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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 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.
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.
Country | IQ (Lynn/Becker) |
---|---|
Japan | 106.48 |
Taiwan | 106.47 |
Singapore | 105.89 |
Hong Kong | 105.37 |
China | 104.1 |
South Korea | 102.35 |
Belarus | 101.6 |
Finland | 101.2 |
Liechtenstein | 101.07 |
Germany | 100.74 |
*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.
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.
Country | PISA 2022 Overall Score | PISA Math 2022 | PISA Science 2022 | PISA Reading 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Singapore | 1679 | 575 | 561 | 543 |
China | 1605 | 552 | 543 | 510 |
Japan | 1599 | 536 | 547 | 516 |
Taiwan | 1599 | 547 | 537 | 515 |
South Korea | 1570 | 527 | 528 | 515 |
Hong Kong | 1560 | 540 | 520 | 500 |
Estonia | 1547 | 510 | 526 | 511 |
Canada | 1519 | 497 | 515 | 507 |
Ireland | 1512 | 492 | 504 | 516 |
Switzerland | 1494 | 508 | 503 | 483 |
Country | ICI 2017 Score | ICI 2017 Grade |
---|---|---|
United States | 74.9 | A+ |
United Kingdom | 64.2 | A |
Germany | 64.2 | A |
Australia | 64 | A |
Singapore | 63.6 | A |
Switzerland | 61.6 | A |
Sweden | 61.6 | A |
Canada | 61.2 | A |
Finland | 60.5 | A |
Denmark | 60.3 | A |
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.
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | 106.48 | T | A- | 58.9 | 1599 | 536 | 547 | 516 |
Taiwan | 106.47 | T | B | 45.7 | 1599 | 547 | 537 | 515 |
Singapore | 105.89 | T | A | 63.6 | 1679 | 575 | 561 | 543 |
Hong Kong | 105.37 | T | B+ | 51.2 | 1560 | 540 | 520 | 500 |
China | 104.1 | T | B | 47.3 | 1605 | 552 | 543 | 510 |
South Korea | 102.35 | T | A- | 56.4 | 1570 | 527 | 528 | 515 |
Belarus | 101.6 | T | ||||||
Finland | 101.2 | T | A | 60.5 | 1485 | 484 | 511 | 490 |
Liechtenstein | 101.07 | E | ||||||
Germany | 100.74 | T | A | 64.2 | 1447 | 475 | 492 | 480 |
Netherlands | 100.74 | T | A- | 58.7 | 1440 | 493 | 488 | 459 |
Estonia | 100.72 | T | B | 49.5 | 1547 | 510 | 526 | 511 |
Luxembourg | 99.87 | E | B+ | 53.8 | ||||
Macau | 99.82 | E | ||||||
Cambodia | 99.75 | T | D | 16.1 | 1012 | 336 | 347 | 329 |
Canada | 99.52 | T | A | 61.2 | 1519 | 497 | 515 | 507 |
Australia | 99.24 | T | A | 64 | 1492 | 487 | 507 | 498 |
Hungary | 99.24 | T | B | 50 | 1432 | 473 | 486 | 473 |
Switzerland | 99.24 | T | A | 61.6 | 1494 | 508 | 503 | 483 |
United Kingdom | 99.12 | T | A | 64.2 | 1483 | 489 | 500 | 494 |
Greenland | 98.89 | T | ||||||
North Korea | 98.82 | E | ||||||
Slovenia | 98.6 | T | B+ | 51.5 | 1454 | 485 | 500 | 469 |
New Zealand | 98.57 | T | A- | 57.3 | 1484 | 479 | 504 | 501 |
Austria | 98.38 | T | A- | 58.7 | 1458 | 487 | 491 | 480 |
Iceland | 98.26 | T | B+ | 52 | 1342 | 459 | 447 | 436 |
Denmark | 97.83 | T | A | 60.3 | 1472 | 489 | 494 | 489 |
Belgium | 97.49 | T | A- | 58.7 | 1459 | 489 | 491 | 479 |
United States | 97.43 | T | A+ | 74.9 | 1468 | 465 | 499 | 504 |
Norway | 97.13 | T | B+ | 55 | 1423 | 468 | 478 | 477 |
Sweden | 97 | T | A | 61.6 | 1463 | 482 | 494 | 487 |
France | 96.69 | T | A- | 56.7 | 1435 | 474 | 487 | 474 |
Poland | 96.35 | T | B | 45.6 | 1477 | 489 | 499 | 489 |
Slovakia | 96.32 | T | B- | 43.6 | 1373 | 464 | 462 | 447 |
Russia | 96.29 | T | B | 46.6 | ||||
Lithuania | 95.89 | T | B | 46.3 | 1431 | 475 | 484 | 472 |
Croatia | 95.75 | T | C+ | 38.5 | 1421 | 463 | 483 | 475 |
Andorra | 95.2 | E | ||||||
Ireland | 95.13 | T | B+ | 53.6 | 1512 | 492 | 504 | 516 |
Czech Republic | 94.92 | T | B+ | 51.8 | 1474 | 487 | 498 | 489 |
Latvia | 94.79 | T | B | 45.8 | 1452 | 483 | 494 | 475 |
Italy | 94.23 | T | B | 48 | 1430 | 471 | 477 | 482 |
Vanuatu | 93.92 | E | ||||||
New Caledonia | 93.92 | E | ||||||
Spain | 93.9 | T | B | 49.8 | 1432 | 473 | 485 | 474 |
Bermuda | 93.48 | T | ||||||
Cyprus | 93.39 | T | C+ | 38.5 | 1210 | 418 | 411 | 381 |
Portugal | 92.77 | T | B- | 44.8 | 1433 | 472 | 484 | 477 |
Israel | 92.43 | T | B+ | 50.1 | 1397 | 458 | 465 | 474 |
Barbados | 91.6 | T | ||||||
Malta | 91.27 | T | B- | 40.8 | 1377 | 466 | 466 | 445 |
Myanmar | 91.18 | E | ||||||
Mongolia | 91.03 | T | C- | 27.4 | 1215 | 425 | 412 | 378 |
Bulgaria | 90.99 | T | B- | 43.3 | 1242 | 417 | 421 | 404 |
Greece | 90.77 | T | B- | 40.1 | 1309 | 430 | 441 | 438 |
Suriname | 90.29 | E | ||||||
Ukraine | 90.07 | T | C+ | 38.3 | 1319 | 441 | 450 | 428 |
Moldova | 89.98 | E | C | 31.5 | 1242 | 414 | 417 | 411 |
Serbia | 89.6 | T | C+ | 35.2 | 1327 | 440 | 447 | 440 |
Vietnam | 89.53 | T | C- | 25.1 | 1403 | 469 | 472 | 462 |
Iraq | 89.28 | T | ||||||
Uzbekistan | 89.01 | T | 1055 | 364 | 355 | 336 | ||
Kazakhstan | 88.89 | T | C+ | 35.1 | 1234 | 425 | 423 | 386 |
Thailand | 88.87 | T | C- | 29.2 | 1182 | 394 | 409 | 379 |
Armenia | 88.82 | E | C- | 29.6 | ||||
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 88.54 | T | C- | 25.8 | ||||
Costa Rica | 88.34 | T | C | 32.4 | 1211 | 385 | 411 | 415 |
Bhutan | 87.94 | E | ||||||
Chile | 87.89 | T | C+ | 37.8 | 1304 | 412 | 444 | 448 |
Mexico | 87.73 | T | C | 30.7 | 1220 | 395 | 410 | 415 |
Tajikistan | 87.71 | T | D+ | 23.1 | ||||
Uruguay | 87.59 | E | C+ | 37.9 | 1274 | 409 | 435 | 430 |
Malaysia | 87.58 | T | C+ | 35.5 | 1213 | 409 | 416 | 388 |
Brunei | 87.58 | E | 1317 | 442 | 446 | 429 | ||
Bahamas | 86.99 | T | ||||||
Romania | 86.88 | T | C+ | 39.4 | 1284 | 428 | 428 | 428 |
Turkey | 86.8 | T | C | 33.4 | 1385 | 453 | 476 | 456 |
Argentina | 86.63 | T | B- | 40.5 | 1185 | 378 | 406 | 401 |
Sri Lanka | 86.62 | T | D+ | 23.2 | ||||
Mauritius | 86.56 | T | C | 31.7 | ||||
Turkmenistan | 85.86 | E | ||||||
Montenegro | 85.78 | E | C | 34.6 | 1214 | 406 | 403 | 405 |
Azerbaijan | 84.81 | E | C- | 28.6 | 1142 | 397 | 380 | 365 |
Georgia | 84.5 | E | C | 31.5 | 1148 | 390 | 384 | 374 |
Turks and Caicos Islands | 84.29 | E | ||||||
Paraguay | 84.04 | E | D+ | 24.5 | 1079 | 338 | 368 | 373 |
Fiji | 83.96 | E | ||||||
Solomon Islands | 83.96 | E | ||||||
Samoa | 83.96 | E | ||||||
Kiribati | 83.96 | E | ||||||
Micronesia | 83.96 | E | ||||||
Tonga | 83.96 | E | ||||||
Marshall Islands | 83.96 | T | ||||||
Cook Islands | 83.96 | E | ||||||
Cuba | 83.9 | T | ||||||
Bahrain | 83.6 | T | C- | 29.6 | ||||
Brazil | 83.38 | T | C+ | 36.2 | 1192 | 379 | 403 | 410 |
Guyana | 83.23 | E | ||||||
Colombia | 83.13 | T | C- | 27.9 | 1203 | 383 | 411 | 409 |
Venezuela | 82.99 | T | C- | 26.8 | ||||
Cayman Islands | 82.24 | E | ||||||
Afghanistan | 82.12 | E | ||||||
Haiti | 82.1 | T | ||||||
Dominican Republic | 82.05 | T | D+ | 23.9 | 1050 | 339 | 360 | 351 |
United Arab Emirates | 82.05 | T | C+ | 35.9 | 1280 | 431 | 432 | 417 |
Puerto Rico | 81.99 | T | ||||||
North Macedonia | 81.91 | E | C- | 28.3 | 1128 | 389 | 380 | 359 |
Albania | 81.75 | E | D+ | 23.4 | 1102 | 368 | 376 | 358 |
Lebanon | 81.7 | T | D | 19.8 | ||||
Philippines | 81.64 | T | C- | 26.6 | 1058 | 355 | 356 | 347 |
Peru | 81.44 | T | C- | 28 | 1207 | 391 | 408 | 408 |
Northern Mariana Islands | 81.36 | E | ||||||
Laos | 80.99 | T | D | 18.8 | ||||
Libya | 80.92 | T | ||||||
Qatar | 80.78 | T | C | 31.3 | 1265 | 414 | 432 | 419 |
Jordan | 80.7 | T | C- | 26 | 1078 | 361 | 375 | 342 |
Maldives | 80.54 | E | ||||||
Iran | 80.01 | T | C- | 25.5 | ||||
Pakistan | 80 | T | D | 19.6 | ||||
Grenada | 79.34 | E | ||||||
Tunisia | 79.22 | E | D+ | 24.8 | ||||
Kyrgyzstan | 79.09 | T | C- | 27.2 | ||||
Panama | 79 | E | C- | 28.8 | 1137 | 357 | 388 | 392 |
Sudan | 78.87 | T | ||||||
Chad | 78.87 | E | D- | 10.3 | ||||
Seychelles | 78.76 | T | ||||||
Oman | 78.7 | T | C- | 27.1 | ||||
Kuwait | 78.64 | T | C- | 29.8 | ||||
Indonesia | 78.49 | T | D+ | 23.7 | 1108 | 366 | 383 | 359 |
Papua New Guinea | 78.49 | E | ||||||
Ecuador | 78.26 | T | C- | 25.3 | ||||
Palestine | 77.69 | T | 1084 | 366 | 369 | 349 | ||
Senegal | 77.37 | E | D- | 13.2 | ||||
Comoros | 77.07 | E | ||||||
Madagascar | 76.79 | E | D- | 9 | ||||
British Virgin Islands | 76.69 | E | ||||||
Bolivia | 76.53 | T | D+ | 22.3 | ||||
Uganda | 76.42 | T | D- | 12.4 | ||||
Saudi Arabia | 76.36 | T | C | 30.2 | 1162 | 389 | 390 | 383 |
Egypt | 76.32 | T | D+ | 21.6 | ||||
India | 76.24 | T | C- | 29.4 | ||||
Algeria | 76 | E | D | 19.1 | ||||
Kenya | 75.2 | T | D | 19.3 | ||||
Angola | 75.1 | T | ||||||
Jamaica | 75.08 | T | C- | 26.7 | 1190 | 377 | 403 | 410 |
Tanzania | 74.95 | T | D- | 14.4 | ||||
Syria | 74.41 | T | ||||||
Bangladesh | 74.33 | T | D | 16.9 | ||||
Zimbabwe | 74.01 | T | D- | 11.7 | ||||
Burkina Faso | 73.8 | T | ||||||
Saint Lucia | 73.68 | E | ||||||
Mozambique | 72.5 | E | D- | 10.9 | ||||
Burundi | 72.09 | E | D- | 8.8 | ||||
Niger | 70.82 | E | ||||||
Antigua and Barbuda | 70.48 | E | ||||||
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 70.48 | E | ||||||
Rwanda | 69.95 | E | D- | 9.9 | ||||
Benin | 69.71 | E | D- | 12.8 | ||||
Malawi | 69.7 | T | D- | 10.7 | ||||
El Salvador | 69.63 | E | D+ | 21.7 | 1081 | 343 | 373 | 365 |
Botswana | 69.45 | T | D+ | 23.9 | ||||
South Africa | 68.87 | T | C | 33 | ||||
Lesotho | 68.87 | E | D | 16.1 | ||||
Eswatini | 68.87 | E | ||||||
Eritrea | 68.77 | T | ||||||
Zambia | 68.43 | E | D | 18.9 | ||||
Ethiopia | 68.42 | T | D- | 10.3 | ||||
Djibouti | 68.41 | E | ||||||
Nigeria | 67.76 | T | D- | 13.9 | ||||
Cameroon | 67.76 | E | D | 17.8 | ||||
Somalia | 67.67 | T | ||||||
Morocco | 67.03 | T | D+ | 22.6 | 1069 | 365 | 365 | 339 |
Namibia | 66.19 | T | D | 18.9 | ||||
Dominica | 66.03 | T | ||||||
Sao Tome and Principe | 65.22 | E | ||||||
DR Congo | 64.92 | T | ||||||
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 63.42 | T | ||||||
Republic of the Congo | 62.97 | T | ||||||
Gabon | 62.97 | E | ||||||
Yemen | 62.86 | T | ||||||
Central African Republic | 62.55 | E | ||||||
Belize | 62.55 | E | ||||||
Honduras | 62.16 | E | D+ | 20.2 | ||||
Togo | 59.83 | E | ||||||
Mali | 59.76 | T | D- | 9.9 | ||||
Mauritania | 59.76 | E | D- | 11.6 | ||||
South Sudan | 58.61 | T | ||||||
Ghana | 58.16 | T | D | 17.4 | ||||
Ivory Coast | 58.16 | E | ||||||
Guinea | 53.48 | E | D- | 6.8 | ||||
Nicaragua | 52.69 | T | D+ | 22.5 | ||||
Gambia | 52.68 | T | ||||||
Cape Verde | 52.5 | E | ||||||
Guatemala | 47.72 | T | D+ | 22.8 | 1091 | 344 | 373 | 374 |
Sierra Leone | 45.07 | T | ||||||
Liberia | 45.07 | E | ||||||
Nepal | 42.99 | T | D | 18.3 | ||||
Total | 438.69 | 447.99 | 436.19 |
Japan has the highest average IQ in the world, with an average IQ of 106.48.