Search a recent country-level IQ table, compare sample sizes, and see why country averages should be interpreted carefully rather than treated as a final truth about national intelligence.
1 Quick Answer
Updated March 28, 2026 by Structural. There is no single universally authoritative IQ number for every country. Different lists use different tests, years, sample frames, and adjustment methods. This page uses one recent primary dataset: the International IQ Test country ranking published on January 1, 2026, based on 1,212,714 people who took the same test in 2025.
In that dataset, South Korea ranks first among sovereign states at 106.97. The United States is listed at 101.04 from 22,605 participants. Territories with enough participants, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, are shown separately in the source but rolled into their sovereign country in the main ranking.
Countries Ranked137
Only countries with at least 100 test-takers were included in the main ranking.
Primary Dataset2025
All entries come from people who took the same online test during 2025.
Participants1.21M
The source reports 1,212,714 total test-takers across the 2025 sample.
Stability84.8%
The source says most countries moved by less than 2 IQ points year over year.
Use this tool to search a country, compare its score with the dataset mean of 100, and inspect sample size before drawing conclusions. The default selection is the United States because that query is one of the most common entry points for this topic.
This tool keeps one primary dataset instead of mixing older national-IQ estimates, school proxies, and self-selected online samples into one misleading combined rank.
Selected CountryUnited States
Ranked 18th in this dataset.
Average IQ101.04
1.04 points above the dataset mean of 100.
Participants22,605
A relatively strong sample for this table.
Dataset Position18 / 137
Top 13.1% of country means in this dataset.
Year Change+1.30
Compared with the source's previous-year table.
Sample StrengthStrong
Interpretation should still stay cautious because this is not a census sample.
Interpretation note: Country rank in this tool is the rank of country means inside this specific dataset. It is not an individual IQ percentile and it is not evidence of innate national intelligence.
Important: a country average says far less than many people assume. It depends on the test used, who took it, how many people took it, internet access, language coverage, translation quality, education, and self-selection. Use this as a published estimate table, not a metaphysical ranking of whole populations.
3 Top 10 Countries in This 2026 Dataset
This top-10 table uses the same sovereign-state ranking throughout the page. Territories such as Hong Kong and Taiwan are shown separately later because the source lists them separately but rolls them into their sovereign country in the main ranking.
Rank
Country
Average IQ
Participants
Year Change
4 Full Searchable Country Table
The table below shows all 137 countries included in the main ranking. Click a row to load that country into the lookup panel above.
Showing 137 countries.
Tip: sort by participants before taking tiny-sample differences too seriously.
Rank
Country
Average IQ
Participants
Delta vs 100
Year Change
5 How to Read Average IQ by Country Carefully
Country-level IQ tables attract attention because they look simple. In reality, they compress many difficult issues into one number. If you want to read them seriously, keep these limits in view:
Country averages are not individual destiny. A country mean does not tell you your own score, your own percentile, or the shape of any one person's cognitive profile.
Sample frame matters. A self-selected online sample is not the same as a nationally representative norming study. It can overrepresent some groups and underrepresent others.
Language and access matter. Internet availability, English ability, translation quality, and willingness to take online tests all shift who appears in the sample.
Education and development matter. Country averages often track schooling, health, literacy, and general opportunity at least as much as anything people try to label as raw intelligence.
Small differences are easy to overread. A gap of 0.5 to 1.5 points can disappear under a different sample year, a different instrument, or a different adjustment method.
This is why the best use of a page like this is comparison inside one known dataset, plus methodological caution. It is not to pretend a country's published mean is a final scientific verdict.
If you search this topic, you will quickly notice that country IQ numbers often do not match from one site to another. That is not a bug. It is what happens when people combine very different methods.
Some tables use one live test dataset. That is what this page does.
Some tables use older national-IQ estimate books or adjusted compilations. Those often blend direct test results, educational proxies, and imputation from nearby countries.
Some sites mix territories and sovereign states inconsistently. Hong Kong, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, and similar entries often move in or out depending on the publisher.
Some lists are more controversial than others. Older cross-national estimate sets have drawn heavy criticism over methodology, objectivity, and the use of best-guess estimates for countries without direct data.
That is why this page does not pretend there is a perfect global number for every country. Instead, it shows one recent ranking, names the source clearly, shows sample sizes, and surfaces the limits up front.
Territories Listed Separately in the Primary Source
The source also reports several territories separately, while combining them into their sovereign country for the main ranking. They are shown here because users often search for them directly.
Territory
Sovereign Country
Average IQ
Participants
Year Change
Method choice on this page: the primary ranking here uses the International IQ Test 2026 country table. Older Lynn/Becker-style national estimates are mentioned only as context for why other pages disagree, not as the main engine of this tool.
7 Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average IQ by country?
There is no single universally accepted number for every country. This page uses one recent dataset from the International IQ Test ranking updated on January 1, 2026, so the comparisons stay internally consistent instead of mixing incompatible sources.
Which country has the highest average IQ in this 2026 table?
Among sovereign states in this dataset, South Korea ranks first at 106.97. If separately listed territories are counted, Hong Kong appears higher at 107.73, but the source folds it into China for the main ranking.
What is the average IQ in the United States here?
In this dataset, the United States is listed at 101.04 based on 22,605 participants, which places it 18th out of 137 countries in the main ranking.
Are country IQ tables a measure of innate intelligence?
No. Country averages are shaped by sample selection, education, language, technology access, health, and the instrument itself. They should be treated as published cross-country estimates, not proof of fixed innate national traits.
Why do country IQ lists disagree so much?
Because they often use different years, tests, territory rules, sample frames, and adjustment methods. Some rely on live online samples, while others rely on older adjusted national estimates or educational proxies.
8 Sources and Related Guides
If you want to interpret country averages more responsibly, pair this page with norming, score, and age-context resources instead of reading the country table in isolation.