Average IQ by country (2024 update)

Here is the average IQ by country, updated on January 1, 2024. This study is based on 1,691,740 people around the world who took the same test on this website in 2023. Countries shown in gray on the map were not included due to insufficient data.

The average IQ by country seems to be generally higher in East Asia. Close to average in Europe, Western Asia, Oceania, North America and North Africa. And below average in Central and Southern Africa, and Latin America.

Country rankings by average IQ

Reliability of this ranking: All participants completed the same IQ test on this website in 2023. In 80% of the countries, the IQ scores are similar (<2 points difference) to those of the previous year.

Ranking Country IQ Participants Previous year Difference
1. South KoreaSouth Korea 107.54 23616 107 (104316) +0.54
2. ChinaChina 106.99 244532 106.59 (190255) +0.4
3. Iran (Islamic Republic of)Iran (Islamic Republic of) 106.84 2959 106.52 (1657) +0.32
4. JapanJapan 106.18 179992 108.14 (155534) -1.96
5. SingaporeSingapore 106.18 4576 104.75 (5975) +1.43
6. AustriaAustria 102.71 4712 100.33 (6137) +2.38
7. CanadaCanada 102.6 9579 99.26 (14271) +3.34
8. GermanyGermany 102.36 33086 101.06 (32531) +1.3
9. SloveniaSlovenia 102.31 3212 101.05 (2743) +1.26
10. MongoliaMongolia 102.3 3126 102.5 (1393) -0.2
11. IsraelIsrael 102.18 4955 96.9 (3744) +5.28
12. Sri LankaSri Lanka 102.16 1955 100.47 (3306) +1.69
13. ItalyItaly 102.11 34032 99.46 (39018) +2.65
14. SpainSpain 102.01 20347 98.96 (31733) +3.05
15. New ZealandNew Zealand 101.76 3300 99.35 (2289) +2.41
16. BulgariaBulgaria 101.71 1758 100.21 (375) +1.5
17. AustraliaAustralia 101.7 12680 101.96 (6574) -0.26
18. SwitzerlandSwitzerland 101.58 5924 100.74 (7527) +0.84
19. BelgiumBelgium 101.45 4984 100.03 (7759) +1.42
20. Viet NamViet Nam 101.45 20707 101.14 (10288) +0.31
21. GeorgiaGeorgia 101.36 3084 98.96 (1112) +2.4
22. FranceFrance 101.28 14012 97.46 (28767) +3.82
23. BelarusBelarus 100.78 12813 99.67 (20059) +1.11
24. NetherlandsNetherlands 100.66 18563 99.7 (18541) +0.96
25. SerbiaSerbia 100.66 4449 99.74 (6055) +0.92
26. Russian FederationRussian Federation 100.64 92769 99.95 (68494) +0.69
27. SlovakiaSlovakia 100.62 6685 98.66 (8434) +1.96
28. IcelandIceland 100.49 670 98.12 (892) +2.37
29. LuxembourgLuxembourg 100.35 707 99.66 (960) +0.69
30. CzechiaCzechia 100.17 13746 99.32 (10471) +0.85
31. IrelandIreland 100.11 1724 96.25 (1621) +3.86
32. FinlandFinland 99.92 12651 99.83 (17589) +0.09
33. PolandPoland 99.87 28232 98.66 (15154) +1.21
34. ArmeniaArmenia 99.87 875 98.62 (1010) +1.25
35. United KingdomUnited Kingdom 99.82 16648 99.05 (13237) +0.77
36. CroatiaCroatia 99.73 5746 98.01 (7325) +1.72
37. Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina 99.57 1135 98.15 (1452) +1.42
38. MalaysiaMalaysia 99.55 19565 99.07 (19532) +0.48
39. SwedenSweden 99.44 8392 99.17 (9264) +0.27
40. HungaryHungary 99.38 13514 98.21 (26383) +1.17
41. MontenegroMontenegro 99.34 1041 97.58 (980) +1.76
42. IndiaIndia 99.31 71045 99.3 (16883) +0.01
43. EstoniaEstonia 99.29 3554 96.97 (3667) +2.32
44. PortugalPortugal 99.27 8539 99.2 (9627) +0.07
45. JordanJordan 99.14 242 96.88 (1188) +2.26
46. United StatesUnited States 98.99 52666 99.9 (26465) -0.91
47. LebanonLebanon 98.87 462 98.79 (636) +0.08
48. EgyptEgypt 98.86 4217 98.67 (2516) +0.19
49. North MacedoniaNorth Macedonia 98.83 492 98.21 (1050) +0.62
50. LatviaLatvia 98.77 4137 97.07 (2900) +1.7
51. NorwayNorway 98.74 8199 97.41 (13591) +1.33
52. AlgeriaAlgeria 98.64 3330 97 (5029) +1.64
53. ThailandThailand 98.46 25366 98.32 (23074) +0.14
54. NepalNepal 98.43 519 99.74 (436) -1.31
55. MoroccoMorocco 98.02 4502 96.72 (7390) +1.3
56. LithuaniaLithuania 97.94 8294 95.73 (6673) +2.21
57. TunisiaTunisia 97.68 3070 97.38 (4686) +0.3
58. QatarQatar 97.59 445 94.41 (717) +3.18
59. GreeceGreece 97.51 20383 96.83 (14489) +0.68
60. United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates 97.4 3436 97.01 (1547) +0.39
61. MyanmarMyanmar 97.39 1743 98.15 (682) -0.76
62. DenmarkDenmark 97.32 9952 96.81 (10830) +0.51
63. AlbaniaAlbania 97.28 519 95.45 (1064) +1.83
64. KazakhstanKazakhstan 97.26 6329 94.65 (11573) +2.61
65. PeruPeru 97.26 10393 96.83 (12673) +0.43
66. Moldova (Republic of)Moldova (Republic of) 97.06 2104 95.34 (1989) +1.72
67. CyprusCyprus 97.04 1983 97.48 (2329) -0.44
68. AzerbaijanAzerbaijan 96.89 3932 97.37 (3816) -0.48
69. Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia 96.58 2930 94.7 (1368) +1.88
70. PhilippinesPhilippines 96.37 4440 95.39 (11585) +0.98
71. RomaniaRomania 96.15 21449 93.86 (21004) +2.29
72. BangladeshBangladesh 95.84 1512 97.18 (1519) -1.34
73. TurkeyTurkey 95.63 62741 97.13 (42801) -1.5
74. PakistanPakistan 95.51 615 94.94 (646) +0.57
75. CambodiaCambodia 95.36 1143 95.44 (1177) -0.08
76. MadagascarMadagascar 95.32 678 96.01 (857) -0.69
77. EthiopiaEthiopia 95.3 318 95.01 (408) +0.29
78. CubaCuba 95.28 2940 96.43 (1431) -1.15
79. IraqIraq 94.86 1295 96.27 (383) -1.41
80. UzbekistanUzbekistan 94.81 7033 95.24 (2945) -0.43
81. UkraineUkraine 94.26 117375 94.78 (74246) -0.52
82. OmanOman 94.23 693 95.34 (839) -1.11
83. UruguayUruguay 94.2 3232 96.13 (1437) -1.93
84. ChileChile 94.14 11188 93.6 (9878) +0.54
85. BrazilBrazil 94.02 54522 92 (47360) +2.02
86. KuwaitKuwait 93.85 368 94.15 (1471) -0.3
87. South AfricaSouth Africa 93.73 4190 92.63 (5419) +1.1
88. Costa RicaCosta Rica 93.61 1487 90.43 (2578) +3.18
89. KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan 93.46 1942 92.98 (1991) +0.48
90. ArgentinaArgentina 92.98 22731 93.47 (16070) -0.49
91. MexicoMexico 92.89 18571 94.45 (13480) -1.56
92. EcuadorEcuador 92.89 4959 94.87 (1628) -1.98
93. Lao People's Democratic RepublicLao People's Democratic Republic 92.72 423 95.28 (358) -2.56
94. Puerto RicoPuerto Rico 92.67 900 89.02 (815) +3.65
95. IndonesiaIndonesia 92.64 154070 94.04 (170297) -1.4
96. Bolivia (Plurinational State of)Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 92.58 2585 93.81 (1616) -1.23
97. TajikistanTajikistan 92.1 636 93.17 (441) -1.07
98. NigeriaNigeria 91.95 1582 91.92 (3772) +0.03
99. ColombiaColombia 90.91 10313 90.23 (10332) +0.68
100. CameroonCameroon 90.86 625 91.15 (927) -0.29
101. PanamaPanama 90.47 1026 87.88 (1177) +2.59
102. Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 90.43 4285 92.28 (2430) -1.85
103. SenegalSenegal 90.27 312 88.9 (759) +1.37
104. HondurasHonduras 90.2 964 86.87 (2010) +3.33
105. El SalvadorEl Salvador 89.5 953 86.96 (1415) +2.54
106. ParaguayParaguay 89.46 1957 90.86 (1273) -1.4
107. Dominican RepublicDominican Republic 88.98 932 87.19 (2578) +1.79
108. BeninBenin 88.54 234 88.59 (303) -0.05
109. GuatemalaGuatemala 88.45 1698 87.92 (1659) +0.53
110. NicaraguaNicaragua 87.75 971 86.3 (1585) +1.45
111. Cote d'IvoireCote d'Ivoire 87.6 677 88.38 (1631) -0.78
112. Congo (Democratic Republic of the)Congo (Democratic Republic of the) 87.25 276 87.07 (653) +0.18
113. AngolaAngola 86.7 393 88.52 (266) -1.82
114. CongoCongo 86.65 280 86.91 (356) -0.26
115. GabonGabon 86.09 390 88.89 (401) -2.8

FAQ

What is the average IQ in the world?

The global average IQ is 100.

Why is the average IQ by country below 100 for most countries?

One of the main reasons for this is China, which alone represents about 18% of the world’s population. China balances out many countries with an average IQ below 100 due to its very high average IQ score (106.99) and its large population.

When considering the population of countries and their average IQs, the final result is an average IQ of 100 for the global population.

Why is there a difference in the average IQ by country?

Several factors can influence a country’s average IQ:

  1. Infectious Diseases: A 2010 study demonstrated that countries with high rates of infectious diseases generally have populations with lower average IQ scores. These diseases can negatively affect cognitive development. Africa is the continent most affected by infectious diseases.

  2. Dietary Habits: A 2024 study showed that children with good dietary habits have higher IQs than other children. Therefore, countries with good dietary habits (and less food poverty) tend to have higher average IQs.

  3. Intellectual Activities: A 2022 study found that regularly playing chess can increase children's IQs. Another 1962 study showed that bilingual children score higher on intelligence tests than children who speak only one language. Thus, regular intellectually stimulating activities within a country’s culture tend to raise its average IQ.

  4. Genetics: A 2013 study on over a thousand twins demonstrated that IQ is influenced between 50% and 80% by genetics.

To conclude, countries with good healthcare systems, that promote healthy dietary habits, and encourage their citizens to engage in intellectually stimulating activities, tend to have populations with higher average IQs.

Genetics provides a solid foundation upon which the environment can build further. Thus, good genetics combined with a good environment tend to increase the average IQ score. The global average IQ should therefore gradually increase, as confirmed by a 2014 study, which observed a 2.31 IQ score increase per decade. This phenomenon is known as the Flynn Effect.

However, the purpose of the IQ test is to classify the population around an average of 100. The algorithm of the international IQ test should therefore adapt to this increase to maintain the IQ average at 100 with a standard deviation of 15.

How often is the average IQ ranking by country updated?

The ranking is updated annually on January 1st, based on data from the previous year.

How reliable is this ranking?

All candidates have taken the international IQ test on this website. The international IQ test is based on the Raven’s Matrices technique, without cultural discrimination.

More than 80% of countries obtain a similar average IQ (maximum difference of 2 points) to their score from the previous year.