Countries By IQ - Average IQ By Country December 2019

The Ulster Institute for Social Research released its 2019 report on average IQ scores by country, providing a comprehensive overview of cognitive performance across nations. This analysis explores the rankings, highlighting the top-performing countries, regional trends, and notable observations from the data.

Top-Ranked Countries by Average IQ

Asian countries dominate the top positions in the 2019 IQ rankings. Japan leads with an average IQ score of 106.48, closely followed by Taiwan at 106.47 and Singapore at 105.89. Hong Kong and China also feature prominently, with scores of 105.37 and 104.10 respectively. The top ten countries are:

Japan (106.48)
Taiwan (106.47)
Singapore (105.89)
Hong Kong (105.37)
China (104.10)
South Korea (102.35)
Belarus (101.60)
Finland (101.20)
Liechtenstein (101.07)
Germany and Netherlands (both at 100.74)

Regional Trends and Patterns

The data reveals distinct regional patterns in average IQ scores. East Asian countries occupy several top spots, indicating strong performances in standardized cognitive assessments. European nations also feature prominently within the top 20, with countries like Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands showcasing high average scores. Notably, small nations such as Liechtenstein and Luxembourg have impressive rankings, which may reflect specific educational or socioeconomic factors within these countries.

Insights into Educational Systems

The high rankings of countries like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore may be attributed to their rigorous educational systems and cultural emphasis on academic achievement. These nations often prioritize education, leading to strong performances in international assessments. European countries with comprehensive education policies also perform well, suggesting a correlation between educational investment and cognitive outcomes.

Middle Ranking Countries

Countries with average IQ scores ranging from the mid-80s to low 90s include a mix of nations from various regions. For instance, countries like Malaysia (87.58), Turkey (86.80), and Mexico (87.73) fall within this range. These scores may reflect diverse factors such as access to education, health care, and nutritional standards, which can influence cognitive development.

Lower Ranking Observations

Nations with lower average IQ scores are predominantly from regions facing economic and developmental challenges. Countries such as Sierra Leone (45.07) and Liberia (45.07) have some of the lowest reported scores. These figures may be influenced by factors like limited educational infrastructure, health issues, and other socioeconomic hardships that affect cognitive performance measurements.

Factors Influencing IQ Scores

Several factors can impact average IQ scores across countries:

Educational Access: Availability and quality of education play a significant role in cognitive development.
Health and Nutrition: Proper nutrition and healthcare during childhood are crucial for brain development.
Socioeconomic Status: Economic stability can affect access to resources that promote cognitive growth.
Cultural Emphasis: Societal values regarding education and learning can influence motivation and performance.

Interpretation and Considerations

While the data provides a snapshot of average IQ scores by country, it's important to approach these findings with consideration of the broader context. IQ scores are influenced by a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and social factors. Additionally, the methodologies used to obtain these scores can vary, and cultural biases may affect the results. Therefore, these rankings should be viewed as part of a larger discussion on global education and development rather than definitive measures of a nation's cognitive abilities.

Countries By IQ - Average IQ By Country December 2019 (IQ Score, December 2019)

Source

Source

Show publisher information Show sources information

Latest Data

December 2019

More information

Segment

Country

Publisher

Ulster Institute for Social Research

Previous Records

December 2019

Rank	Country	IQ Score
1	Japan	106.48
2	Taiwan	106.47
3	Singapore	105.89
4	Hong Kong	105.37
5	China	104.1
6	South Korea	102.35
7	Belarus	101.6
8	Finland	101.2
9	Liechtenstein	101.07
10	Germany	100.74
10	Netherlands	100.74
11	Estonia	100.72
12	Luxembourg	99.87
13	Macau	99.82
14	Cambodia	99.75
15	Canada	99.52
16	Australia	99.24
16	Hungary	99.24
16	Switzerland	99.24
17	United Kingdom	99.12
18	Greenland	98.89
19	North Korea	98.82
20	Slovenia	98.6
21	New Zealand	98.57
22	Austria	98.38
23	Iceland	98.26
24	Denmark	97.83
25	Belgium	97.49
26	United States	97.43
27	Norway	97.13
28	Sweden	97
29	France	96.69
30	Poland	96.35
31	Slovakia	96.32
32	Russia	96.29
33	Lithuania	95.89
34	Croatia	95.75
35	Andorra	95.2
36	Ireland	95.13
37	Czech Republic	94.92
38	Latvia	94.79
39	Italy	94.23
40	Vanuatu	93.92
40	New Caledonia	93.92
41	Spain	93.9
42	Bermuda	93.48
43	Cyprus	93.39
44	Portugal	92.77
45	Israel	92.43
46	Barbados	91.6
47	Malta	91.27
48	Myanmar	91.18
49	Mongolia	91.03
50	Bulgaria	90.99
51	Greece	90.77
52	Suriname	90.29
53	Ukraine	90.07
54	Moldova	89.98
55	Serbia	89.6
56	Vietnam	89.53
57	Iraq	89.28
58	Uzbekistan	89.01
59	Kazakhstan	88.89
60	Thailand	88.87
61	Armenia	88.82
62	Bosnia and Herzegovina	88.54
63	Costa Rica	88.34
64	Bhutan	87.94
65	Chile	87.89
66	Mexico	87.73
67	Tajikistan	87.71
68	Uruguay	87.59
69	Malaysia	87.58
69	Brunei	87.58
70	Bahamas	86.99
71	Romania	86.88
72	Turkey	86.8
73	Argentina	86.63
74	Sri Lanka	86.62
75	Mauritius	86.56
76	Turkmenistan	85.86
77	Montenegro	85.78
78	Azerbaijan	84.81
79	Georgia	84.5
80	Turks and Caicos Islands	84.29
81	Paraguay	84.04
82	Fiji	83.96
82	Solomon Islands	83.96
82	Samoa	83.96
82	Kiribati	83.96
82	Micronesia	83.96
82	Tonga	83.96
82	Marshall Islands	83.96
82	Cook Islands	83.96
83	Cuba	83.9
84	Bahrain	83.6
85	Brazil	83.38
86	Guyana	83.23
87	Colombia	83.13
88	Venezuela	82.99
89	Cayman Islands	82.24
90	Afghanistan	82.12
91	Haiti	82.1
92	Dominican Republic	82.05
92	United Arab Emirates	82.05
93	Puerto Rico	81.99
94	North Macedonia	81.91
95	Albania	81.75
96	Lebanon	81.7
97	Philippines	81.64
98	Peru	81.44
99	Northern Mariana Islands	81.36
100	Laos	80.99
101	Libya	80.92
102	Qatar	80.78
103	Jordan	80.7
104	Maldives	80.54
105	Iran	80.01
106	Pakistan	80
107	Grenada	79.34
108	Tunisia	79.22
109	Kyrgyzstan	79.09
110	Panama	79
111	Sudan	78.87
111	Chad	78.87
112	Seychelles	78.76
113	Oman	78.7
114	Kuwait	78.64
115	Indonesia	78.49
115	Papua New Guinea	78.49
116	Ecuador	78.26
117	Palestine	77.69
118	Senegal	77.37
119	Comoros	77.07
120	Madagascar	76.79
121	British Virgin Islands	76.69
122	Bolivia	76.53
123	Uganda	76.42
124	Saudi Arabia	76.36
125	Egypt	76.32
126	India	76.24
127	Algeria	76
128	Kenya	75.2
129	Angola	75.1
130	Jamaica	75.08
131	Tanzania	74.95
132	Syria	74.41
133	Bangladesh	74.33
134	Zimbabwe	74.01
135	Burkina Faso	73.8
136	Saint Lucia	73.68
137	Mozambique	72.5
138	Burundi	72.09
139	Niger	70.82
140	Antigua and Barbuda	70.48
140	Saint Kitts and Nevis	70.48
141	Rwanda	69.95
142	Benin	69.71
143	Malawi	69.7
144	El Salvador	69.63
145	Botswana	69.45
146	South Africa	68.87
146	Lesotho	68.87
146	Eswatini	68.87
147	Eritrea	68.77
148	Zambia	68.43
149	Ethiopia	68.42
150	Djibouti	68.41
151	Nigeria	67.76
151	Cameroon	67.76
152	Somalia	67.67
153	Morocco	67.03
154	Namibia	66.19
155	Dominica	66.03
156	Sao Tome and Principe	65.22
157	DR Congo	64.92
158	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	63.42
159	Republic of the Congo	62.97
159	Gabon	62.97
160	Yemen	62.86
161	Central African Republic	62.55
161	Belize	62.55
162	Honduras	62.16
163	Togo	59.83
164	Mali	59.76
164	Mauritania	59.76
165	South Sudan	58.61
166	Ghana	58.16
166	Ivory Coast	58.16
167	Guinea	53.48
168	Nicaragua	52.69
169	Gambia	52.68
170	Cape Verde	52.5
171	Guatemala	47.72
172	Sierra Leone	45.07
172	Liberia	45.07
173	Nepal	42.99