The Average IQ by Country
Which country is the smartest?
What are you guessing?
In which country is the average intelligence quotient the highest?
In this article, you will get the answer.
What exactly is the IQ?
By definition, the intelligence quotient is a measure of intellectual capability. It should not be equated with actual performance or even education. IQ is merely a measure of the ability to perform intellectually.
However, the following data should be viewed with a grain of salt. Indeed, it is often criticized that IQ was developed by Western countries and that it is, therefore, questionable whether it can be well applied to other social structures, cultures, values, and ways of thinking.
What influences the IQ?
Intelligence is influenced by several different factors. Here are a few examples:
- Partly, intelligence is inherited.
- Intelligence can be trained. Cognitive efforts, such as in school, have a positive effect on intelligence. Especially in childhood brain training is important and effective.
- High temperatures are considered to be bad for intelligence. When it is very warm, this costs our body a lot of energy. In children, this can lead to less energy than is necessary for brain development.
- Drugs, bad nutrition as well as underfeeding, especially in childhood can reduce IQ.
The data of each country
- Japan — 106.48
- Taiwan — 106.47
- Singapore — 105.89
- Hong Kong — 105.37
- China — 104.11
- South Korea — 102.35
The Asians seem to be really smart…
7. Belarus — 101.6
8. Finland — 101.2
9. Liechtenstein — 101.07
10. Germany/ Netherlands — 100.74
….
Canada — 99.52
Australia — 99.24
UK — 99.12
New Zealand — 98.57
United States — 97.43
France — 96.69
Russia — 96.29
…
Liberia — 45.07
Sierra Leone — 45.07
Nepal — 42.99
Huge differences in IQ
106.48 in Japan vs. 42.99 in Nepal…
I find the differences shocking. I think it’s reasonable to assume that hunger in poor countries affects the development of children so much that the average IQ is much lower than in richer countries.
Thanks for reading!
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