
Canada1519497515507
Ireland1512492504516
Switzerland1494508503483

Top 10 Countries with the Highest Intelligence Capital Index - 2017:

Country
ICI 2017 Score
ICI 2017 Grade
United States74.9A+
United Kingdom64.2A
Germany64.2A
Australia64A
Singapore63.6A
Switzerland61.6A
Sweden61.6A
Canada61.2A
Finland60.5A
Denmark60.3A

Source

The average IQ in a country is calculated by starting with the country's average score in standard IQ tests, fine-tuning with national math, reading, and science assessments, and considering the overall data quality. The sources of data considered in this article vary by the number of variables considered, depth of analysis, and recency of data.

- Substantial research on the subject of national IQs was conducted by psychologist Richard Lynn (1930-2023), working alongside the late Tatu Vanhanen (1929-2015) or, for 2019's The Intelligence of Nations, with David Becker.
- Becker's estimates are categorized by source. T = value is based upon actual test results from said country. E = value is a best-guess estimate based upon measured values of nearby countries.
- Becker's contributions were highly controversial. He promoted the theory that specific races and genders are genetically predisposed to be more intelligent than others, and both his methology and his objectivity were often called into question. However, his work brought attention to the field and he is frequently (if often grudgingly) considered a pioneer in the field of national intelligence.
- The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a triennial survey of 15-year-old students around the world that measures students' ability to recall learned knowledge and apply it in new settings both in and out of school. PISA results were most recently released in 2022.
- The Intelligence Capital Index (ICI) was created by economist Kai L. Chan and most recently updated in 2017.

Download Table Data

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Country
IQ (Lynn/Becker)
Source (True/Est.)
ICI 2017 Grade
ICI 2017 Score
PISA 2022 Overall Score
PISA Math 2022
PISA Science 2022
PISA Reading 2022
Japan106.48TA-58.91599536547516
Taiwan106.47TB45.71599547537515
Singapore105.89TA63.61679575561543
Hong Kong105.37TB+51.21560540520500
China104.1TB47.31605552543510
South Korea102.35TA-56.41570527528515
Finland101.2TA60.51485484511490
Germany100.74TA64.21447475492480
Netherlands100.74TA-58.71440493488459
Estonia100.72TB49.51547510526511
Cambodia99.75TD16.11012336347329
Canada99.52TA61.21519497515507
Australia99.24TA641492487507498
Hungary99.24TB501432473486473
Switzerland99.24TA61.61494508503483
United Kingdom99.12TA64.21483489500494
Slovenia98.6TB+51.51454485500469
New Zealand98.57TA-57.31484479504501
Austria98.38TA-58.71458487491480
Iceland98.26TB+521342459447436
Denmark97.83TA60.31472489494489
Belgium97.49TA-58.71459489491479
United States97.43TA+74.91468465499504
Norway97.13TB+551423468478477
Sweden97TA61.61463482494487
France96.69TA-56.71435474487474
Poland96.35TB45.61477489499489
Slovakia96.32TB-43.61373464462447
Lithuania95.89TB46.31431475484472
Croatia95.75TC+38.51421463483475
Ireland95.13TB+53.61512492504516
Czech Republic94.92TB+51.81474487498489
Latvia94.79TB45.81452483494475
Italy94.23TB481430471477482
Spain93.9TB49.81432473485474
Cyprus93.39TC+38.51210418411381
Portugal92.77TB-44.81433472484477
Israel92.43TB+50.11397458465474
Malta91.27TB-40.81377466466445
Mongolia91.03TC-27.41215425412378
Bulgaria90.99TB-43.31242417421404
Greece90.77TB-40.11309430441438
Ukraine90.07TC+38.31319441450428
Moldova89.98EC31.51242414417411
Serbia89.6TC+35.21327440447440
Vietnam89.53TC-25.11403469472462
Uzbekistan89.01T1055364355336
Kazakhstan88.89TC+35.11234425423386
Thailand88.87TC-29.21182394409379
Costa Rica88.34TC32.41211385411415
Chile87.89TC+37.81304412444448
Mexico87.73TC30.71220395410415
Uruguay87.59EC+37.91274409435430
Malaysia87.58TC+35.51213409416388
Brunei87.58E1317442446429
Romania86.88TC+39.41284428428428
Turkey86.8TC33.41385453476456
Argentina86.63TB-40.51185378406401
Montenegro85.78EC34.61214406403405
Azerbaijan84.81EC-28.61142397380365
Georgia84.5EC31.51148390384374
Paraguay84.04ED+24.51079338368373
Brazil83.38TC+36.21192379403410
Colombia83.13TC-27.91203383411409
Dominican Republic82.05TD+23.91050339360351
United Arab Emirates82.05TC+35.91280431432417
North Macedonia81.91EC-28.31128389380359
Albania81.75ED+23.41102368376358
Philippines81.64TC-26.61058355356347
Peru81.44TC-281207391408408
Qatar80.78TC31.31265414432419
Jordan80.7TC-261078361375342
Panama79EC-28.81137357388392
Indonesia78.49TD+23.71108366383359
Palestine77.69T1084366369349
Saudi Arabia76.36TC30.21162389390383
Jamaica75.08TC-26.71190377403410
El Salvador69.63ED+21.71081343373365
Morocco67.03TD+22.61069365365339
Guatemala47.72TD+22.81091344373374
Total438.69447.99436.19
showing: 80 rows

Which country has the highest average IQ?

Japan has the highest average IQ in the world, with an average IQ of 106.48.

What are the top 10 countries by IQ?

The top ten countries by IQ are Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Finland, Germany, Netherlands and Estonia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources