Average IQ in US and 80 other nations

Average IQ in US and 80 other nations

Average IQ of Countries

The average IQ in the United States is usually set at 100. Groups within the US score different average IQ's, such as 115 for college grads or 85 for African-Americans. Similarly, average IQ varies from country to country, shown in the 2002 book IQ and the Wealth of Nations (sets Britain at 100):

From Intelligence and the Wealth and Poverty of Nations by Richard Lynn

Rank Country IQ estimate 1  Hong Kong 107 2  South Korea 106 3 ^  Japan 105 4  Taiwan 104 5  Singapore 103 6 *  Austria 102 6 ^  Germany 102 6 **  Italy 102 6 *  Netherlands 102 10  Sweden 101 10  Switzerland 101 12  Belgium 100 12 **  China 100 12  New Zealand 100 12 **  United Kingdom 100 16  Hungary 99 16  Poland 99 16 **  Spain 99 19  Australia 98 19  Denmark 98 19 *  France 98 19  Mongolia 98 19  Norway 98 19 *  United States 98 25  Canada 97 25  Czech Republic 97 25  Finland 97 28  Argentina 96 28 ^  Russia 96 28  Slovakia 96 28  Uruguay 96 32 ^  Portugal 95 32  Slovenia 95 34  Israel 94 34  Romania 94 36  Bulgaria 93 36  Ireland 93 36 *  Greece 93 39  Malaysia 92 40  Thailand 91 41  Croatia 90 41 ^  Peru 90 41 * *  Turkey 90

44  Colombia 89 44  Indonesia 89 44  Suriname 89 47  Brazil 87 47 * *  Iraq 87 47 ^  Mexico 87 47  Samoa 87 47  Tonga 87 52 *  Lebanon 86 52  Philippines 86 54  Cuba 85 54  Morocco 85 56  Fiji 84 56 *  Iran 84 56  Marshall Islands 84 56  Puerto Rico 84 60 **  Egypt 83 60  Saudi Arabia 83 60  United Arab Emirates 83 61 *  India 81 62  Ecuador 80 63  Guatemala 79 64  Barbados 78 64  Nepal 78 64  Qatar 78 67  Zambia 77 68  Congo 73 68  Uganda 73 70  Jamaica 72 70  Kenya 72 70  South Africa 72 70  Sudan 72 70  Tanzania 72 75  Ghana 71 76  Nigeria 67 77  Guinea 66 77 ^  Zimbabwe 66 79  Democratic Republic of the Congo 65 80  Sierra Leone 64 81  Ethiopia 63 82  Equatorial Guinea 59

Markings next to a rank means this area was a world leadiing civilization

*=once **=twice ^=near leading See: http://sq.4mg.com/AppA.htm

The top 5 nations above were also the top scorers (different order) in 8^th grade math and science in 2003. The US ranked 15^th in math and 9^th in science. Details at http://timss.bc.edu/timss2003.html
See also how major nations' 15 year old school children scored in Math, Science, and Reading in PISA 2006 testing

Click for list of IQ, income per person, and corruption index for 127 nations,
Click for: - possible causes of IQ differences among nations
- a summary of what IQ is and how it is calculated The book's authors Lynn (psychology, U. of Ulster) and Vanhanen (political science, U. of Helsinki) analyzed 168 national IQ studies. They argue that a significant part of the gap between rich and poor countries is due to differences in national intelligence. There is a similar pattern within the United States, where higher IQ states have higher incomes. On Lynn's website you can see:
the IQ data sources used for 60 countries (at http://www.rlynn.co.uk/pages/article_intelligence/7-a1.asp)
and IQs for 185 countries - some "Based on the IQs of Neighbouring or Other Comparable Countries" (at http://www rlynn.co.uk/pages/article_intelligence/t4.asp). Comments by a reviewer: "This brilliantly conceived, superbly-written, path-breaking book, does for the global study of economic prosperity what Herrnstein and Murray's (1994) The Bell Curve did for the USA. IQ and the Wealth of Nations examines IQ scores and economic indicators in 185 nations. It shows that national differences in wealth are explained first, by the intelligence levels of the populations; second, by whether the countries have market or communist economies; and finally, by unique circumstances such as, in the case of Qatar, by sitting atop a sea of oil."(The information above is partly based on http://btobsearch.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?btob=Y&endeca=1&isbn=027597510X&itm=73)
Comments in a chat room Tue Feb 15 2005, referring to this webpage (from http://www.funtrivia.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=404203&an=0&page=0)
What I found interesting to ponder was the fact that the world's poorest countries were also the ones with the lowest IQ average, generally speaking. Does the fact that they have been poor for generations mean that their IQ average is low because they are poor or are they poor because they have a low IQ average? I found the figures to be presented in a non-racist manner myself, though if I have missed something please advise. The site itself is fascinating.
Given that most of the lower ones are African nations I wonder if poor nutrition through drought after drought would affect IQ overall. I guess that would come under your "been poor for generations mean that their IQ average is low" theory. Factors other than IQ in economic success
Research shows that IQ accounts for only 1/3 or less of a person's income - within a country. Other big factors in income are a person's social skills and ambition, together sometimes called Emotional Intelligence.
While social skills have a major impact on a person's income within a country, they have little effect on national income. The reason? Research indicates that average social skills (SQ) scores show almost no differences among racial groups. Ambition may have a similar worldwide pattern. As a result. IQ becomes the main cause for national wealth differences. Click for more information on how IQ, social skills and ambition relate to national wealth.