A popular online IQ test taken by millions of people worldwide ranks countries by average score, offering a snapshot of how populations compare on standardized cognitive tests. The results are eye-catching—but also come with important limitations.
IQ tests are designed to assess general cognitive ability—that is, the capacity to reason, learn, and solve novel problems. An intelligence quotient (IQ) is a total score derived from a set of standardized tests or subtests designed to assess human intelligence. With that number, a person’s general cognitive ability can be compared within a population.
Within any population’s scores, roughly 50% of people’s IQs range between 90 and 110, and 98% score between 70 and 130. Very few people have IQs lower than 70 or higher than 130.
How IQ tests are given
IQ tests are typically done in specific settings, with a variety of specific, standardized tests. The accuracy of these tests has been debated for over a century, and in his 1987 article “Massive IQ gains in 14 nations: What IQ tests really measure” for Psychological Bulletin, James Flynn concluded, “IQ tests do not measure intelligence but rather a correlate with a weak causal link to intelligence”.
That being said, there are plenty of “free” online IQ tests that anyone can take, just for fun. Some let you take the test for free but then ask for payment to see your results. Others ask for your email address (which we all know has its own value to advertisers) and they’ll send your IQ to you.
Case in point, International IQ Test has been online since 2018 and they say their IQ test, which is available in more than 40 languages, has been taken by nearly 17 million people. What’s interesting about this website is, with so many people having taken their test, plus its availability in so many languages, they’re able to annually determine each country’s average IQ, and then rank them all.
The 15 countries with the highest average IQ
Here are the top 15 ranking countries. Statistics include each country’s average IQ, how many citizens of each country participated, and a comparison to last year’s rankings:
| # | Country | IQ | Participants | Previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | South Korea | 106.97 | 26996 | 106.43 (23727) | +0.54 |
| 2. | China | 106.48 | 229918 | 107.19 (206994) | -0.71 |
| 3. | Japan | 106.3 | 55994 | 106.4 (145459) | -0.1 |
| 4. | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 104.8 | 10538 | 106.3 (3850) | -1.5 |
| 5. | Australia | 104.45 | 4245 | 102.57 (9626) | +1.88 |
| 6. | Russian Federation | 103.78 | 29170 | 103.16 (19289) | +0.62 |
| 7. | Singapore | 103.56 | 6880 | 105.14 (5159) | -1.58 |
| 8. | Mongolia | 102.61 | 2437 | 102.86 (2671) | -0.25 |
| 9. | New Zealand | 102.35 | 1184 | 102.08 (2410) | +0.27 |
| 10. | Viet Nam | 102.26 | 14915 | 100.12 (47671) | +2.14 |
| 11. | Spain | 102.24 | 8064 | 102.3 (11359) | -0.06 |
| 12. | Cyprus | 102.12 | 546 | 98.51 (1253) | +3.61 |
| 13. | Canada | 102.09 | 7685 | 101.65 (7888) | +0.44 |
| 14. | United Kingdom | 101.57 | 7310 | 99.68 (9787) | +1.89 |
| 15. | Sri Lanka | 101.22 | 3213 | 102.02 (2840) | -0.8 |
Where’s the United States?
This blog is written in the United States, and the vast majority of our readers are from there, as well. So of course, the U.S.’s ranking is important to us, and why aren’t we in the top 10 or even 15?
Because with an average IQ score of 101.04, we’re down at number 18.
| 18. | United States | 101.04 | 22605 | 99.74 (27841) | +1.3 |
By the way, our average IQ was 99.74 last year. Go us!
The 10 countries with the lowest average IQ
| 128. | Tanzania, United Republic of | 89.57 | 252 | 89.4 (212) | +0.17 |
| 129. | Afghanistan | 89.31 | 212 | – | |
| 130. | Congo (Democratic Republic of the) | 88.6 | 200 | 88.01 (340) | +0.59 |
| 131. | Uganda | 88.49 | 379 | 89.89 (202) | -1.4 |
| 132. | Gabon | 88.35 | 109 | 85.08 (275) | +3.27 |
| 133. | Angola | 87.89 | 473 | 85.33 (493) | +2.56 |
| 134. | Nicaragua | 87.75 | 225 | 88.7 (861) | -0.95 |
| 135. | Rwanda | 86.9 | 203 | – | |
| 136. | Timor-Leste | 86.7 | 152 | – | |
| 137. | Somalia | 83.84 | 141 | – |
Missing countries
International IQ test also notes that countries and territories with less than 100 test-takers were excluded from the ranking due to limited sample size. There were close to 80 of those such countries and territories.
The entire list
You can see the entire ranking on this page of International IQ’s website.
Our take on this – travel and the average IQ by country
There’s only a 23.13 point difference between (#1) South Korea’s average IQ score of 106.97 and (#137) Somalia’s 83.84 – two very different places, not only in terms of location, but also how life is in the two countries (to be fair, the same could be said about most of the “Top 15” and “Low 10” countries).
International IQ does address this in their report (towards the bottom of the page), with explanations about:
- Health burdens
- Nutrition and food security
- Learning opportunities and cognitive stimulation
- Genetics
As they said:
Overall, countries with stronger health systems, better nutrition, and broader access to high-quality education and cognitively enriching environments tend to score higher on reasoning-based tests.
But then again, IQ tests, of course, are only one measure of how smart someone is. As Science News Today said about IQ tests last year, they:
…do not fully capture creativity, emotional understanding, practical judgment, or social intelligence—all of which play crucial roles in human success and well-being.
In essence, IQ measures certain types of cognitive efficiency, but it does not define the entirety of human intellect. Intelligence is a multifaceted construct, encompassing many different abilities that interact dynamically within the brain and the environment.
So yeah…IQ scores may offer an interesting data point, but they don’t define intelligence—or people. Creativity, adaptability, emotional insight, and lived experience vary widely everywhere, which is why travel remains rewarding regardless of rankings.
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